Eat Well: Summer Soups & Salads

... And speaking of summer not being over, the following post is a Greatest Hits collection of Summer Soups + Salads from yesteryear. Shout-out to WWW for being the mastermind behind most of these bad boys. Click hyperlinks for full recipes. 

1. Beets and Blood Orange Salad (with recipe for basic vinaigrette.)

2. Quinoa + Blueberry Salad

3. Indonesian Rice Salad

4. Informal Gathering Salad

5. Lentil Dinner Salad

6. Aunt Dot's Chopped Salad

7. Mock Tuna Salad 

8. Caprese Salad

9. Savory Summer Slaw

10. Jicama Salad with orange and cilantro
11. Green Bean and Corn Salad
12. Quinoa, Mango + Black Bean Salad
13. Bec's Go-to Lunch Salad

WWW’s Cold Zucchini Soup (6 servings)

6 medium-large zucchini, cut into chunks

1 large onion (or two small ones)

1 teaspoon curry powder

4 cups vegetable broth

1 ½ cups buttermilk, yoghurt, or kefir (from humanely raised cows, of course!)

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

(Click here for more.)

***

Chilled Cucumber-Yogurt Soup (Modified from Moosewood)

4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber

2 cups yogurt

1 clove garlic

2 teaspoons fresh mint leaves

1-2 Tbs. honey

1-2 teaspoons fresh dill

(click here for more.)

***

Carrot and Orange Soup (modified from The Silver Palate)

4 T butter or olive oil

2 cups finely chopped yellow onions

2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped

3 cups vegetable stock

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

salt and pepper to taste

grated fresh orange zest to taste.

(click here for more deets.)

***

Wendy’s Gazpacho

4 vine-ripened tomatoes

1 large sweet cucumber (Japanese or hot house cucumber)

1 small red onion

2 stalks celery, strings removed

1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded

1 seeded and finely chopped jalapeno pepper (if you like it spicy)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups R. W. Knudsen Very Veggie juice (or tomato juice)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup good quality olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

(for more details go, here.)

***

Russian Cabbage Borscht (two ways)

2 T butter or olive oil

1 chopped onion

1 ½ cups thinly sliced potato

3 large beets, thinly sliced

1 large sliced carrot

1 stalk chopped celery

½ cabbage, chopped

6 cups vegetable stock (more if needed)

salt to taste

black pepper

½ tsp dill weed or 1 T fresh dill

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. honey

1 cup tomato puree

Toppings: sour cream and dill

(more details, here.) 

xoxox!

Wendy & Bec

Eat Well: Blue La La

The following post was written by my mom, WWW. Thanks, Mom!

If it seems like I’ve been MIA it’s because I have been. My son, David and his wife, Alyssa recently moved to Portland, Oregon, and between two trips to visit them, a trip to Texas to hear Rachel’s last doctoral recital, and several trips back and forth to LA for Archer and Fable activities—all in the last two months, so I’ve hardly been home. I fell in love—FELL HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE—with Portland. For a green-starved Southern Californian, it was like going to heaven. We hiked up waterfalls, down waterfalls, to alpine meadows filled with fields of wildflowers, ate delicious food, walked to everything near where they live, and marveled at everyone’s gorgeous spring-blooming gardens. I love how many people plant vegetables in the tree lawn in front of their houses. And then there are the berries. All of the woods are teeming with berry bushes of all kinds, as are people’s homes. David and Alyssa have a huge number of raspberry canes, which were just starting to bear fruit when we left. They are now in full swing. 

When Rebecca was a baby, we lived in New Jersey for a couple of years and had a huge raspberry patch in our backyard. Every day in early summer, Rebecca and I would pick bowls and bowls of raspberries, most of which we would eat right there in the garden. They were by far Rebecca’s favorite fruit growing up, and it was hard to explain, once we moved away and no longer had an endless supply of them, that unless you grow them, they are a special occasion, once in a while luxury that come in very small packages. 

