Black bean and spinach soup recipe

I warned you that I'm obsessed with black beans.  In fact, I cooked up a bunch of dried beans yesterday and froze them in can-sized portions, so brace yourself for a plethora of bean recipes.  I've been meaning to make this soup ever since I first came across the recipe in March, so I jumped on the opportunity when the temperatures dropped, and it was a fabulous match for my yellow squash and jalapeno spoonbread.

I really enjoyed this soup.  I'm always a fan of black bean soup, but I loved that the spinach cooked so much that it gave the soup a creamy texture.  I even enjoyed a cold bowl of this the next day.


Black bean and spinach soup (adapted from The New York Times)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
2 tsp cumin
12 oz. dried black beans, soaked overnight in 2 quarts of water
1 chile pepper in adobo, minced
2 large handfuls spinach
1/2 cup minced cilantro
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until it's tender (about 5 min).  Then add half of the garlic and the cumin, and cook an additional minute.  Stir in the beans and their soaking water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for an hour and a half.  Puree it with an immersion blender (or blend about half of it in a regular blender), add the remaining ingredients (including the rest of the garlic), and continue to cook another 30 min.  Serves 5.

CSA round-up week 8

 

Things are certainly changing around here.  It's crazy to think that a few short months ago I had strawberries coming out of my ears.  It seems like decades ago, although I am transported back to spring every time I open my freezer.  My last CSA share consisted of chard, cabbage, yellow squash, eggplant, okra, a melon, potatoes, and lots of tomatoes (both heirlooms and "regular").

The squash went into this delicious summer squash and jalapeno spoonbread:

 

I combined the potatoes and cabbage with sausage for an amazing soup:

Several of the tomatoes were topped with parmesan and broiled:

The second I arrived to pick up my share, Amy informed me that there was okra and whispered, "you can take more than one basket."  I love that they know my food obsessions :).  I decided to only take a single basket because part of my mission in life is to spread the okra love.  I sauteed it with a few tomatoes, corn, and zucchini. 

 

I'm pretty sure that there's nothing better than grilled eggplant, so of course that's what I did with mine.

 

And, finally, I sauteed the chard with a tomato and topped it with a fried egg.  It was a delicious and fast dinner!

 

I'm trying not to think about the fact that my CSA will soon be over, but I'm excited that it's actually a week longer than I originally thought.  I've become so spoiled this summer that it's going to be a difficult adjustment to shop for produce at the store.  And who will encourage my love for weird, sometimes slimy vegetables??

Broiled tomatoes with parmesan recipe

I know that the tomatoes will soon be gone, but I'm trying to enjoy as many as I can before they disappear.  I've been eating a ton of them in salads because, to me, a salad isn't really a salad unless it has delicious tomatoes on top.  I also enjoy cooked tomatoes, but I never think to make them.  While I was looking at the mix of heirloom and "non-heirloom" ("traditional"? "standard"?) tomatoes on my counter, I realized that I have never had broiled heirlooms.  So, I mixed them together in an extremely simple broiled tomatoes dish.

This was simple, but amazing.  I love the way that the cooked tomato taste is completely different, but equally delicious.  The tomatoes virtually melt in your mouth, too.  I love the heirlooms and, as with raw ones, the green zebras were my favorites.  The bit of cheese on top was the perfect complement, and this is an ideal accompaniment for just about any meal.

Broiled tomatoes with parmesan (adapted from "Vegetables Every Day" by Jack Robbins)
(Printable version)

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
4-5 tomatoes, sliced in half

Mix the cheese, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.  Place tomatoes in a baking dish and sprinkle the cheese mixture over them.  Broil them (ideally on a rack about 6 inches away from the heating element) for about 5 min, or until the tops brown.  Serves 4.

