RECIPE: Roasted Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup with Fennel, Crispy Onions, and Pine Nuts

I made this soup to use up odds and ends, and liked it so much I had to share.

PLEASE...do NOT make this with raw fennel seeds!  As I've said many times, fennel (both the bulb and the seed) changes dramatically when you cook it, going from very strongly anise flavored to mild and delicious.  If you don't roast the seeds the soup will taste like licorice (blech!).

Cauliflower Broccoli Soup with Fennel, Crispy Onions, and Pine Nuts

Serves 4 - 6 depending on how thick you like it

3 c. cauliflower
6 c. broccoli
2 medium yellow onions, sliced 1/4"thick (about 3 c.)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
4 T. ghee
up to 4 c. water or broth (I used water)
2 t. himalayan pink salt
1 t. fennel seeds, toasted* and ground in a mortar and pestle
1/2 t. pepper flakes or to taste
1/4 c. crispy onions**
2 T. pine nuts, toasted*

Preheat oven to 400F.

This step is only for people who get their brassicas from a biodynamic CSA:  because our farm uses NO chemicals, and brassicas are susceptible to the cabbage butterfly, we often find tiny caterpillars in them.  The first time I saw one it skeeved me out; but now I'm glad they're there because it's PROOF that our farm is not using pesticides!

Here's how I get rid of them:  First I cut the veggies into florets, squishing any that I find lurking on the stems; then I blanch the veggies in boiling water for 3 minutes to extract those that may be hiding in the florets.   If there are any in the bag you used to bring the veggies home, you will want to squish them, too, or you may have white butterflies in your kitchen in the middle of winter. (Ask me how I know this...)  I don't know if they'll feast on your house plants - we dispatched them immediately - but I wouldn't risk it.

If you get your cauliflower and broccoli in a grocery store, you won't have to blanch it but I find  that it speeds up the roasting process and prevents under-cooked veg with burned extremities.

Remove the blanched cauliflower and broccoli from the boiling water with a slotted spoon or skimmer, and transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Add the ghee, onions and garlic and mix to combine.  Roast for 45 minutes turning every 15 minutes to prevent burning.

Hold back half of the broccoli and transfer the rest of the veggies to a food processor or blender.  Add the salt, red pepper, and ground roasted fennel seed.  Puree, adding water/broth as necessary to create a creamy soup.  We like it fairly thick, you may prefer it thinner.  (Because I have very little fridge space, I add the water/broth to the bowl as I serve it, so that the leftovers take up less space in the fridge.)

This makes 4 cups of puree.  I add 2 cups of water for a fairly thick soup which makes four 1.5 cup servings.

Serve topped with the reserved broccoli, crispy onions, and pine nuts.

* To toast fennel seeds or pine nuts, heat them in a dry pan over med-low, stirring often, until they're light brown, about 3-5 minutes.  Watch closely so they don't burn.  Transfer to a plate to cool.

** To make crispy onions,  Melt 2 T. ghee on med-high.  Add 1 c. thinly sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until dark brown but not burned, about 15 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel to drain.  Store in a glass container or they will go soggy.

RECIPE: Beet Horseradish Cheese Dip

This beautiful dip comes together in seconds but it needs to sit for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.

Beet Horseradish Cheese Dip

Makes 2 cups

• 2 cups quark (cream cheese) or yogurt cheese (yogurt drained overnight)
• 2 t. Dr. Cowan's Beet Powder
• 1-2 t. Dr. Cowan's Horseradish Powder
• Himalayan pink salt to taste

Mix all together using more or less horseradish depending on how much heat you want.  We like 2 t.

Allow the powder to rehydrate and flavors to develop, about 20 minutes.

RECIPE: Habanero Carrot Hot Sauce

The only reason I'm posting this recipe is that (1) there is an error in the original and (2) with a few adjustments, it's possible to make this 100% biodynamic (if your CSA grows habaneros, carrots, onions and garlic)!

Here's the original: Habanero Carrot Hot Sauce

I've made this twice now and it does not make 6 quarts, it makes five to six PINTS, depending on how much water you use.

Biodynamic Habanero Carrot Hot Sauce

Makes 5-6 pints (10-12 cups) 

Ingredients:

• 15 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 30 medium habanero chiles, stemmed
• 2 cups peeled chopped carrot
• 4 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1/4 c. himalayan pink salt
• 1/3 c. biodynamic sugar (available at Whole Foods)
• 2-3 cups water
• 2 cups biodynamic apple cider vinegar (available at Whole Foods and Amazon)
• 1 cup biodynamic lime juice 

Roast the garlic in a casserole, turning regularly until soft and browned in spots, 10-15 minutes.  PEEL the garlic.

