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These dark, cold mid-winter months have never been my favorite. One of favorite ways to pass the hours – curled up by the fire with a hot cup of soup (or a hot tottie! Stay tuned – I’ll post my favorite recipes soon, don’t worry!) and a good book.
One of my current favorite recipes is this New England Squash Soup recipe from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites. I can’t remember a year I haven’t made this – both for myself and to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
New England Squash Soup
Ingredients:
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1 cup diced onions
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1 celery stalk, chopped
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1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
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1 cup unsweetened apple juice (pro tip: I like to slice and core 1 apple and use that instead of the apple juice. I’m not a big juice drinker and hate wasting what I don’t use.)
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1 butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled, seeded, and cubed
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1 potato, diced
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3 cups of water or vegetable stock
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1 bay leaf
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1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
(pro tip: one of my 6 Never Fail Herbs You’ll Actually Use)
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
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2/3 cup evaporated skimmed milk
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salt and ground black pepper to taste
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2 cups sliced mushrooms (about 6 ounces)
(pro tip: I’m not a big mushroom fan so I leave them out, in which case you won’t need the rest of the ingredients listed below)
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3 tablespoons dry sherry
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1 tablespoon soy sauce
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pinch of marjoram
Directions:
Makes: 4-6 Servings
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Combine the onions, celery, garlic, and apple juice (or apple, if using) in a large soup pot. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables soften.
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Add the squash, potato, water or stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and nutmeg. Bring to boil, cover, lower the heat, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes.
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(If you are including the mushrooms) While the soup simmers, sauté the mushrooms in an uncovered skillet with the sherry, soy sauce, and marjoram until the mushrooms are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
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When the squash and potatoes are very soft, remove the soup pot from the heat and, working in batches, purée the soup with the evaporated skimmed milk in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper.
Pro tip: I prefer to blend the soup all together with an immersion blender, right in the pot I cooked it in. (Fewer dishes and less risk of transfer messes!)
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(If using) serve topped with the sautéed mushrooms.
I love having this soup on it’s own, or paired with a half sandwich for lunch. it also works well as a starter or first course, garnished with some fresh parsley when you’re hosting this winter.
Got leftovers? (I often double this recipe so that that’s extra!) I’ve found this keeps great in a Tupperware or mason jar in the fridge for about a week or so, and also freezes well – I’d recommend putting it in a plastic Tupperware, but not filling it all the way (leave about 1/2”-3/4” at the top) so there’s room for it to expand a little as it freezes.
Credit: Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites, by the Moosewood Collective/Clarkson Potter Publishers – New York, 1996
Mid-June while visiting friends in Cohassett, MA my girlfriend made this salad Saturday night, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since – it was fantastic! It has wonderful variety, and texture, with a refreshing crunch from the green beans, topped with a light-bright dressing which wasn’t over powering. My copy of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, which features this recipe, just arrived and I can’t wait to check out the other recipes in this book!
Ingredients:
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1 1/4 cups green beans, trimmed
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1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
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2 1/4 cups snow peas, trimmed
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1 mild fresh red chile, seeded and finely diced
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1 3/4 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)
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1 garlic clove, crushed
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2 teaspoons coriander seeds, roughly crushed with a mortar and pestle
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Grated zest of 1 lemon
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1 teaspoon mustard seeds
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2 tablespoons chopped tarragon
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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Coarse sea salt
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1 teaspoon nigella seeds
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(Optional) 1 cup baby chard leaves (we had this salad without the chard and I would definitely recommend trying it without first. Personally I did not feel it was missing anything and will likely continue to make it without the chard.)
Makes: 4-6 Servings
Directions:
1. Fill a medium saucepan with cold water and bring to the boil. Blanch the green beans for 4 minutes, then immediately lift them out of the pan and into iced water to refresh. Drain and dry.
2. Bring a fresh pan of water to the boil and blanch the snow peas for 1 minute only. Refresh, drain and dry. Use the same boiling water to blanch the peas for 20 seconds. Refresh, drain and dry. Combine the beans, snow peas and peas in a large mixing bowl.
