Red Cabbage with Walnuts and Feta

Photo by Craig Lee

from the San Francisco Chronicle

submitted by Anne Halsted

serves 6

1 pound red cabbage, about half a regular head

4 ounces bacon

Kosher salt and black pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed

2 to 3 tablespoons soft goat cheese, to taste

1½ to 2 ounces (about ½ cup) coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Crumbled feta cheese, to garnish

Chopped parsley, to garnish (optional)

Remove and discard the core, then thinly shred the cabbage, rinse and shake dry. Set aside.

Cut the bacon ¼ inch wide crosswise. Cook the bacon in a large nonreactive skillet until crisp, then remove and drain on paper towels. Discard all but about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet.

With the skillet over medium heat, add the cabbage, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook until the cabbage wilts, about 5 to 7 minutes, tossing and stirring with tongs. Add red wine vinegar to taste. Cover and continue cooking the cabbage until it is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes more, adding water for moisture.

Stir in the goat cheese until it melts and combines with the cabbage; the cabbage will continue to cook until it becomes fully tender.

Reserve a tablespoon of walnuts and add the remainder to the skillet along with the reserved bacon. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning; add more water if needed for desired consistency.

Divide the cabbage between plates; top with the reserved walnuts, feta, and parsley, if using.

Follow the recipe carefully and you will enjoy. Can be served with a roast chicken alongside. Or shred or chop the chicken and incorporate it into the cabbage.

Best Gazpacho

adapted from The New York Times

submitted by Kathy Lindenbaum

preparation time 20 Minutes

serves 8 to 12

2 pounds ripe red tomatoes, cored and roughly cut into chunks

1 frying pepper (Cubanelle or Anaheim) cored, seeded and roughly cut into chunks

1 cucumber about 8 inches long, peeled, seeded, and roughly cut into chunks

1 small mild onion, peeled and roughly cut into chunks

3 cloves garlic, peeled

2 teaspoons red-wine or sherry vinegar, more to taste

Salt, to taste

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, more to taste and for drizzling

Combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion and garlic in a blender (if blender capacity is too small, work in batches).

Blend at high speed until very smooth, at least 2 minutes, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add a little water if mixture seems too thick.

With the motor running, add the vinegar and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil. The mixture will turn bright orange or dark pink and become smooth and emulsified, like a salad dressing. If it still seems watery, drizzle in more olive oil until texture is creamy.

Strain the mixture through a strainer or a food mill, pushing all the liquid through with a spatula or the back of a ladle. Discard the solids. Transfer to a large pitcher (preferably glass) and chill until very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.

Before serving, adjust the seasonings with salt and vinegar. If soup is very thick, stir in a few tablespoons ice water. 

A few drops of olive oil on top are a nice touch, as is a sprinkling of chives or a garnish of croutons.

Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime

from Epicurious.com

submitted by Anne Halsted

serves 4

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 pounds carrots, peeled, chopped (about 5 cups)

2 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

3½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

7 cups (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth

8 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add carrots and leeks; sauté until leeks begin to soften but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add cumin and crushed red pepper; sauté 30 seconds longer. Add 6½ cups chicken broth, more if needed. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are very tender, about 35 minutes.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender until smooth. Transfer soup to large bowl. Whisk in 6 tablespoons sour cream. Cover soup and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Stir lime juice into soup. Thin soup with more broth, if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into 4 bowls. Spoon ½ tablespoon of sour cream atop each serving. Sprinkle with cilantro and lime peel.

Nice flavors with the lime, and the pepper adds a little bite.

Seared Broccoli and Potato Soup

from The New York Times

adjusted by Richard Lonergan

preparation time: about 1 hour

serves 6

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

2 heads broccoli (about 2 pounds), separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced

1 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large Spanish onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoons black pepper, more for finishing

½ pound potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 quart water or chicken stock

¼ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat. Add about a third of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without overcrowding. Cook broccoli without moving it for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until dark brown on 1 side only (leave the other side bright green). Transfer to a big bowl and repeat with remaining broccoli and more oil. When all of the broccoli has been browned, season with ½ teaspoon salt and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Add butter and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to pan. Add onions, garlic, pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook onion-garlic mixture until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add potatoes to the pot with water or stock and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer, cover pot and cook until potatoes are just tender, 10 minutes. Add broccoli, cover again and cook until tender, another 10 minutes.

Add lemon zest and roughly purée soup with an immersion or regular blender, leaving some small chunks for texture. Stir in lemon juice. Finish with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

This is not your average broccoli soup. Instead of merely boiling the broccoli to cook it, here the florets are seared until deeply browned on one side while remaining bright green on the other. This gives the soup a layer of caramelized flavor while also preserving the fresh green taste of the broccoli itself.

Silky Zucchini Soup

submitted by Karen Lonergan

preparation time: 45 to 60 minutes overall

yields 8 cups

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1½ pounds zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thick

⅔ cup vegetable stock or low-sodium broth

1½ cups water

Julienned raw zucchini, for garnish

In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and water and bring to a simmer; cook until the zucchini is very soft, about 10 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, purée the soup in a blender until it's silky-smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Serve it either hot or chilled, garnished with julienned zucchini.

Make ahead: The soup can be refrigerated overnight.

Swiss Chard and White Bean Minestra with Rosemary

from The Boston Globe, September 27, 2009

via Elizabeth Whitney
makes about 3 quarts

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 large carrots, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 anchovy fillets, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

2 large bay leaves

2 quarts low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

1 piece Parmesan rind

1 28-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 bunches Swiss chard (about 2 pounds), stems chopped into ½-inch pieces, leaves finely chopped

Grated cheese for sprinkling

In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil until it ripples. Add the onions, carrot, and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, anchovies, rosemary, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the stock and Parmesan rind, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Add half the beans and half the chopped chard leaves and return to simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer to cook the vegetables very soft and blend the flavors, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves.

Stir in the chard stems, remaining beans, 2½ teaspoons salt, and pepper to taste, and cook until the chard stems are tender and the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining chard leaves, stir to mix, and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan.

I usually add more beans and often don’t cook as long as it says; 30 minutes of simmer and flavor blending seems to work just fine.

My husband, Bill, and I love this soup in winter. It is rich and healthy and makes a great meal with some yummy bread on the side. And, it keeps for leftovers very well.

Broccoli Purée

from Bon Appétit cookbook, Entertaining with Style

submitted by Susan Daniloff

Preparation time: 40 minutes overall

serves 10

3 pounds broccoli (about 2 large bunches)

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, cut up

⅔ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cut broccoli stems into 1-inch pieces. Cut tops into florets. 

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli stems and cook 6 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook until stems and florets are very tender, about 6 minutes more. Drain well. Set aside 10 florets. 

Place remaining broccoli in processor. Add butter and purée, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 5 minutes. Blend in grated Parmesan cheese and ground nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with saved florets.

Super fluffy, mashed potato-like consistency, a great potato replacement for low-carb diet folks. To save time, buy a bag of broccoli florets – actually it saves a lot of time.