Cabbage, potato, and sausage soup recipe

From the time I was 10 until I left for college, I never had to go outside or check the weather to know that it was fall.  As soon as the cooler temperatures arrived, my dog, Rascal, would run around and bounce all over the place.  It was great entertainment, but unfortunately I haven't been home during fall in a long time (although I have a feeling that she's not as crazy as she once was, given that she's 15 now).  But, I can relate.  There's something about the crisp air and beautiful colors that slaps a silly grin on my face and gives me an extra boost of energy.  I don't usually get to the point where I'm running around in circles, but it's tempting sometimes!

However, I fear what follows falls.  It's already getting colder than I like, and I have to keep reminding myself that this will be my last winter here.  We had our first freeze on Wednesday night, and since then all I want to eat is bowl after bowl of soups, stews, and chilis.  I thought it was only natural to make a soup from the cabbage and potatoes out of my CSA share.

This might be my new favorite soup.  It was delicious the first time, and got better and better over the next few days.  It warmed me up and fills me up, which are my two most important soup characteristics.  My sausage is fairly spicy, so it provided a lot of flavor for the soup.  If you use a milder sausage (or no meat), you might want to season it a bit more.  This will definitely be making an appearance for St. Patrick's Day, but I'm not sure that I can wait that long to have more.  I'm seriously considering making it again this week.

Cabbage, potato, and sausage soup (adapted from Karina's Kitchen)
(Printable version)

6 oz. spicy sausage, sliced thinly
3 leeks, sliced thinly
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small head of cabbage, chopped
12 small red potatoes, cut into small chunks
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Brown the sausage over medium heat in a large pot.  Add the leeks and cook until they soften (about 3 min).  Add the garlic and cabbage and continue to cook until the cabbage begins to get tender (about 7 min), stirring occasionally.  Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45 min (or until the potatoes and carrots are very tender).  Serves 4.

Lemongrass quinoa pilaf recipe

I've been neglecting some of my favorite grains.  Millet and quinoa - I'm extremely sorry that you haven't played much of a role in my life for the past couple of months.  I've been eating so much local corn that I haven't had time for you.  I've missed you, though, and I would like to welcome you back to my life if you're willing to give me another chance.  Don't worry, you won't have to compete with any local grains until next summer. 

I made quinoa first, and used a recipe from "Vegetarian Planet" that combined quinoa with lemongrass, tofu, broccoli, and red peppers.  This was a light, but quite filling dinner, and it was nice to have quinoa again.  The texture contrasts were really cool - everything from the crunch of broccoli and peppers to the softness of tofu.  I wish I would have marinated the tofu in something (perhaps a simple tamari, garlic, and ginger mixture) because that would have enhanced the flavors a bit.  Even without this, though, I enjoyed it and won't mind eating the massive amounts of leftovers.

Well, September is over, so I guess I'll have to wrap up my month of cooking from "Vegetarian Planet".  By far, my favorite recipe was the masa cakes with salsa verde.  Julia was right, these things are amazingly delicious (perhaps dangerously delicious).  I also loved the smokin' black beans and eggplant and cherry tomato saute, and I'm sure that I will be making more of both.  This quinoa was really good as well, but didn't knock my socks off as much as the rest did.  I'm disappointed that I didn't get a chance to make more from the book this month, but I'm sure that I will be pulling it off the shelf very frequently.  After trying more of the recipes, this book has quickly moved into one of my top 5 favorite cookbooks (don't ask me to rank them, though).

Lemongrass quinoa pilaf (adapted from "Vegetarian Planet" by Didi Emmons)
(Printable version)

1 Tbsp peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp minced lemongrass (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper (or 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, and 1/2 tsp black pepper)
1 lb firm tofu, cubed
1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets and small pieces of stems
1/4 cup water
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
6 cups cooked quinoa
salt to taste

Heat oil, garlic, and ginger over medium heat in a large skillet.  After about a minute, add the lemongrass, Sichuan pepper, and tofu, and cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 4 min.  Add the broccoli and water, cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and let cook for 7 min.  Then stir in bell pepper and quinoa and season with salt.  Serves 5.