3. Put the coriander seeds, mustard seeds and oil in a small saucepan and heat up.
Pro Tip: This recipe makes far more dressing than I feel this salad needs, so in liu of pouring the mustard seeds, coriander seeds and oil directly on to the salad once they begin to pop, I would recommend combining these in a small bowl with the nigella seeds, chile, garlic, lemon zest and tarragon on the side. I prefer combining the red onion with the green beans, peas and snow peas vs. adding them to the dressing. The small bowl of dressing can then be used to lightly dress the salad, if desired, the extra dressing can be set out next to the salad for those who may want to add additional dressing to their plate. Alternatively, the following steps as described in Ottolenghi’s recipe can be followed.
4. When the seeds begin to pop, pour the contents of the pan over the beans and peas. Toss together, then add the nigella seeds, red onion, chile, garlic, lemon zest and tarragon. Mix well and season with salt to taste.
5. Just before serving, gently fold the chard leaves, if using, in with the beans and peas, and spoon the salad onto plates or into bowls.
Credit: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi/Chronicle Books, 2011.
Categories
Plants and Pets
In less than 1 week we’re going to pick-up this little fluff-ball – meet Tigger!
Tigger – Our soon to-be Bernese Mountain Dog
Uh oh…..
We’re working on getting Tigger’s new home ready for him (i.e. “Puppy-proofing”). So seeing the photo of our pup-to-be munching on a hosta got me thinking about what puppy-proofing the plants in my roof deck garden may need.
Keeping pets out of your garden and plants entirely can be nearly impossible. While you may already be aware of the risk your pet’s pose to your plants (soil spilled from tipped over pots, eaten leaves, etc.), it’s also important to know what risks your plants may pose to your pets as well. Of course, when it comes to the health and safety of your pet, your local veterinarian is always a great resource, but it is important to know that they are not the only one. Another great place to educate yourself about pets and plants is the list of ‘Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants‘ maintained by the ASPCA. The ASPCA also runs an Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) which provides toxicology education, consulting services, review of case data and a 24/7 veterinary diagnostic and treatment hotline. A good phone number to save to your contacts or post on your refrigerator is the APCC 24-hour emergency poison hotline phone number: +1-888-426-4435.
Herbs are a great choice for container or planter gardening. With all the seed and seedling options that are available it can be hard to select ones you can actually use. Here are six herbs that thrive on my roof deck, along with my favorite cooking and home uses for them.
1. Lemon Thyme
The pot of Spearmint, Oregano and Rosemary that I have on my porch this year.
Can be used in cooking fresh or dried, I usually only use fresh lemon thyme with garlic, salt and pepper to marinade chicken as it can be very strong. Every season I hang dry some of my lemon thyme underneath the cabinets in my kitchen (I love the way hanging herbs looks!) to use when I cook throughout the year and use it on meats, and well…just about everything!
2. Purple Sage
I usually only use purple sage after I’ve dried it, but it has recently become one of my favorite additions when I’m making vegetable broth. Like many herbs, purple sage does great in containers or pots by itself or with other herbs and plants.
3. Rosemary
Great for aromatherapy (one of my personal favorites), cocktails, marinades, use in everyday recipes and pretty much anything else – love how versatile this herb is! I have been amazed at how much more flavor herbs I have grown and dried myself have vs. anything I’ve ever found at a store. Ever since I started using my own dried herbs I can’t go back to the standard freeze-dried ones from the grocery store.
4. Lavender
Another great herb for aromatherapy – dried, I like to put lavender in spice pouches (the little drawstring ones made out of cheese cloth), this way I find the flowers don’t fall off everywhere and make a mess, but the cheese cloth is still open enough you can still smell it! Recently I’ve started experimenting with both fresh and dried lavender in cocktails – I must say, I think is my favorite way to use it so far! Stay tuned for some of my favorite recipes… ?
5. Basil
Oh Basil, is there anything better than fresh (really fresh) basil? I’d be hard pressed to name one! Fresh Basil is great for using in caprese salad for a little something special for dinner when you have guests over. Just be sure to pick it before the plants flower (otherwise the basil can get bitter) or you can trim off the tops of the plants before they do to get a longer period of use from your plants. I don’t enjoy basil dried as much as I do other herbs, but making and freezing pesto is a great way to enjoy your basil out of season.