In the same pot, combine the habanero, carrots, onions, salt, sugar and water.  The more water you use, the thinner (and hotter) your sauce will be.  I prefer a thicker sauce that I can dilute as needed.

Partially cover and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.  Cool.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to blender or food processor leaving most of the water in the pan.  Puree until super smooth.  I used a blender and had to do this in two batches running each batch for 2-3 minutes to get it totally smooth. 

Add vinegar and lime juice to taste.  I used a 3 to 1 to .5 ratio of puree:vinegar:lime.

I transfer it to woozy bottles with a shaker top and store it in the fridge.

If you'd like it thinner, you can use some of the cooking water (which will have some heat); if you'd like it less hot, use more vinegar/lime.

I have found that if I use too much liquid, it separates once I jar it (as you can see in the photo above), but when it's super thick it's hard to get it out of the bottle.  Perhaps that's why the original poster stores it in clamp-top jars.

Notes:
I use a little more sugar because organic sugar is less sweet than white sugar
I add the vinegar last because it includes the mother and cooking will kill the mother
I save the water and use it when I want a lot less heat.

RECIPE: Cauliflower Soup with Sumac and Dill BEST EVER

I was apprehensive the first time I made this because the ingredients were so unusual.  But, it looked so good that I gave it a chance and not only was it the best cauliflower soup I've ever eaten, it might be the best soup I've ever eaten!

I adjusted the ingredients slightly based on what I had in the fridge.

Original recipe: Mediterranean Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Soup with Sumac and Dill

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 heads cauliflower, separated into florets, including the core
• 4 T. ghee, melted, divided
• salt and cayenne
• 1 small sweet onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 t. ground turmeric
• 1 t. ground sumac
• 2 t. ground cumin
• 2.5 t. ground paprika
• 4 cups broth (I used veal, you can use vegetable or chicken instead)
• 1 c. cream or half-and-half
• 2 T. lemon juice
• 2 T. chopped fresh dill

Preheat oven to 425F.
Arrange the cauliflower on a baking dish and mix with 2 T. melted ghee.  Roast, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until lightly browned, about 40 minutes.  Salt (I always salt after roasting because the veggies shrink so much).

Heat 2 T ghee in a large saucepan and saute onion until translucent.  Add garlic, turmeric, sumac, cumin and paprika.  Stir for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add 3/4 of the roasted cauliflower, reserving the rest for later.  Stir to coat with spices, then add broth.

Bring to a simmer on med-high heat.  Cover and cook until cauliflower is tender, 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and cool slightly.  At this point you can either use an immersion blender to create a chunky soup, or transfer to a food processor and create a creamy one.  I used a food processor.

Return to heat and stir in cream or half-and-half and then lemon juice.

Serve topped with the reserved roasted cauliflower and sprinkled with dill.

RECIPE: Easy Sunshine Kabocha Cream Soup

Honestly, I had no idea Sunshine kabocha was SO TASTY!   It's a richer color than blue kabocha, and denser than regular pumpkin so you don't have to evaporate excess liquid before using it.  It's little too dry for pumpkin pie (Butternut is actually best for that) but it's wonderful for everything else!  I've used it to make gluten free pizza/tart crust, in Pumpkin Martini's, and in this easy soup.

Although blue kabocha is a long-keeper, sunshine kabocha is more perishable so I've been roasting it, pureeing it (I use a food processor and I remove the skin first), and then freezing it (new canning rules advise against canning pureed pumpkin).  I freeze it in pint jars since it's so dense and a little goes a long way.

I cut each pumpkin into quarters, brush the cut sides with melted ghee, and then roast at 400 for about 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through.  I let it cool in the oven,then remove the skin and puree in the processor.  Here's what it looks like pureed.  Isn't that a beautiful color?!:

This time, I made little divots in the top to see if that would result in a level surface once frozen, since it always seems to bulge up in the middle.  I'll report back shortly on whether that worked....

Easy Sunshine Kabocha Cream Soup

serves 1

Ingredients:

• Equal amounts of sunshine kabocha puree and whole milk
• Salt
• Habanero-carrot hot sauce

Mix sunshine and milk.  Season to taste with salt and hot sauce.  Heat and serve.  (I eat it cold, right out of the jar!)


