Editor's note: This file is the complete, unedited collection of CSG newsletters as published in hardcopy for the year 2010. The graphics have been eliminated, but all of the recipes are as published.
SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
NOTES FROM SMADAR AT THE GARDENHOUSE (908) 362-7486
As you can see from Judy’s following article, there are
three most wonderful apprentices that we are missing on many
levels. On one level there is a way that you can help fill the
void. If you are interested in workshare arrangements, or if you
just want to step up and volunteer on the harvest mornings,
please call the gardenhouse. No experience is necessary, but a
willingness to jump in and make a difference is a must. Morning
harvest is a special time – you might just love it!
Thanks to the organizers of Skyfest Music Festival for inviting
us to have a Genesis Farm booth last weekend. It was wonderful
having it in Blairstown, our backyard, and the music was
fantastic! If you missed it hopefully you’ll have another
chance next year.
Thanks to all the greeters in the distribution center – your
presence makes such a difference! There are slots available for
the fall. If you can help for 2 hours call Wendy Miller, Tuesday
coordinator, at 973-726-4955, or Sheri Raupp, Friday coordinator,
at 908-876-4082.
Many of you have requested that we reorder “From Asparagus
to Zucchini” – a guide to cooking farm-fresh seasonal
produce. It has just arrived and is for sale in the distribution
center.
We are hosting Slow Food Northern NJ’s “ Dig in”
an event of Breaking Ground and Breaking Bread, part of a
nationwide day of volunteer action on September 25, 2010, 10-3PM.
If you would like to participate in the farm activities at the
CSG, please email slowfoodnnj@yahoo.com. Or talk to Smadar at the
Garden.
The 2nd payment was due on July 1st. If you have not done so,
please send your payment ASAP. Third and final payment will be
due on Oct. 1st. Thanks to those who have taken care of this.
AND PICK YOUR OWN -
It is a pleasure to see so many members walking out of the fields
with those magnificent flower bouquets. It is even more amazing
how vibrant the flowers have been, considering the ridiculous
lack of rain that has characterized this summer. We recommend
that you bring your own scissors and a container such as a coffee
can to help the bouquets last longer.
The cherry tomatoes are sweet and delicious. They are above the
two P.Y.O. flowerbeds across from the little greenhouse. Even the
children seem to enjoy picking them and popping them in their
mouths.
Golden raspberries are coming in now. We are sharing them with
the honeybees this year. They seem to know when the raspberry is
at peak ripeness and flavor.
The P.Y.O.,’ the sharing table, and the herbs are great
places to be mindful of the other members. It is helpful to look
at the sign-out sheet to see how many names have not been crossed
off for an indication of your fair portions.
GARDENER’S REPORT
RAINY DAY!!!! By Farmer Judy
Finally, it's a rainy day this Monday, August 23. As I
stand at the gardenhouse door looking out at the eggplant I
believe I see their leaves reaching up to catch every drop of
rain. I think we are all happy to be quenched. On
days like this the tasks shift to inside work. The
newsletter has been on our job board for weeks now, so here we
are. Some of the crew is cleaning and sorting onions over
at the barn at Chan's and the rest are getting beds ready in the
greenhouses for winter greens such as lettuce, spinach, mache,
and claytonia to name a few. We will begin sowing in these
beds come September. Autumn is in the air even though the
tomatoes are still ripening, the cukes are cranking, and bouquets
of zinnias are waiting to be made.
It's been a hot, dry summer. Enough said. But we have
been blessed with a bumper crop of high quality, enthusiastic
apprentices! Perseverance took on a new meaning as I
witnessed not only holding up in extreme temps BUT ALSO a group
of people filled with good humor and good attitude. And the
best part was that it was contagious.
Our apprenticeship program begins April 1 and ends the week of
Thanksgiving. Every year is different, and this year we had
3 young women come for the summer months, which really helped
with the summer workload. So let me introduce our team.
Steve Zwier is with us now for his 3rd season. Steve has
such a great work ethic. We could decide "It's time to
mulch the paths in the tomatoes" and before I've collected
my tools and filled my water bottle, Steve is already out in the
field distributing bales. Steve has made a big difference
here at the CSG at Genesis Farm. So many improvements and
new ideas have come through him. We are grateful for his
energy.