If you live in an area where you can plant perennial berry bushes—raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries—I highly recommend it. There is nothing more gratifying than going into the garden to pick berries. Make sure you check with a reputable source, such as your local farm advisor or a local garden expert, to find out which varieties grow best in your climate zone. (Nurseries are not always a reliable source of information.) Or if you don’t have the space or the right climate, going berry picking at a local farm is also fun. I was lucky last week to get an invitation from my dear friend, Mary, to go blueberry picking 5 minutes from home at a farm that she is working with. We picked about 10 lbs of blueberries, and I’ve been gorging on them ever since. I shared some, froze some but mostly have been eating them by the handfuls.

On Father's Day, I made a delicious recipe for blueberry buckle. (You can also make raspberry or blackberry versions.) This recipe came from The How Can It Be GlutenFree Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. It is yummy, easy to make, and the batter can be made ahead of time to be popped in the oven when you sit down to dinner, ready to be served hot from the oven. If you are not on a gluten-free diet, substitute regular flour for the gluten-free flour. 

Individual Blueberry-Almond Buckles 

5 ½ ounces (3/4 cup) sugar 

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped coarse 

(toast at 325 for about 8-10 minutes before chopping) 

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 

¼ teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup heavy cream 

2 large eggs 

½ teaspoon almond extract 

3 ½ ounces (1/2 cup plus 2 T) King Arthur Gluten-Free Multi-Purpose Flour 

(or about ¾ cups plain flour)

½ teaspoon baking powder 

3 cups fresh blueberries 

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray eight 6-ounce (or six 7-ounce) ramekins with vegetable oil spray and place on rimmed baking sheet. 

2. Process sugar, ¼ cup almonds, butter, and salt together in food processor until finely ground, 10 to 15 seconds. With processor running, add cream, eggs, and almond extract and continue to process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Add flour blend and baking powder and pulse until incorporated, about 5 pulses. 

3. Transfer batter to large bowl and gently fold in blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared ramekins and sprinkle evenly with remaining ¼ cup almonds. (Buckles can sit at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 hours.) 

4. Bake buckles until golden and beginning to pull away from sides of ramekins, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Let buckles cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

VARIATIONS: 

RASPBERRY—Substitute shelled pistachios for almonds, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for almond extract, and fresh raspberries for blueberries. 

BLACKBERRY—Substitute walnuts for almonds, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for almond extract, and fresh blackberries for blueberries.

And if you have a bumper crop of berries, freezing them is a wonderful way to enjoy them after your bushes are no longer producing. 

Freezing fresh berries: 

Wash and dry thoroughly. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet so that berries aren’t touching. Put in freezer until frozen (1-2 hours).

Transfer berries to a Ziplock container, sucking out the air with a straw. The berries will be frozen individually and you can take out as many as you want at a time. Frozen berries make great wholesome snacks for kids! They think they are eating popsicles! 

 Enjoy! 

 Love, 

 WWW

Eat Well: BYOBrunch

The following post was written by my mom, WWW and was originally published a million years ago.  Thanks, Mom!

Easter means brunch in the garden to me because that is how our family has always celebrated it. For years, we went to my grandparent’s house, owned since the early 1980’s by my late brother-in-law’s family. My mother always made her famous macaroni and cheese to accompany the meat-centric menu of ribs, ham, and turkey. When David was young, he dreamed of his Nana’s mac and cheese, counting down the days to Easter in anticipation (I think he preferred it to the Easter candy!) This is a very rich and high fat dish—not really a recipe for this “Eat Well” blog, but I am including it at the end for the sake of tradition.

These days we celebrate in my mother’s spectacular garden where the children hunt for dyed eggs nestled between Madeira geraniums and nasturtiums.

Fable in the garden, 2010

Watching my grandchildren squeal with delight at discovering a brightly colored egg reminds me of the thrill I got 50 years ago, hunting for eggs in this same garden. After the hunt, we gather at the long picnic table under the rose covered pergola for our new traditional menu of challah French toast with Vermont maple syrup, fresh berries, freshly squeezed orange juice, and quiche. This is a gluten rich meal, so this year I will be making a crustless quiche for Rachel and me. The challah French toast? Not so easy. There are no gluten free breads that can match the light and airy consistency of this delectable bread.

