Applesauce

Tom's apple trees were the gift that kept giving, and giving, and giving this year. Wow.  Look at all of these apples that he picked.  And the photo below is missing one of the blue crates that he had already processed.  This will keep us busy for a few days.  I am exhausted after only making 3 batches of applesauce.  But Tom will keep it going.  

Ingredients:
12 small apples, unpeeled, cored, seeded, diced
1 cup water
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 teaspoons coconut palm sugar 

Preparation:
Cook all ingredients over low heat until the apples are tender.  Puree with an immersion blender stick.

Another option is to have a darling husband like mine who used an apple peeler/corer.  He makes life fun no matter what he does!!!  I put these apples into the VitaMix to chop them up, then cooked them for applesauce for the rest of my family and pureed them further for me with the immersion blender stick.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 5
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 143
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 1 mg
Total Carbs: 38 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 1 g

Summer Squash Soup with Basil

Part of the garden harvest on first of Sept 

This is one of those soups born out of necessity to use the abundance of summer squash and basil exploding in the garden.   And I used the strategy I learned from the Chocolate and Zucchini blog of thickening the soup a bit with toasted almond meal.  It adds just a bit of earthy flavor and nubby texture...and Pzazz.  

Diced yellow zucchini

Variety of summer squash

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 lb. summer squash, cubed (about 4 cups cubed)
(I used yellow zucchini)
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup julienned basil 
2 Tablespoons almond meal, toasted
dash of black pepper
fresh lemon juice



Garden basil

Preparation:

Heat oil in large sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute till translucent. Add cubed squash and saute about 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth and simmer till the squash is tender. Add basil and cook just about 1-2 more minutes. Add black pepper. Let cool a bit and add the toasted almond meal. Puree to desired consistency. Put a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in the bowl as it is served. 








Nutrition per serving:

Yellow zucchini used for this soup

Servings per recipe: 5
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 756 mg
Total Carbs: 9 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 2 g

Green Bean and Almond Soup

This is a modification of a recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini blog. I used coconut oil rather than olive oil, and reduced the amount of almond meal to keep the fat content more manageable for me. The use of almond meal was new to me as a way to thicken a soup without a dairy product such as cream.  I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture.  The almond meal gave the soup a slightly nutty, earthy taste and a finely nubby texture that was pleasing. Definitely a strategy that adds Pzazz and I will apply to other soup creations.  

Royal Burgundy  Bush Bean

Celery, Carrots, Beans

The beans that Tom planted again this year are Royal Burgundy Bush Beans, and turn green when cooked. Their color as well as their placement in the raised garden bins makes picking easy!  

Tom planted orange, yellow, white and red carrots this year. He mixed all of them together in the row so when I pulled some for this recipe, I didn't know what I would get and there were 4 orange ones, and one red one.  Next time, I think I will hold out for the white ones because they won't discolor the green soup as much as the orange and red ones did.

Ingredients:
1 T. coconut oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups peeled and sliced carrots
500 grams (a little over a pound) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup almond meal



Preparation:
Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots, and cook over medium heat, stirring every now and then, until softened and very lightly golden. In the meantime, trim the green beans and rinse them well. Add to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Pour in the stock or water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. In the meantime, pour the powdered almonds in a dry skillet. Set over medium-high heat and toast for about two minutes, stirring constantly and watching closely, until golden and fragrant. Set aside in a bowl to prevent overtoasting.

When the vegetables are soft, add the almond meal to the pot and stir well. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or working in batches in a blender, purée the soup until completely smooth. Taste, adjust the seasoning, reheat over gentle heat if necessary, and serve.


Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 132
Total Fat: 7 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 210 mg
Total Carbs: 15 g
Dietary Fiber: 6 g
Protein: 4 g

Cold Pickled Beet and Basil Soup

I had originally planned to make a warm beet soup, but realized Tom hadn't planted many beets this year and the few we have aren't quite ready to be harvested. But I did have a jar of pickled beets in the cupboard. And an abundance of basil in the pots on the deck.  Thus a marriage of flavors was born. Beets and basil are an exquisite couple.  

As I was beginning to take a photo of this incredibly delicious and simple soup, Tom brought me a few of the highly fragrant Nicotiana flowers from the garden. These flowers are fragrant only in the evening, but attract hummingbirds throughout the day to their trumpet shaped flowers.  They are also known as Tobacco Flower, and have high concentrations of nicotine.  

Even if you don't have any Nicotiana to add to your dining Pzazz, I think you will enjoy this soup.  
  

