Garden Vegetable Soup

For sometime, it seemed like Old Man Winter wasn't going to pull his usual tricks this season in eastern Massachusetts. A glance out the window today proves otherwise. Warm up your body and soul with this simple and quick tomato-based soup loaded with nutritious vegetables. It's also a great way to include any summer favorites you put up, whether canned, dried, or frozen.

Garden Vegetable Soup
Makes about 9 pints

Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 scant cups carrots, chopped into rounds
• 2 scant cups diced potatoes (I used an unpeeled Russet)
• 2 cups green beans, broken or cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 quarts (64 oz) chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 cups tomatoes, chopped or crushed
• 1 can tomato paste (no or low sodium)
• 2 scant cups corn kernels
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4+ tsp dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup packed, chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1-2 tsp lemon juice
• salt and herbs to taste (I used dried tarragon and basil)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and sweat until they begin to soften, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, corn kernels, green beans*, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and add the parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and herbs, if desired. Serve immediately or store in the fridge (about a week) or freezer (2-3 months) in pint or quart containers.

This soup can be as simple or complex as you would like. Consider additional or different veggies- whether fresh, frozen, or canned- and herbs for an individualized dish. Some particulars I had in mind were mushrooms, English peas, hearty greens like kale, collards, or even Swiss chard, reconstituted dry beans like cannellini or kidney, or winter squash.

*Unlike the original recipe, I recommend leaving out any tender green vegetables, like fresh green beans, peas, or chard, until the last five or so minutes of cooking for brighter colors and flavors.

This recipe is NOT intended for canning.

Rebekah

Image by Rebekah Carter (2012). Recipe adapted from Alton Brown's Good Eats.

Notes from the Learning Garden: Thoughts and Photos

Last week marked the end of our Children's Learning Garden After-School Programs for 2011. We finished up with a scavenger hunt that reminded the kids of the many activities we did throughout our six weeks together: making popcorn, planting garlic, feeding the chickens from the garden, and eating delicious carrot spread! As expected, they did an impressive job remembering all of the answers.


What fun we have had! Each of the children in our programs showed incredible creativity in all projects, such as the scarecrows that we made (above) and the musical gourds that they painted. They would even sometimes come up with elaborate expansions of games that we played and their garden knowledge was striking as we watched them identify plants from the garden on their own. And their patient fascination with gardening--we harvested marigold seeds for almost twenty-five minutes on Tuesday!--has been so much fun to watch.


In the weeks ahead it will be very quiet (and perhaps just a bit lonely) around the farm without our after-school groups running and laughing in the fields. But this past weekend's snow has reminded us that it is time to slow down, put the garden to bed, and recharge for another year.

See you next season!

Becca, Jericho, Marie, and Kristin

Red Lentils and Cabbage

All this soggy weather paired with cooler temperatures sure has my body and mind preparing for the arrival of autumn. Salads and crudités were summer mealtime staples, but it's time to transition back to warmer fare. With a large head of Napa in the fridge, a lone tomato on the counter, and plenty of lentils in the cupboard, this slightly sweet and spicy dish was practically calling my name.
Serve it with rice or naan and enjoy.

Red Lentils and Cabbage

Makes 4-6 side servings

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 c red lentils
• 5 c water
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 4 tbsp cooking oil (I used walnut)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• about 3/4-1 lb cabbage, shredded or sliced thin (I used Napa)
  
• 1-2 hot peppers, sliced thin (optional)
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• salt to taste
• fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
  

Directions:

Place water and lentils in a medium to large pot and bring to a boil; remove foam floating on the water surface. Add the curry powder and stir; cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, and turn the heat down to low. Gently simmer lentils for about an hour; be sure to occasionally stir them during the last 30 minutes so they do not stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the lentils are almost done cooking, add the ginger and tomato to the pot; stir well and cover. In a large pan or pot over medium heat, add the cooking oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds and gently toast them for about half a minute. Add the garlic; as the pieces begin to brown, add the onions, peppers, and cabbage, stirring to incorporate all ingredients. Turn up the heat slightly and stir fry the mixture for several minutes. Add the lentils to the cabbage mixture; simmer another 2-3 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired.


Rebekah

Image by Rebekah Carter (2011). Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking via smitten kitchen.

Pan-fried Eggplant with Basil

I can't say I'm new to the joys of eggplant. Eggplant parm, baba ghanoush, dressed and grilled, I love it all. I can say it was only recently that I discovered how wonderfully the purple-skinned vegetable pairs with basil in an Asian-style sauce. Simple and fragrant, the following recipe is not only easy to prepare, but is also a great way to use up a bunch of those fresh veggies from your local farmers market, CSA, or home garden.

Pan-fried
Eggplant with Basil

makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 medium-sized Chinese eggplants, halved and chopped into 1"-1.5" pieces or 12-16 small eggplant ("Fairy Tale"), halved
• 2 large bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 medium onion, cut into large pieces
• 3 Thai or serrano chiles, sliced thin
• 3 tbsp garlic, minced or sliced thin
• 1/2 c Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp medium to high-heat oil (I used walnut)

Sauce:

• 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves; set aside.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tbsp of oil. When hot, carefully add eggplant pieces; fry for about 2 minutes, or until they just begin to brown or soften. Remove from pan. Add 1 tbsp oil and onions; cook for about 2 minutes or until soft and glossy. Remove from pan. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil, garlic, and hot peppers; cook until garlic begins to turn golden, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Add bell pepper and onions; cook for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Add eggplant and toss or gently stir to combine all ingredients. Pour in the sauce and stir to ensure even coating; cook for another minute or so, until the sauce thickens a bit. Throw in your basil and cook another 30 seconds; turn off heat and serve immediately.

My Two Cents:

Make this side dish a meal by adding rice and green vegetables; kale or Asian greens sauteed with garlic and oil, or spicy garlic green beans are recommended. Go the extra mile and make it a three-course dinner by serving some overnight pickled cabbage with peanuts as an appetizer and some fresh fruit (melon season has arrived, wink wink) for dessert.

This dish is SO close to being vegan. If you are looking to make it completely free of animal products, try out this recipe for faux fish sauce featuring ingredients such as seaweed and shiitake mushrooms, which create an umami (pronounced "oo-mah-mee;" meaning a pleasant savory taste) quality similiar to that imparted by actual fish sauce.


Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2011). Eggplant recipe adapted from Epicurious.