Challah French Toast

1 large loaf challah

2½ cups milk, vanilla soymilk, rice milk, or almond milk

6 eggs, beaten well

1 teaspoon vanilla (if using plain milk)

Slice challah into thick slices (about ¾-1 inch).

Beat eggs well and beat in milk. Add vanilla (unless you are using a vanilla milk substitute). Lay challah slices out in a large shallow dish (or several dishes). Pour milk and egg mixture over the challah, turning the slices over a couple of time to make sure they are evenly placed in the liquid.

Let sit for 5 minutes. Flip the slices over and let steep in the liquid until it is absorbed (about 10 minutes more).

Heat a well-buttered griddle or large frying pan on medium heat until sizzling hot. Fry the French toast on both sides until golden brown

(make sure they are cooked through…they will begin to puff up). Put in a low oven to keep warm (200 degrees) until all French toast is done. Serve with real maple syrup, berries, and yoghurt and or cinnamon if desired (vanilla yoghurt is yummy on this!) Makes about 12 pieces of French toast.

topped with fresh fruit, yogurt and syrup. delish!

***

Most quiche recipes call for cream or half and half. I don’t like using either of these as they are too rich for me, but if you use regular milk, the quiche doesn’t set as well. I have discovered that goat milk is a little thicker and when used in a quiche, sets beautifully. You can also use soymilk or other milk substitutes…just make sure they are PLAIN and unsweetened.

Quiche

(makes one large or two small quiches)

1 homemade piecrust for a 9 inch pie or 2 bought (I like these ones)

4 large eggs

2 cups milk or unsweetened milk substitute (I use goat milk)

pepper

¼ t salt

a little grated nutmeg (optional)

If homemade piecrust, roll into pie pan, prick all over, and cook in preheated 425 oven until golden brown, about 12 minutes. If using bought piecrust, cook according to directions on package.

Beat the eggs and milk together and pour over filling of your choice into cooked and cooled piecrust.

Cook quiche at 375 for 40 minutes or until a knife in the center comes out clean.

My favorite quiche fillings:

1. Leak and Spinach (or chard) with cheese (goat, goat cheddar, or feta): Saute sliced leaks in olive oil until tender. Add about a half a pound of spinach and cook until just wilted.

Add leeks and spinach to the bottom of cooked pie shells. Sprinkle cheese on top of vegetables. Pour egg mixture over.

2. Caramelized onions and mushrooms with Gruyere or cheddar cheese (I use goat cheddar): Slice an onion thinly. Cook in olive oil on medium heat until caramelized, about 10-15 minutes. Note: pictures below = without crust/gluten free.

Meanwhile, cook sliced mushrooms (about 12 oz) until brown. Add some fresh herbs if desired (I like thyme with this one). Lay onions and mushrooms in bottom of pie shells. Grate about 6 oz of cheese (more or less if desired) on top. Pour egg mixture over and bake.

To make a gluten free crustless quiche, assemble as above in a well-greased pie pan and cook as directed. (See above! No need for crust!)

***

And for old times sake...

Nana’s Macaroni and Cheese

(This can be made for an army by doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the recipe).

1 lb LARGE elbow Macaroni

1 quart milk

1 stick butter

1/2 cup white flour

1 lb Extra-Sharp Tillamook cheese

1 lb (maybe a little less) extra-sharp Cracker-Barrel Cheese (for top)

Grate cheese, keeping the two cheeses separate. Melt butter and mix in flour to make a roux. Take off heat and SLOWLY add milk, stirring constantly, so it doesn’t make lumps. Put back on heat and stir on medium high with wooden spoon until it comes to boil. Immediately take off heat and add Tillamook cheese, stirring into the hot sauce.

Meanwhile, cook macaroni until al dente (don’t overcook). Wash with cold water to keep from cooking more. Butter sides and bottom of large baking dish. Add Macaroni to dish and pour sauce over it, stirring well. Sprinkle topping cheese on top. Bake at 425 for about an hour or until it bubbles in the middle and it is brown and crusty on top. Enjoy! 

Love,

WWW

eat well: she's choppin' broccoli. (and making soup with it.)

