csa box: week 3

With parks, picnics, bike riding and playing with the neighbors in the alley I didn't post this yesterday.

So, here is our box for this week:: purple beans, basil, spring onions, fresh garlic, romaine, head lettuce, fennel, beets, cabbage, snap peas

I made a veggie soup last night (oh so good) since I had a fridge full of homemade stock. I don't like following a recipe with soups - in particular vegetable soup - I use what I have. Garlic, onions, peas, beets, mushrooms, broccoli, just cut herbs, fresh stock. Nothing else needed but some salt & pepper and a simmer!

creamy corn soup.

This is the sweet corn time of year here - where every farm stand and roadside truck is selling mountains of corn. We have been picking up a few dozen ears of corn each time we pass our favorite spots, and have blanched and frozen a bit, but we usually just tear through it before we preserve much. Today we had another dozen ears awaiting us, so we made soup. This soup combines everything that is in season and available right now - and was SO good. Rich and creamy, but not heavy. So good!


::creamy corn soup::

ingredients:
4 cups fresh corn (we cut corn off of 8 raw ears)
4-5 medium potatoes chopped (a not too starchy type, such as yukon gold)
1 red onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups stock
1 sheet kombu
2 tsp sea salt
3 tsp cumin
ground pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
minced cilantro
1 Tbsp coconut oil

directions:
In a large pot, put the coconut oil, garlic and onion, and cook on med-high for a few minutes until they start to go a bit transparent. Add the fresh corn, stir and let sauté for a minute with the garlic and onions. Add the kombu, stock, salt, cumin, potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and add milk - stir in a bit of the cilantro and add pepper to taste (more salt if needed, depending on your stock...). Serve warm with a little sprinkle of the cilantro over the top.



ingredients tip::

Corn is a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. Corn is also heart healthy - corn's contribution to heart health lies not just in its fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate that corn supplies.

creamy ginger carrot soup.

I'm slow on this blog for the past few weeks. We have been working hard in the garden - and are *not quite* to CSA season yet, so I haven't felt as motivated in the kitchen. When I'm like this, I tend to make soup, stir fry, quiche and things that I can eat for more than one meal, and that I can do easily. This week, I had a taste for some carrots, so made a big pot of creamy ginger carrot soup. While I love the sweetness of carrots, I tend to like more savory soups, so have been tweaking recipes to get a more intense flavor. This pot turned out great.

creamy ginger carrot soup

ingredients::
-about 8-9 large carrots, sliced into 3/4" chunks
-1 onion, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-large knob of fresh ginger, grated (3-4")
-2 cups veggie broth
-1 3/4 cups miso liquid (1 Tbsp miso paste mixed with the HOT water)
-1 tsp yellow curry powder
-1 can organic coconut milk
-1 Tbsp coconut oil
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1 1/2 tsp sea salt
-1 cup fresh milk

In a big pot on the stove (med high) melt coconut oil and sesame oil, and add onions, garlic and ginger. Let cook until onions start to get soft. Add the carrots and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring constantly. Add the liquids & spices, stir. Turn to simmer, and let cook for 30-45 minutes. Turn off heat, add the cold milk, and then cream with an immersion blender until no more chunks. Salt & pepper to your taste.