Pro Tip: After picking your basil, storing the leaves either in a bowl of water on your counter or putting them between layers of damp paper towel, in a Ziploc in the fridge, will help keep it fresh for longer.
6. Oregano
Oregano is another herb I usually only use fresh in marinades, as I find it to be pretty strong. This is definitely my favorite herb to dry, I cook a lot with oregano, and find using my own which I have grown and dried is an easy way to take a dish to the next level, whether I’m making pasta sauce or with other recipes. I find hang drying oregano the best way to keep the potential of this herb, maintaining much of it’s aroma and flavor.
Categories
Simple Summer Greens
Mesclun mix fresh picked from my deck this evening for dinner!
Greens are hands down one of my favorite things to grow during the summer – straightforward and great to have on hand when throwing together a last minute salad for dinner! In light of the recent Romaine lettuce recalls, I’ve enjoy some additional peace of mind knowing where my greens come from and that they are safe to eat.
This seasons container of Mesclun mix on my deck.
Growing your own greens: greens don’t require a ton of space and do great in small to medium pots, planters and other containers. If you don’t have your own deck or other outdoor space to set out pots and planers, a window box can be another great option. While starting out with seedlings is usually easier, I have found greens to be an exception and have had the most success starting from seeds (the standard packet seeds, I’ve tried some of the ‘lettuce tape’ seeds but without much luck). When planting your greens, I would recommend using a container with good drainage and loosely filling this about 3/4’s of the way with soil, then generously sprinkling your seeds across the surface. Place your container in an area with sunny area and watering generously daily.
Ever year I have at least one container of Mesclun mix and one of arugula (which is coming in extra handy for my favorite summer salad this year!). I love using the Meslun mix for a simple, fresh salad, which I usual make using my grating bowl. You can grate your ingredients right on the bottom of the bowl, (without cutting your fingers!) capturing flavorful oils for your dressings and marinades.
Grating bowls are great for making fresh salads and dressings, marinades and just about anything else – I got mine from Iseespain.com they also make grating plates and a variety of other cookware and tableware.
I usually keep it simple, grating some garlic* and a hard cheese (Manchego is my current go-to) on the bottom of my bowl, then adding some fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper. I then lightly toss my greens right in the grating bowl and top with some cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and sometimes carrot shavings, depending on what I have at the time. This simple, fresh salad goes well with most dishes, during the summer I love topping it with lemon, garlic marinated chicken from the grill.
*Note: As a garlic lover I typically believe there is no such thing as too much garlic, yet I was still shocked at how much more powerful the garlic was the first time I used my grating bowl. I’d recommended starting with a small amount of garlic and from there you can adjust to your own preference – I usually use one clove per salad. Don’t forget to peel your garlic before grating it in your bowl!
Every summer I seem to find myself hopeless infatuated with a particular salad recipe. Already, in very early June, I can tell this one is the one!
Baby Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese, Pecans and Pomegranate Seeds
Ingredients:
Fresh picked Baby Arugula picked from my roof deck garden.
- Dressing:
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil (original recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but I prefer using 3 tablespoons)
- Salad:
- 10-12 cups baby arugula (I get mine right from my roof deck!)
- 1 cup pomegranate seeds (about 1 pomegranate’s worth)
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 1 cup crumbled goat cheese
Directions:
Combine dressing ingredients in a dressing shaker or small bowl, and whisk or shake until well combined (this will keep for quite a while in the fridge, so I double or triple the dressing quantities and then save the extra in a small mason jar in the fridge for next time, or to use as marinade – see Pro Tip below.) Add salad ingredients to large bowl, dress, toss and enjoy!
Pro Tip: If you’re looking to make this salad a meal, marinade chicken breast in the dressing for 4-6 hours, then bake in the oven at 400 for 25-30 mins. Let chicken cool for 15-20 mins, cut and add on top of your salad.
Original recipe from: www.hallmarkchannel.com/cedar-cove/recipes
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First Signs of Summer!
So glad summer ’18 is finally here! First official sign was a little ripe strawberry this past Memorial Day weekend. Looking forward to sharing our inaugural season with all of you!
Be sure to follow us on Instagram @Irisandclove for the latest in deck-appeal, hosting, ideas and more!