The following post was written by my mom, WWW. Thanks, Mom!

My sister recently gave me a recipe she got from O Magazine for a broccoli soup, and since I had LOTS of broccoli in my garden, had all of the other ingredients on hand, and was looking for something different to do with all my broccoli, I immediately made it.

This recipe reminds me a lot of Rebecca’s favorite cauliflower cheese soup but uses low fat feta cheese instead of the fattier cheddar. It’s quick to make and is delicious. I like that you barely cook the broccoli, so it has a very fresh flavor and keeps its bright green color. I’ve modified a few things. Here is my version:


Broccoli Feta Soup 
(Adapted from Emilie Raffa’s recipe)
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 diced onion
3 stalks diced celery
2 garlic cloves, smashed
½ tsp. ground black pepper
1 large Yukon Gold potato, skin on, cut into ½" pieces (about 1½ cups)
4 cups vegetable broth (I use 4 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon in 4 cups of water)
6 cups broccoli florets (from 1½ pounds broccoli crowns)
⅓ cup parsley leaves
⅓ cup crumbled feta
1 tsp. dill weed (or 1 T fresh dill) plus more for garnish
Grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery and garlic until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with pepper.

Add potato, and stir to combine. Pour in stock, add dill, and cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until potato is soft, about 10 minutes. Add broccoli and cook until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Add parsley and feta.

Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Add more stock or water to reach desired consistency.

Season to taste. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle generously with grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish with dill.

You can find more broccoli recipes here and here.

Enjoy! 

 Love, 

WWW

Eat Well: Almond Cake and Gingerbroads

The following post was written by my mom, WWW. Thank you, Mom!

I have been in a journaling group for over ten years. We are a group of women artists who get together once a month and, facilitated by our mentor, Lois Sunrich, dive deep into our inner beings and write, letting our pens lead us wherever they want to go.

This group has been a grounding and powerful force in my life. Every December, we reflect on the past year, and in January, we set our creative goals for the coming year. I am mentioning this as a preface to my post because today we met, and after writing about other things, I reflected on the holidays…all 12 of us being together for 5 days…and how calm I was, mainly because I had really prepared by freezing lots of food—even the cooked ginger bread for the gingerbread house—and this made all the difference.

I even introduced a couple of new traditions because there was time to—making hand sculpted gingerbread men/women/snowmen/whatever-else (without cookie cutters) and an ornament project.

gingerbroad! 

I hope to add both of these traditions to our yearly festivities, as they were fun for everyone, adults and children alike. And as long as I plan ahead, it should be possible.

I have written before about all of my traditional recipes, but I also like to try a new one every year or two for fun, and this year it was an almond cake.

Larry and I fell in love with this cake when our friend Liz made it for us. It is the perfect cake for any occasion and was a nice addition to our dessert table.

I served it plain, but you could serve it with fresh fruit and whipped cream for an even more decadent dessert. The ingredients aren’t cheap, as you need two packages of almond paste, but it serves a lot of people and is worth the splurge.

It’s really easy to make, so it’s a great cake to bring to a potluck or serve at a dinner party, year-round. And you can make it a day ahead, which is what I did for Christmas.

For those of you who are gluten-free, it converts beautifully (I used my favorite, Pamela’s Artisan Flour).

Almond Cake 

1 cup sugar
2 packages Odense almond paste
1 cup softened butter
6 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ regular or gluten-free flour

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Oil and paper a 9-10 inch spring form pan.

3. Break almond paste into small pieces and add to sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Mix on low until combined.

4. Add butter and cream together until well combined.

5. Scrape bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on high until fluffy, stopping to scrape bowl, sides and bottom, once or twice.

6. Add salt and flour and mix until combined.

7. Pour into spring form, using a knife to even out. (Batter will be thick.)

8. Bake for about 40-45 minutes.

9. Wiggle the pan, and if it doesn’t wiggle in the middle, test with a knife or cake tester. If it isn’t done, cook another 5 to 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

10. Cool on wire rack in the pan. Unhinge spring form when cool.

ENJOY!

Did you make anything new for the holidays? Any new traditions started? I’d love to hear from you!

 Love, 

WWW