Samson Schoenbrunn joined us in April for the whole season.
Samson is a whatever-needs-to-be-done kinda guy. He is
responsible for the green beans and edamame crops. He
enjoys transplanting, tractor work and "long walks on the
beach, candle-lit dinners and horror flicks". Samson
is an artist. I always find his detailed, wonderful
sketches on the corners of paper and on the job board. I
expect to see his work in a gallery someday.
Margaret Noon comes to us from Scotch Plains, NJ. Margaret
has been a member of the CSG and decided to leap into our
apprenticeship program. She has brought a lot of enthusiasm
and embraces every task that comes her way. She is
president of Slowfood Northern NJ. and a graduate of Pratt
Institute and The French Culinary Institute. Margaret
enjoys seeding, transplanting and cooking lunch. And I
might add, we've all enjoyed eating her yummy lunches.
Malaika Spencer joined us in May and has just left to finish her
last year at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. Malaika has
been working on farms since she was 14. Here's one young
lady who has known what she wants and is very solid with
it. She took on the tractor without any hesitation.
Actually, she took on any task without hesitation. One of
her favorite tasks was to drive the dump truck. FYI -
Malaika could drive ANYTHING if she enjoys driving the dump
truck!
Amanda also joined us in May and just left last week to return to
Lehigh University, PA. Amanda volunteered with us a few
days a week last year and decided to join us for the whole summer
this year. Amanda loved working with the grains. When
I would see her in the grain fields clipping out weeds she looked
as if she were floating in the field. Her responsibility
was the summer squash. Through the whole season she decided
to keep track of the yields of summer squash in 3 different
growing situations - roll-down, black (biotello) plastic, and
right in the soil. This info will be helpful to us.
Amanda's family lives nearby so we hope to see her at our Harvest
Festival.
Melanie Frank joined us in June after graduating from college in
Bloomington, Indiana. She will be leaving us this week to
experience new adventures. Melanie has such a great
attitude and a love of the work. Recently, after spending 3
hours harvesting cucumbers into 5-gallon buckets and lugging them
through the vine-filled cucumber patch, she walks into the
gardenhouse to report her yield of 502 cucumbers, and she's
smiling! Melanie soaked up every aspect of our farm.
She loved it all.
Erin Schroll joined us the beginning of August. August
could be a tough time to jump into the work but Erin has kept up
the pace and slipped nicely into the flow of the work. Erin
comes to us from Oregon with a background in horticulture, and
construction of green roofs. Erin would like to have
chickens someday so the chickens have become a focus of
hers. We welcome her good energy.
I know I've said this a million times, but I am so inspired by
the people who come through our apprenticeship program. I
see so much hope for the world of agriculture. I see a deep
core of commitment even though they may not all choose to be
farmers. I see people who know what they're about and
perhaps working on a farm has empowered them more. Each one
of these people has been a gift to us, and to the bigger
us. Thank you, Steve, Samson, Margaret, Malaika, Amanda,
Melanie and Erin.
Zucchini, Egg-lemon Rice Soup (Mark Bittman, NY Times, submitted by Tanya McCabe)
3 T olive oil
1 small onion minced
½ C short-grained rice (aborio)
2 or 3 medium zucchini or other Summer squash, shredded
salt & freshly ground pepper
½ C chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 eggs
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice, more to taste
½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
This soup is exquisite! I used chicken broth instead of water and added all the Parmesan to the soup at the end, stirring it in.
1) Put oil in a deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion
and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 2 or 3 minutes. Add
rice and stir to coat with oil, then continue cooking, stirring
occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
2) Add zucchini along with a light sprinkle of salt and a few
grinds of pepper. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes, until
zucchini starts to wilt and release its liquid, add about half
the parsley. When mixture starts to stick to bottom of pan, stir
in 6 cups water. Bring soup to a boil, and reduce heat so mixture
simmers steadily. Cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, until rice
is tender and vegetables start to melt into soup.
3) Beat eggs in a 4-cup or larger heat-resistant bowl, then whisk
in the lemon juice. Take a ladle of broth from pot (be careful
not to include too many vegetables) and slowly add broth to eggs,
a few drops at a time at first, whisking constantly so eggs do
not curdle. Repeat once or twice more, until egg mixture is
thick, smooth and very warm.