ONE CAVEAT:

I have been roasting 3-4 squash at a time (I pile the slices on top of each other if they don't fit flat in the pan) so I've been putting large amounts of pumpkin seeds in the trash.  We don't compost these because we've heard they survive.

Well...two days ago something turned our trash bin on its side, extracted the ONE bag with the seeds in it, ate them, and then wandered off, leaving large footprints behind.  We're sure it was a bear, and the only way we know it was after the seeds is that it missed one. 

RECIPE: Mashed Celeriac with Garlic and Thyme

The first time I made this was for a Thanksgiving dinner where we had one guest who couldn't eat potatoes.  It was so tasty, and so easy, that I've been making it ever since!  It looks just like mashed potatoes and tastes even better (IMO).

The celeriac used in the photo below have been in our fridge for ONE YEAR!  I use celeriac over the winter whenever a recipe calls for celery, and I always have a few in the fridge.  When summer rolled around and celery appeared in the farm store, I forget I had them.  When I discovered them in the back of the fridge at the end of summer, rather than compost them I decided to cook them to see how they held up.  They were DELICIOUS.

And that, my friends, is the beauty of biodynamic agriculture!  When root vegetables are harvested on a 'root day' they last a year! 

This is the recipe I started with: Smashed Celeriac

Mashed Celeriac with Garlic and Thyme

Serves 4

4 medium celeriac, cleaned and chopped into 1/2" chunks
4 T ghee
1/4 t. ground thyme leaves
4 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 c. milk
1 t. himalayan pink salt
Opt: pinch cayenne

Combine celeriac, ghee and thyme in a medium saucepan and saute on medium-high until celeriac is lightly browned, about 5 min.

Add milk, garlic and salt and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until garlic and celeriac are soft, about 20 min.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer celeriac and garlic to food processor bowl.

OPT*: raise heat under the pan, and reduce the liquid to 1/4 c.  Transfer liquid to processor bowl.

Puree, check seasoning (I added a little cayenne) and serve.

*You could use the liquid without reducing it but the puree will be a little loose.  This method makes the texture very close to 'mashed potatoes'.

RECIPE: Easy Beef Stroganoff, gluten free

Looking for an easy Beef Stroganoff recipe I was disappointed to see that they all call for either Worcester Sauce (which is full of MSG) and/or flour.  I never use either.  This recipe comes together in minutes.

Easy (GF) Beef Stroganoff

Serves 4

1 pound beef tenderloin (or beef ribeye)

4 T. ghee

1 pound of sliced mushrooms (optional)

2 large yellow onions, sliced 1/4" thick

2 cups unsalted beef broth, preferably homemade

1 T. dry mustard powder (or Dijon mustard)

1 c. sour cream

Over medium high heat, saute mushrooms in 2 T. ghee until lightly browned.  Remove from pan and reserve.  

Saute onions in remaining ghee until translucent and lightly browned.  Add 1 cup broth and stir until it's almost all absorbed.  

While the onions are cooking, slice the beef against the grain into 2" x 1/2" strips about 1/8" thick.

When the onions are cooked, push them to the edges of the pan and add the remaining 2 T ghee to the center.  Add the beef in 2-3 batches and stir until medium rare (don't over cook it!).  Push each batch to the side, over the onions, before adding the next one.  

Add the reserved mushrooms and the remaining 1 c. broth, and stir until reduced by half.

Stir mustard into sour cream and add to pan.  Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.  Serve.  

(My husband doesn't like mushrooms so I serve my portion over some mushrooms, I don't stir them into the main dish.  In the photo above, you can see them peeking out under the beef.)

Most people serve this over noodles but I serve it with a green vegetable on the side: peas, beans, asparagus, etc...   There is enough sauce to serve it with noodles if you prefer.

RECIPE: Collards with Balsamic and Feta

A recipe from one of our farmers!!!

I haven't tried this yet, and don't have measurements (or a photo) because it was given to me in the farm store, but it sounds delicious and I wanted to get it posted ASAP so you can try it.

Collard Greens with Balsamic and Feta

Remove the stalks and slice the leaves.  Saute them with onions, garlic and some liquid (Shelley recommends chicken broth).  Serve them drizzled with balsamic and feta cheese.

RECIPE: Melt-in-Your-Mouth Green Beans

This recipe is originally from Paula Wolfert's Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, one of my favorite cookbooks.  I've found different versions online but in an effort to make the recipe more user friendly they eliminate some crucial steps and the result does not seem as appetizing.