Potted basil  and other flowers and herbs on the deck 

Ingredients:
8 whole pickled beets (medium sized)
4 -5 fresh purple basil leaves and extra for garnish (either green or purple)

Purple Basil and Genovese Basil 

Preparation:
I used my Magic Bullet to puree the beets and basil together and it worked perfectly.  You might need to add just a bit of the beet juice to get the consistency you want.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 1
Serving Size: 1/2 cup
Calories: 81
Total Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium:  260 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 0 g

Variety of Nicotiana from the garden

Spicy Broccoli Soup

Tom's garden bins raise gardening to new heights!!   Wow!  He picked the second crop of broccoli yesterday and there is still more coming.  Last year when he built them, I thought they looked like over-sized caskets in our back yard.  Now they are a verdant abundance of living produce! And I am totally convinced of their merits in terms of production as well as ease of caring for them. No more bending to plant, weed, or harvest.  And the depth of soil conserves water and heat and he has not needed to water the garden even once this summer.  The only problem they create is keeping up with the harvesting!  

Raised garden bins containing tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, & beans

View of the bins from our deck

This delectable and mildly spicy soup is my modification of a recipe in the Soup Bible (Penguin Books, 2007).  The coconut milk adds a creamy dimension and is surprisingly complimentary to the broccoli.  I enjoyed some for lunch, even on this wonderfully warm summer day!  The rest will be frozen for a winter treat.  

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup lite coconut milk
2 lbs broccoli, cut into small pieces  

Preparation:
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook gently for 4 -5 minutes until onion is soft. Add ground spices and cook for 2 -3 minutes. Pour in stock and coconut milk, and slowly bring to a boil. Add broccoli, reduce heat and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes. Remove from heat and cool a little.Puree to desired consistency. 

Garnish with cilantro or mango chutney also is a great compliment for it.  

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 8                        

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 80
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg                  
Sodium: 158 mg
Total Carbs: 10 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 4 g

Curried Red Lentil and Winter Squash Soup

This is my adaptation of a recipe from Epicurious.  The original recipe cubed butternut squash and cooked it with the other vegetables in a soup pot.  But because Tom had cooked one of his monster pink banana squash  (see photo below) and I had that in the refrigerator, I used that instead.  And of course, I used coconut oil rather than the combination of vegetable oil and butter that the original recipe used.  The mix of earthy red lentils and squash with curry was superb!  Madras curry is simply one type of ground curry that is a bit more intense than the typical curry powder.  I often have it in my spice cupboard, but didn't have it when I made this soup, so I am eager to try this again using Madras curry.  

The original recipe also made a cilantro oil to put on the soup, but it used vegetable oil and cilantro and I knew that would never work for me.  So I played around with the idea, and made an incredibly tasty sauce using goat yogurt and cilantro.   I used about 4 teaspoons yogurt with about about 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, and put it in the Magic Bullet.  The flavor was a great accompaniment to the soup.  Of course, any type of plain yogurt would work.  I am realizing for me, however, goat products are much more easily digested than cow products.  

I am definitely a better cook than photographer.  I think I took about 50 photos and none did this soup justice. Just believe me when I say it is tastier than it looks.  

The abundance of winter squash is Pzazz this year!  Tom planted several varieties of winter squash, and all performed heartily.   The great thing about winter squash is that they are nearly indestructible.  If kept in a cool place, they will keep for months before needing to be used. Or I often bake them in the oven, and then freeze the flesh, or make it immediately into soup, which can also be frozen.  For those days and weeks when I have minimal energy, there is nothing better than being able to take out soup from the freezer and simply warm it up.  

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 1/2 cups cooked winter squash (any variety)
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons minced peeled ginger
1 Tablespoon curry (preferably Madras)
8 cups water
1 cup dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
Heat oil in deep soup pot.  Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic,and ginger with the salt.  Saute until the vegetables are tender. Add the cooked winter squash, freshly ground pepper and curry powder and simmer about 10 more minutes.  Let cool. Add the water, and puree with an immersion blender in the pot, being careful for hot splatters.  Add the lentils to the pot, and simmer, covered, for about 30- 40 minutes until the lentils are soft.  Ladle into bowls with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. A garnish of crumbled feta cheese or crumbled goat cheese is also tasty with it.

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 10                        

Serving size:  1 cup

Calories:  118

Total Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol:0   mg
Sodium: 226 mg
Total Carbs: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 6 g

Spicy Pureed Vegetable Salsa

This is a recipe that I picked up at the Duluth Farmers Market several years ago.  And the recipe really does puree the final product.  I used onions, hot peppers, carrots, and tomatoes from Tom's vegetable garden.  The pepper I used was much hotter than I realized, so this pureed salsa was full of Pzazz! But it is fabulous used as a dip for mild corn chips, and I even put it on my scrambled egg whites one morning. And one day I mixed it with some baked winter squash.  Pzazz in so many ways.