4) Adjust heat so that soup bubbles gently. Slowly add egg
mixture, stirring constantly. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding
more lemon juice, salt and/or pepper as needed. Serve
immediately, garnished with remaining parsley and , if you like ,
cheese.
5) Yield 4-6 servings. I don’t think so.o.o.!
JUNE 10, 2010
NOTES FROM SMADAR AT THE GARDENHOUSE (908) 362-7486
First and foremost I would just like to thank everyone who
jumped in and filled the void while I spent five transformative
weeks on the west coast due to a family emergency. I left with
one days notice and was unsure of my return until a few days
before, when things stabilized (just in time for our open house
on May 1st). I received nothing but support and love and
understanding from everyone at the farm. In particular I would
like to thank Judy and Mike, Steve, Judy Leaf, Gina, Hannah, Liz,
Sheri, Magdalena, Lori, Athena and Luthor, who put a lot of extra
energy adding to their already full load. My love for the CSG is
so multifaceted, but community is at the core, and community is
who was there for me to lean on. Thank you from the bottom of my
heart.
Planning to be away on your pickup day? Here are some options:
let me know in advance- I will cross your name off the list for
that day-we will not harvest your share and instead you can make
it up on another pickup day. All this needs to be prearranged -
just call the Gardenhouse. If you let us know after the
vegetables have been harvested, you forfeit your share - it is
donated to the food pantry or a local family in need. You can
also give your share to a friend who can then get a taste of what
the garden has to offer.
Please don’t forget to highlight your name on the list when
you pick up your share. That way we know you came!
The peas are coming, the peas are coming! Snow peas, Sugar snaps!
All who expressed an interest in the workshare component, or if
you just want to volunteer, this is your chance! We need hands on
harvest mornings, Tues. and Fri. We begin at 6am, but you can
join us anytime throughout the morning. Call the Gardenhouse for
details and to make arrangements. Who knows, you might just fall
in love with the whole experience, just ask Bob, Judy L, Julie,
or Magdalena, who keep coming year after year.
PYO (pick- your- own) – There is nothing more heartwarming
than the children in the strawberry patch with red stained faces
and hands. I hope many of you got a chance to get a taste. PYO is
a way for members to step into the gardens and connect with what
is going on at the farm. When the flowers are blooming, you can
pick your own bouquet. There are also pyo cherry tomatoes,
berries, hardy kiwis, and who knows what else (all in due time).
Look for the sign on the board in the distribution center for
guidance. If you are unable to pyo on your pickup day, you are
welcome to come on another day, but please not on another pickup
day (Tues. or Fri.) as there are already many other members
picking.
Payments - This is my least favorite subject, but here goes. It
is our intention and desire not to send bills to our members. Too
much time and energy expended when there are so many other things
to do. So we ask that each of you take responsibility for making
your payments. Some of you made the $100 deposit and still owe
the balance. If you are on the payment plan, first payment is now
overdue. Second payment is due on July 1st (just around the
corner) and third and final payment is due on Oct. 1st. If you
need to make other arrangements please let me know. Thanks to
those of you who have taken care of this. Any questions, just ask
me.
Last Thurs. morning I got a call from long time member Andre of
Andres restaurant. Could he and Rob (long time member, and
amazing photographer) come by, pick some strawberries, slip into
the Gardenhouse kitchen and cook up a little desert- for us! How
could I say no! All this was photographed by Rob and entered in
their blog www.andreswhatscookin.blogspot.com They had so much
fun, they might just do it again. Check it out, you won’t be
disappointed!
Katherine Yvinskas, an artist and also a long time member is
featured at Gallery 23 on Main St. in Blairstown. Her show Garden
of Delights is “inspired by the Community Supported Garden
At Genesis Farm” . She will be featured the month of June.
A few summer shares are still available, there is a waiting list
for the winter shares. Pass it on.
Thanks to all for making our 22nd season possible. Time flies
when you’re having fun!
GARDENER’S REPORT
Welcome to another season at the garden, I believe our 22nd.
The gardeners have been hard at it since early March and doing
our best to stay on top of a considerable workload. We have an
excellent group of apprentices this season and, at least for the
summer months, will be among our largest. Steve, whom I call a
journeyman, Samson, Margaret, Malaika, Amanda, and Melanie are
all doing a great job with planting, weeding, harvesting and
whatever else needs to be done so that we can fill the
distribution room twice a week with a wide variety of beautiful
and healthy produce. Hope you have enjoyed it so far and that it
continues to be a bountiful year.
