Beets Cooking

It must be the gloomy rain but I have started to crave melted cheese.  Both of the soups this week are cheesy…however, the vegetarian one can be “vegainized”.
Cauliflower, Cheese & Tomato Soup…a kid favorite as well, this soup is a beautiful salmony color thanks to the  tomatoes.  Ingredients: olive oil, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, cauliflower, dried oregano, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, cream cheese, whole milk, kosher salt & pepper & fresh basil.  Vegetarian, Vegan w. out dairy (will still be creamy just dairy free!) 13. per quart served w. bread.

Garlicy Tortellini Soup w. Fresh Greens…another kid favorite!  Chicken stock enhanced with LOTS of fresh garlic, tomatoes, greens & cheese tortellini.  Ingredients: olive oil, garlic, chicken stock, tomatoes, carrots, celery, fresh greens (spinach, chard or escarole…whatever looks best at the market), and cheese tortellini.  Garnished w. parmesan cheese.  13. per quart served w. bread for dipping

Sweet Treat: Pumpkin Cupcakes w. Brown Sugar Frosting 2. per cupcake

This will be the last Thursday in September!  How did that happen????

After a VERY informal survey I have discovered that there are split pea soup lovers out there.  They fall into two camps of course, the with ham and the without ham.  Since the original split pea soup request came from the with ham camp, with ham it it!  For all of you vegetarians and/or ham haters this weeks vegetarian soup is REALLY YUMMY, one of my all time faves!
Split Pea Soup w. Ham…ingredients:  Split Peas, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, fresh thyme, bacon (for the smoky flavor, removed prior to serving) bay leaves, and local ham.  Garnished w. homemade croutons.   13. per quart

Spicy Chickpea & Butternut Squash Soup…sooooooo good!  Ingredients: olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, butternut squash, diced tomatoes, chickpeas, tomato juice, soy sauce, lime juice, ground ginger, coriander, brown sugar, coconut milk, itty bit of jalapeno, fresh cilantro.  13. per quart  Vegetarian & Vegan

Sweet Treat: Chocolate Chip Cookies…with our without nuts!  1. per cookie

Have a great Sunday afternoon!!!!

I read in a weather blog on Wednesday that Burlington has had 79 days this year where the temperature has reached 80 degrees or more.  I almost didn’t believe it until I started thinking back to March and April and May and June and July and August and our current month September.  It has been hot.  I talk about weather a lot here…this is because I am a bit weather obsessed!  My husband owns a landscape company and I cook.  Both are very intertwined with the weather.  It looks like the 80 degree trend is about to break!  This coming week will feel much more like autumn, this makes me happy!

End of Summer Minestrone w. Almond Pistou…Ingredients: olive oil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, fresh parsley, leeks, garlic, zucchini, yellow summer squash, carrots, green beans, cannelloni beans, plum tomatoes, kosher salt & pepper.  Almond Pistou (served on the side): fresh basil, almonds, Parmesan, garlic, kosher salt & pepper.  13. per quart served with crusty bread for dunking.  Vegetarian, Vegan (please specify and I can leave the parm out of your pistou!) & Gluten-Free.

Greek Orzo, Lemon & Chicken Soup…I love this soup.  It is simple, flavorful & comforting.  It is also a good way to make use of late summer spinach!  Ingredients: chicken stock, orzo, local eggs, lemons, chicken breasts, local spinach, kosher salt & pepper.  garnished w. fresh dill.  13. per quart served w. bread for dunking.  

Sweet Treat: Apple Cake w. Walnuts 2.

Apple Cake w. Chocolate Chips 2.

The wind yesterday was amazing!  What was even more amazing was how it swept away the thick, muggy air that has been blanketing us.  I woke up extra early this morning just to breathe in the freshness, ahhhh!

Roasted Beet Borscht…This is one of those soups where there are so many variations that it is hard to tell what is “authentic” and what is not.  This version is vegetarian, the beets are roasted to draw out their sweetness, and it is good eaten hot or cold.  This winter I may do a meat borscht.  Ingredients: Olive oil, local beets, local carrots, onions, garlic, thyme, fresh dill, red wine vinegar, touch of honey, kosher salt & pepper.  Garnished w. sour cream & grated carrots.  13. per quart served w. multi grain bread for dipping.  Vegetarian, Vegan (minus sour cream garnish) and Gluten-Free.

Thai Chicken w. Ginger & Coconut…a soup with bold flavors!  Ingredients: canola oil, chicken breasts, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, sugar, red Thai curry paste, shallots, tomatoes, potatoes, coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, Asian watercress, scallions, kosher salt & pepper.  13. per quart served w. bread for dipping.

Sweet Treat: Banana cupcakes w. chocolate cream cheese frosting.  2. per cupcake