The tomato crop this year was unbelievable!  We harvested more than 200 tomatoes and Tom made a roasted tomato salsa for himself that was great, too.  I also cooked tomatoes with garden onions and peppers, then pureed them and stuck them in the freezer to use for a variety of soups this winter.  I'm thinking a pureed black bean and tomato soup might be delish!  I'll experiment on that and get back to you.  As you can see from the photos below, we had an abundance of tomatoes.  Tom chose all heirloom seeds and had about 10 varieties. Nope, they aren't as pretty as store-purchased tomatoes, but the flavor can't be beat!   And remember the information I posted by Barry Estabrook about "Tomatoland".  Disgusting on many levels.  

Yellow tomatoes

Black tomatoes

Harvest from Sept 29 alone!

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped seeded hot pepper (more or less depending on the level of Pzazz you want!)

1 1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 

1/2 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

3 cups finely chopped fresh tomatoes (I used a mixed variety of types)

1/4 cup wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

Preparation:
Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onions celery, carrots, garlic and peppers. Saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add parsley, cilantro, tomatoes, vinegar, salt and sugar. Simmer for 45 minutes.Allow to cool slightly. Then blend to a smooth puree in a food processor or blender or use an immersion stick if the pan is deep enough. Return to saucepan and simmer for another 30 minutes. 

Nutrition  per serving:

Golden Tomato

Servings per recipe: 16
Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
Calories: 24
Total Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Total Carbs: 3 g
Dietary Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 1 g

Snappy Summer Squash Soup

This is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Veginista.  The original recipe used olive oil, for which I substituted coconut oil.  It also used saffron, which is far too pricey for my pantry.  And it used 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper. I like a good "kick" in my soup, but I knew it would be "bad ass kick" if I used that much, so I reduced it to barely 1/8 teaspoon and it still had "snap".  Thus, the title for my modified version.

Yellow summer squash and eight-ball squash

I used a combination of eight-ball summer squash and yellow summer squash.   If you haven't seen eight-ball squash, you might not know what it is when you first see it.  It is a new variety of zucchini, so it can be used for any recipe using zucchini.  It has an attractive shiny green speckled skin that is tender. It is named eight-ball because of its resemblance to a billiard ball.  Of course, if it grows big like the second one in our garden, maybe it should be called a bowling-ball zucchini.

What you see below is the bounty Tom harvested on September 22 from the summer squash patch and the pepper plants.  Since then, he has gathered more each day.  And then there are the tomatoes....more about that on another post.    Stay tuned.......

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 large onion, sliced fine
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Sprinkle of cayenne pepper or 1/8 teaspoon, depending on how much snappy Pzazz you want!
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 cups sliced (3/4 inch slices) summer squash (I used yellow & green eight -ball squash) 
3 cups vegetable broth 

Preparation:
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Over medium heat, add the onion, garlic and spices. Stir frequently & cook until soft but not browned. When the onions are soft, add the squash & cook for about two minutes. 

Pour in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer & cook until the squash is tender (15-20 minutes).

Puree the soup in a blender until it is very smooth. I used my immersion stick blender. The soup can be gently reheated when you’re ready to serve. If it seems very thick, you may wish to thin it with some additional stock. Add salt to taste.  

For garnish, top with paprika, freshly ground pepper, fresh finely chopped basil & a squeeze of lemon. Or top with crumbled goat cheese. 

        

Nutrition per serving:

Servings per recipe: 6
Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 85
Total Fat: 5 g
Cholesterol:  0 mg
Sodium: 76 mg
Total Carbs: 11 g
Dietary Fiber: 4 g
Protein: 2 g




If you like zucchini soup, don't forget about the one I posted last year for Charred Zucchini Soup by Anna Thomas. The wedding of charred zucchini with mint is divine!  I made it several times again this year and when my friend, Tahirih, tasted it, she immediately asked for the link to it on this blog so she could make some.  Other summer squash soups I have posted are:
Zucchini and Basil Soup by Anna Thomas
Patty Pan Summer Squash Soup
Asparagus Zucchini Soup
Crookneck Squash Soup with Curry and Ginger
Simple Summer Squash Soup
Italian Summer Squash Soup
Lemon Basil Summer Squash Soup
Curried Zucchini Soup

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Soup

The photo below shows the patio table filled with tomatoes that Tom harvested on Sunday evening when he heard the frost warning.  He covered the rest of them on the vine and they are ripening quickly in the warmth of this week.   There are several different varieties of heirloom tomatoes - yellow, black, golden, and many types of the common red tomato. (He will chastise me for not specifically naming all of the varieties that he so carefully chose to plant.)  He has been harvesting more summer squash, too, as well as peppers.  The "red lipstick" sweet red peppers are...well...cute. They were a great addition to this soup, which is an adaptation of a recipe I found in the Soup Bible by Penguin Books, 2010. The roasted tomatoes, peppers, onions and garlic combined to make a richly satisfying soup. The next time I make it, I will definitely make a double batch, as the robust flavor captures the essence of a great Italian soup. And the finishing touch of balsamic vinegar sealed the deal for me.  