On the weather round up (and remember, it’s all about the
weather, it’s not about you, it’s not about me,
it’s about the weather when it comes to farming!) we are
starting off ok! Last year, as you may remember, was a difficult
one as we saw such a cold and wet June. This year has started out
much better on that front. Indeed, I am seeing many signs that
everything (read plants) is ahead by two weeks. Grass that we cut
and bale for hay is going to seed, the strawberries are done
flowering and what’s out there is it, and the wine berries
seem to be ready to open and begin their ripening process well
ahead of schedule to give a few examples. This means we have had
above normal temps this spring. We have seen some big
fluctuations but no late frost. We did have a late freeze in
early May that hurt apple blossoms and the paw paw flowers and
leaves to name a few but we managed to save some early tomatoes
that we had just planted. We were/are holding our breath as weeks
ago as there were reports of late blight in Maryland and
Pennsylvania. As long as the weather stays sort of normal I think
we’ll be ok. By the way, did you know I can control the
weather? You see if I want it to rain I cut a bunch of grass to
make hay because to make hay you need sunshine and dryness. If we
want it to stay dry we just plant and sow stuff that needs water
and, presto, it stays nice and dry. Of course I am only joking
but you get my point.
We continue our experimentation with roll down cover crops as a
way to reduce tillage, lessen weed pressure and increase soil
tilth. We planted a number of early things into a winter-killed
cover crop of sorgum-sudan grass. Not everything is working out
famously but it is all part of the learning process. Safe to say
there is still great promise in this idea. Difficulty remains in
killing living covers of vetch and to a lesser extent rye/vetch
combos. The vining habit of vetch seems to keep it going. We will
probably resort to flaming to kill the few totally vetch beds.
Eventually I will add weight to our roller crimper with hopes of
increasing its effectiveness. We will also be trialing a new
cover crop to us called Sun Hemp (Crotalaria juncea). This is a
legume so it will fix nitrogen and it likes the hot weather. It
also is a vigorous grower that should shade out weeds and can
only produce seed in warm climates like Hawaii and South Africa
so we won’t have to worry about it becoming a weed. We will
be hosting a NOFA twilight meeting on August 11th to discuss the
possibilities of what it can do. Speaking of NOFA (Northeast
Organic Farmers Association) I will put in a plug for the
organization. The Whole Foods Market is having a 5% day on June
16th. They will donate 5% of their profits that day to NOFA NJ.
So if you shop at Whole Foods or want to try them out that is a
good day to go there and spend a few bucks!
In closing I want to remember a long time garden member who
recently died, Juanita LoPresti. She was a great woman who was
always very supportive of the CSG. She will be missed. Our good
thoughts go out to her family. And as you may or may not know
Rover the wonder dog died this past spring. He patrolled the big
fields for nearly 14 years. He was at least 16 and he is missed
sorely, but not by the ground hogs!
Thanks for being part of it. Farmer Mike
ESCAROLE AND BEANS (allrecipes.com)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large head escarole, coarsely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can cannellini beans, undrained
2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in escarole, turning to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 5-10 minutes, or until tender.
In a separate skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil
over medium heat. Stir in garlic. Pour in beans with juices, and
simmer until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in escarole and
parsley; simmer 10 minutes more.
Serve with warm, crusty Italian bread.
APRIL 28, 2010
NOTES FROM THE GARDENHOUSE
The CSG at Genesis Farm will be having its annual Open
House on May 1, from 10:30 to 1:30 pm. This event is geared
toward new and prospective members, so if you know someone who's
thinking about joining or just interested in what we do, this
would be an ideal time to bring them! We will have tours and a
sampling of some of our food. If possible, let us know ahead of
time if you plan on attending so we can better anticipate how
many to expect. The phone number at the garden house is
908-362-7486.
Shares are available for the 2010-11 season. Help spread
the word; information and commitment forms are available online
at our website, csgatgenesisfarm.com, or by calling the garden
house at 908-362-7486.
The last winter pickup share is Friday, April 30.
Pickup shares for the 2010-11 season begin the week of May
18th. Pickup schedules will be sent prior to that week.