Melt in Your Mouth Green Beans w Onion, Garlic, Tomato and EVOO

Serves 4

1.5# green beans, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 medium onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 c. EVOO
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, and the flesh grated
2 T. water
1/4 t. aleppo pepper (I prefer espelette)
salt
lemon juice

Combine everything except the lemon juice in a heavy bottom pot or slow cooker insert and stir to combine.  Crumple a large square of parchment paper.  Uncrumple it to the degree necessary to cover the beans with all edges inside the pot.  (In the photo below, I used 6 bounds of beans.)

Cover the pot and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or medium low for 2-3 hours until beans are soft but not overcooked.  Check every hour and stir to keep them moistened.

I don't have a slow cooker so I cooked mine in the oven for 12 hours as follows:

• 2 hours at 250 or until the beans are fragrant.  Remove lid and parchment and stir every hour.  Replace parchment and lid and return to oven.
• 8 hours at 200 (overnight).  Remove lid and parchment and stir.  Replace lid and parchment.
• 2 hours at 250 checking and stirring every hour until beans were soft.

Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature with a squeeze of lemon.

They are best when refrigerated overnight and then brought to room temp before serving.

RECIPE: Creamy Kabocha Squash, Mushroom, and Noodle Bake

Years ago, I developed a recipe for butternut lasagna where I would use the butternut puree to make the noodles as well as the sauce.  But...I have not yet mastered gluten-free pasta, and this meal needed to be gluten free, so I modified the recipe to use noodles.  By making the sauce a little looser than normal and undercooking the noodles before combining them, the noodles absorbed some of the flavor of the sauce as they finished cooking in the oven.

I used kabocha squash because that's what I had available but I know it will also work with butternut.  If you use pumpkin, you will need to concentrate the puree because pumpkin has a lot more water in its flesh.

Yes, this recipe is a 'production' that requires 5 pots and pans; but, in my opinion, it's worth it and it comes together quickly.  If necessary, you can cook the squash the day before.  You can infuse the milk the day before, too, but will need to reheat it to make the sauce.  If necessary, you can put the whole dish together and then bake it the next day if you bring to room temperature first and increase the baking time.

If you don't reduce the veal broth, you can serve the 'sauce' as a soup.

Creamy Kabocha Squash, Mushroom, and Noodle Bake w Walnut Topping

Serves 4

1 medium Sunshine kabocha squash (they're orange, not blue)
1/2 c. melted ghee, divided
2 c. milk
1/2 t. dry thyme
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs parsley
3 whole cloves
2" stick cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1 bag frozen mushrooms, or 1.5 c. sliced mushrooms sauteed in ghee (1 c. cooked)
1/4 c. flour (I use sweet rice flour)
1 c. veal broth, reduced to 1/4 c. *
2 t. lemon juice
1/2 c. grated gruyere or parmesan cheese
1/4 t. cayenne
salt
1 pound noodles, any shape (I use penne or elbows)
2 T. ground walnuts
1/2 t. paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking pan with parchment-foil.  Quarter the squash, remove the seeds, brush with 2 T. melted ghee, and bake skin side down at 350 for 30 min or until soft and lightly browned.  Scrape flesh from skin and puree (I use a food processor; you can also use a blender or food mill).  (If you have more than 1.25 c. puree, it makes a great 'pumpkin' martini!)

2. In a medium (2 qt) sauce pan, combine milk with onion, herbs and spices, and heat over med until it begins to simmer.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Do not let it boil!  If it does boil, it will instantly boil over so keep an eye on it!  Remove spices and parsley.  You can strain it to remove the onions but I like to leave them in.  Season with salt. 

3. Drain mushrooms reserving liquid.

4. In a large (4 qt) saucepan, melt 1/4 c. ghee on medium heat.  Add flour and stir until mixture bubbles.  Reduce heat to LOW and slowly add hot milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.  It should thicken.  if it doesn't, raise heat a little.

5. Add veal concentrate, lemon juice and liquid from mushrooms and stir until thickened.

6. Add 1.25 c. squash puree, mushrooms, cheese and cayenne and stir to combine.

7. Adjust salt.  Sauce should no be too thick since noodles will absorb some of its moisture.

* If you do not reduce the veal broth, at this point you can serve the sauce as a soup!

8. Cook noodles in salted water until they're almost done.  Remove 1/4 c. of cooking water, drain the noodles and mix them with sauce.  Add the reserved 1/4 c.  cooking water.

9. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with walnuts and paprika.  Brush with remaining 2 T. ghee.

10.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until top is golden and edges are crispy.

Serve with bolognese sauce.