Red Lipstick sweet peppers and green bell peppers

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ripe, firm (unpeeled) tomatoes, quartered, cored and deseeded
1 cup sliced sweet red peppers
1/2 red onion, peeled and quartered
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
a few sprigs fresh basil (I used two types of Italian basil - Purple and Genovese) 
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the peppers and tomatoes in a glass baking pan with the onion, garlic, basil and oil. Season with salt and pepper, then roast for 1 hour or until the edges of the tomatoes are slightly blackened.

When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven. Remove the garlic cloves, squeeze out the pulp and discard the skins. (You have just roasted garlic, which is much sweeter than a regular garlic clove.) Blend the contents of the baking pan (including all of the juices) with the broth.  I used my immersion blender stick. Add balsamic vinegar to taste, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh basil.

Roasted vegetables 

Purple and Genovese basil 

Nutrition per serving:
Servings per recipe: 2      
Serving Size: 1 1/4  cup
Calories: 329
Total Fat: 22 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 547 mg
Total Carbs: 37 g
Dietary Fiber: 8 g
Protein: 6 g

Pattypan Squash Soup

Pattypan summer squash is growing as well as all of the other varieties of summer squash in Tom's garden this year. And the days are getting shorter and the temperatures cooler, prompting me to make hot soups, which can only mean one thing....the forbidden four letter f-word has arrived.  Don't get me wrong.  I love the colors and the decreased humidity of this season.  But I am not ready to bid goodbye to the summer sultry heat.  Summer visits Duluth for such a short time, that I grasp it tightly each day it is here.  But now it is time to harvest the summer squash, signifying the end of the season.  

This particular soup is from the blog of Naturally Ella.  The only modification I needed to make was to substitute coconut oil for the olive oil.  The combination of spices coriander, turmeric, paprika, cumin, mustard powder, and cinnamon was subtle but exquisite, giving it a mid-eastern flavor.  

Any type of summer squash could be used for this soup.  This is just the type I needed to use today. If you aren't familiar with pattypan summer squash you may have passed them up at your local farmers' market, not recognizing them or knowing what to do with them.  They have a strange shape, and either a pale green or golden yellow skin.  Other names for this variety of summer squash include scallopini, sunburst, white squash, or button squash.  Nutritionally, they have a lot going for them, according to Organic Authority.   They are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, as well as a good source of magnesium, vitamin A, folate, fiber, potassium, copper, riboflavin, and phosphorous.    

Tom gave this soup a five-star rating, which always makes me feel jazzed and Pzazzed.  Even though it is the end of summer.  

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
6 cups cubed pattypan summer squash (no need to peel it)
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup chopped carrot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup cubed, peeled raw potatoes
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups vegetable broth (I used Pacific Organic Vegetable Broth)
1/4 teaspoon each: coriander, turmeric, and paprika
1/8 teaspoon each:  cumin, mustard powder and cinnamon
pinch cayenne pepper, if desired
1/4 cup lite coconut milk

Preparation:
In a medium pot, heat oil over medium low heat.  Add the garlic and onions, sauteing until onions begin to soften and garlic becomes fragrant.  Add the squash, carrot and potatoes- continuing to cook until squash and potatoes begin to soften, about five minutes.  During this time, begin to add spices.  Once vegetables begin to soften, add the white wine to deglaze the pan.  Finally, pour in the vegetable broth, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer.  Let simmer until potatoes and squash are soft, 20 - 25 minutes.

Once potatoes and squash are done, use an immersion blender to puree.  Return the soup back to the stove top, stir in the coconut milk, and heat again until the soup is hot.  When ready to serve, place soup in a bowl, a sprinkle a little paprika on top of each.  The original recipe also suggested swirling a tablespoon of additional coconut milk onto the top of the soup.  

Nutrition per serving:                                           

Servings per recipe: 5
Serving Size: 1 cup                          
Calories: 99
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 225 mg
Total Carbs: 13 g
Dietary Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g