Happy Spring!
GARDENER’S REPORT
Hi everybody. The winter share is wrapping up and spring feels like it’s rolling through like a runaway train. The fruit trees are pruned and the greenhouse is full of seedlings growing fast. It’s been hot so far and that is pushing things along rather quickly. Tomatoes are going into greenhouse beds next week hopefully. This year we are trying grafted tomatoes. With grafted tomatoes, a vigorous disease-resistant rootstock tomato variety is mated with the top of a tomato variety whose fruit you want, resulting in (hopefully) a more vigorous, healthier, and longer bearing plant. This is practiced extensively in Japan and is popular among market growers here in the states. I am excited at the prospect of getting you tomatoes earlier in the season than usual, and continuing them for longer into the fall. If anyone is interested in learning more about it, check out www.johnnyseeds.com and go to their video section for a ten-minute video overview of the process.
I don’t know what else to say. I’m looking forward to another great season here. Thanks!!
Steve the Apprentice
ROASTED TURNIPS AND GREENS (FoodandWine.com)
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 navel orange, plus 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2 pounds young turnips and their greens—turnips halved,
greens stemmed and chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup water
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 ounces baby spinach (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a mini food processor, puree the
olives; transfer to a bowl. Using a sharp knife, peel the orange,
removing all of the bitter white pith. Working over another bowl,
cut in between the membranes to release the sections.
On a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the turnips with 1 tablespoon
of the oil. Roast for 20 minutes, until almost tender.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 2
tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over
moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes.
Add the water and turnip greens, cover and cook over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally, until the greens are just tender, 5
minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the orange juice over the turnips. Roast for 5 minutes
longer, until the turnips are tender and glazed; season with
salt.
Add the spinach to the greens; toss until wilted. Drizzle the
pureed olives onto a platter. Top with the turnips, greens,
orange sections and hazelnuts. Serve hot or warm.
BALSAMIC-GLAZED CARROTS AND KALE (Vegan Planet by Robin
Robertson)
6 medium carrots, cut into thin diagonal slices
1 bunch kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar or natural sweetener
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Place the carrots and kale in a large pot of boiling salted water
and cook until the vegetables soften slightly and the kale turns
bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the
carrots and kale along with the remaining ingredients. Bring to a
simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring
occasionally, until all the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes.
Serve hot.
KALE AND POTATO TARRAGON SALAD (From Asparagus to Zucchini)
2 lbs small potatoes, scrubbed
7 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 medium onion
1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped into 1” pieces
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs white vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/4-1/2 tsp tarragon, divided
salt and pepper to taste
Steam or boil potatoes until fork-tender. Drain, cut into large
bite-size pieces, place in a large covered bowl to keep warm.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide skillet over medium
heat. Add onions; sauté until translucent. Add kale and garlic;
cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes more (you can cover
the pan to help wilt the kale). Combine vinegar, lemon juice, ¼
teaspoon dried tarragon, remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil, salt,
and pepper. Add kale mixture to potatoes and pour dressing over
everything. (It’s important to toss the dressing while the
mixture is hot to soak in the flavors.) Add more salt, pepper, or
tarragon if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 6
servings.
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
GARDENER’S REPORT
WINTER WORK by Judy von Handorf
The snow is blowing every which way as I sit at my desk this Saturday morning. The trees are bending. Snow swallows sound. Last summer one of the apprentices asked me if I thought the same 'wind' comes back again. Hmmm. I'm still thinking about that one.
As I watch the snow deepen I wonder how to 'think spring'. I only know that on March 1, Mike, Smadar, Steve and I will convene in the Gardenhouse at 8 a.m. and begin the 2010 season.
January and February are active for us - ordering supplies, working on the budget, doing outreach for new members, and ordering seeds. We have more of an independent schedule thus having time for travel and visiting with friends and family. Steve has been quite busy working on the barn at Chan's, removing and replacing floors and shoring up the foundation. Stop by to see the improvements, it's looking great. And visit the chickens while you're there. You'll find them behind the barn.
The seed order is a big part of January. We take over the kitchen table in the Gardenhouse filling it with catalogues, order forms, field maps, records from past years, cups of coffee and tea - and a dark chocolate bar now and then. We inventory the seeds left from last year and check the 'Relative Life Expectancy' (RLE). The germination rate of a seed drops as it gets older if it's stored at an average seasonal temperature. The RLE is different with each seed. For example, parsley seed is good for 1 year while lettuce seed can last as long as 5 years. This does not mean that one-year-old parsley seed will not germinate at all. It means that the germination rate will probably drop. The seed we buy has the germination rate and the month and year it was packed. So if you buy seed from a garden center, it may have at least the year it was packed. If you are interested in seeing the RLE Chart, it hangs in the Gardenhouse by the big door to the greenhouse.
We look through many seed catalogues but we specifically use: Johnny's, Fedco and Turtle Tree Biodynamic Seed initiative. We use these companies because of their quality, consistency, reliability and mission.
Johnny's catalogue has lots of beautiful photos. This helps especially when one is comparing varieties. They also have growing information on each vegetable such as culture, pests and seeding rates. This can be very helpful information when you find yourself scratching your head.
The Fedco catalogue has no pictures but carries the same info as Johnny's. A really special aspect to this catalogue is that they note the supplier of each variety of seed they carry. So we know if we're buying seed from a small seed farmer or from domestic/ foreign corporations. We base many of our choices on this information. Also Fedco is quite entertaining. The seed descriptions are conversational sounding and humorous. A good winter read (I guess).
Turtle Tree carries only open-pollinated seed. They are much smaller than the other two but carry a nice variety of seed. And they take it one step farther; they note the farm where the seed stock was grown. We grow leek, kale and larkspur out for them here at our CSG. In fact, their catalogue is there for you in the Distribution Center.
It's so important to know where your seed comes from, just like the veggies we eat. We need to respect the integrity of each seed we plant into the soil. That seed carries the future, after all.
As a footnote, I encourage you to check out our website for a new addition thanks to Wayne Miller. On the apprentice page are 'testimonials' written by some of our past apprentices. It's very nicely done. And if you know of someone who might be interested in our apprenticeship program, please have him or her call us. We do have some openings!
RECIPES
ROASTED RED PEPPER AND SWEET POTATO SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped (2 cups)
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
6 cups water or vegetable stock
3 large red bell peppers
3 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sour cream for garnish if desired
Preheat broiler. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onion and garlic, cover and cook over medium-low heat until
onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stir well;
cover and cook 10 minutes. Add stock or water and thyme; bring to
a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft,
about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, roast peppers under broiler, turning with tongs until
charred all over, about 10 minutes. When peppers are cool enough
to handle, remove charred skins, stems, seeds, and ribs.
Transfer soup and peppers to a food processor or use a hand
blender to process until smooth. Return mixture to pot and gently
reheat. Add lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste.
To serve, ladle soup into warm bowls and garnish each serving
with a swirl of sour cream or sour cream substitute and a sprig
of thyme if desired.
I usually leave out the lemon juice and dice a portion of the
peppers to be added after processing for visual appeal. If using
roasted red peppers in a jar, add some or all of the liquid for
more flavor. The soup can also be made substituting winter squash
for the sweet potatoes. Mike Chrysam
ROOT VEGETABLE SOUP (Better Homes and Gardens)
3 1/2 cups Vegetable Stock or two 14 1/2-ounce cans vegetable
broth
2 1/2 cups water
2 medium leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces or 2
medium onions cut in pieces
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 baby carrots, peeled, or 2 small carrots, peeled and cut up
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut up
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 4-inch sprig fresh rosemary or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary,
crushed
In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine the Vegetable Stock, water, leeks, rutabaga, turnip, carrots, parsnip, sherry, and rosemary. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until rutabaga and turnip are tender. Remove rosemary sprig. Add salt and pepper to taste.
PERUVIAN PEANUT POTATO SOUP (Robin Robertson, Vegnews.com)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 pound white potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups vegetable stock
2/3 cup peanut butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives (optional)
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion,
cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes
and stock and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 40
minutes. Stir in the peanut butter and season with salt and
pepper to taste.
If a chunky soup is desired, it can be served at this point,
garnished with the chives. For a smooth soup, purée the mixture
in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender to
purée it right in the pot. Return the soup to the pot and heat
over medium heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Serve garnished with
the chives, if using.
Editor's note: end of document.