Turnip, Carrot and Dill Salad

from Cook With What You Have

Turnips work well with dill and almost no other herb, in my opinion. So if you have some dill, by all means use it in this quick, grated salad.

Grate as many carrots and turnips as you want. Dress with a lemony vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive, oil, salt and pepper and a little lemon zest if you’d like) and mix with plenty of chopped dill. If you have some toasted slivered almonds or toasted sunflower seeds by all means add a few tablespoon for crunch and heartiness. And you could add some very thinly sliced sweet onion to this. That would be lovely in fact.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

• 2 pounds (about 1 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 pounds red new potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered
• 1 pound medium red onions (about 2 to 3), peeled and quartered
• 1 pound carrots (6 to 8 medium), halved lengthwise, if thick, and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 4 to 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide vegetables and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets (or line with parchment paper, if desired, for easy cleanup); dividing evenly, toss with oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Winter Vegetable and Chicken Stew

Martha Stewart

• ·  2 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4 pieces)
• ·  1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 3 pieces)
• ·  1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for cooking water
• ·  1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• ·  4 slender carrots, peeled
• ·  3 large celery ribs
• ·  2 medium parsnips (6 ounces), peeled
• ·  4 small onions, peeled and quartered lengthwise with roots attached
• ·  3 cups water
• ·  One 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
• ·  1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• ·  1/2 pound wide egg noodles
• ·  1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• ·  1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ·  4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ·  1 bunch Swiss chard (1 1/2 pounds), coarsely chopped with stems
• ·  2 ounces shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces; season with salt and pepper. Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add half of chicken to pot; cook, turning occasionally, until nicely browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with remaining chicken; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cut carrots, celery, and parsnips into 3/4-inch pieces. Place vegetables, onions, water, broth, and rosemary in Dutch oven; scrape browned bits from the bottom. Cover; bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are barely tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Cook noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Stir noodles, parsley, chicken, and any collected juices in the bowl into pot. Cook on low until chicken is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; keep warm.
4. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; stir until golden, about 1 minute. Add chard; cook, turning occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Divide chard among six bowls. Ladle soup on top; serve with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Chard and White Bean Stew

Smitten Kitchen

Adapted a bit generously from Dan Barber

I started with a recipe from Dan Barber for a kale and white bean stew, even though I knew it wasn’t what I wanted. I have yet to get over my dislike of kale, despite a brief period of acceptance when I learned how to make it into chips. I used chard instead, but you could use any green you’ve got, even spinach. (Though if you are unfamiliar with chard but like spinach, trust me, you’ll love chard.) I also only used 2/3 of the greens suggested, because I really want this to be a white bean, not greens, stew. Then, I swapped some of the vegetable broth for pureed tomatoes, because that’s what I think a bean stew needs. I dialed back the broth a bit, because I don’t like soupy stews… Oh, and I added some weights and then (typical!) forgot I was weighing ingredients so only some are listed. Sorry about that.

Finally, I cooked the wine down more than suggested because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t accidentally going to booze up the kid so that he might accidentally get a good night’s sleep. Because that would be terrible, you know?

• 1 pound Swiss chard (can also swap kale, spinach or another green), ribs and stems removed and cleaned
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup (5 1/4 ounces) chopped carrots
• 1 cup (5 ounces) chopped celery
• 1 cup (4 1/4 ounces) chopped shallots, about 4 medium
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 15-ounce cans (or about 3 3/4 cups) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups (or more to taste) vegetable broth
• 1 cup pureed tomatoes (from a can/carton/your jarred summer supply)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

Toasted bread slices, poached eggs (tutorial), chopped herbs such as tarragon, parsley or chives or grated Parmesan or Romano to serve (optional)

Bring medium pot of salted water to boil. Cook chard (or any heavier green; no need to precook baby spinach) for one minute, then drain and squeeze out as much extra water as possible. Coarsely chop chard.

Wipe out medium pot to dry it, and heat olive oil over medium. Add carrots, celery, shallots and garlic and saute for 15 minutes. Barber warns not to brown them but I didn’t mind a light golden color on them. Add wine (scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pot) and cook it until it reduced by three-fourths. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, a few pinches of salt, freshly ground black pepper, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chard and cook for 5 minutes more. Remove thyme and bay leaf. Add more broth if you’d like a thinner stew and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serve as is drizzled with sherry vinegar. Or you can ladle the stew over thick piece of toasted country bread or baguette that has been rubbed lightly with half a clove of garlic, top that with a poached egg and a few drops of sherry vinegar and/or some grated cheese.   

Winter Minestrone

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large potato (skin on), cubed
• 8 ounces (or one big bunch) Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, fire roasted preferred
• 1 ¼ cup dry cannellini beans, cooked (or 3 cups canned cannellinis)
• 1/2 cup dry barley, cooked (it will yield about 1 ½ cups cooked)
• 6-7 cups vegetable broth (water may also be used)
• 2 tablespoons dried Italian basil
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme, or 1 tablespoon fresh
• If meat eater- add bacon or pancetta (traditional recipe) for more flavor 
• ¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

[Cook's Illustrated adds Parmesan rind for more flavor- cook with stock/water then remove at end.]

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the potato and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the Swiss chard and cook for two more minutes. Add canned tomatoes, heat until tomatoes begin to break apart and then add 6 cups of the broth. Stir in beans, barley, and all of the seasonings except parsley. At this point you may want to add the other cup of broth, depending on how thick or thin you like your soup - entirely up to you. Simmer for about 15 minutes, until potato cubes are soft. Give the pot a good stir so that the beans and tomatoes begin to break apart, adding a nice texture to the broth. Stir in fresh parsley, salt and pepper, then serve. Grate some fresh Parmesan/Reggiano to garnish.

Tarragon Chicken with Fall Vegetables a la Chris

Chris, Bryan, and I just made this delicious dish using many CSA items. Here's what we did... 

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 4-5 carrots
• 3 cups spinach
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 tablespoons butter plus half stick of butter
• 1 cup white wine
• 3-4 cups chicken stock
• 1 tsp *marmite optional (Chris favorite new ingredient- get some and use it in stews and soups)  
• Tarragon, preferably fresh, but we use dried
• Salt to taste 
• Rice of choice 

Directions 

Cut chicken breasts into four strips, brown each side in saute pan with butter, 3-4 minutes per side, salt while cooking. Reserve chicken breasts. Cut carrots in 1 inch cylinders. Using same pan, add chicken broth, 1 cup white wine, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, 1/2 tablespoon marmite, cook for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.  Add carrots to broth, cook for 5-6 minutes until barely tender, add salt while cooking. Add broccoli florets, allow contents to steam for three minutes, careful not to overcook. Remove from heat. Begin roux in new saute pan. Melt butter, add 2 tablespoons flour, stir constantly to prevent clumps for at least 3 minutes. Pour roux into vegetables. De-glaze roux pan with 1/2 cup white wine, stir and scrape, add contents to roux and vegetables.  Turn combined contents to low, add chicken, mix cover and cook ON LOW for 3-5 minutes until just bubbling. Add spinach to mixture until just wilted. Serve over white or brown rice.  

 *Marmite is a yeast extract that chemically hits the same flavor receptors as MSG; some say it has great umami- or a rich savory taste. Eat it on toast with butter or put small amounts to enrich stews, crockpot recipes, pot roasts or sauces. 

Chicken Fricassee with Carrots, Mustard Greens Avgolemono Sauce

For chicken:

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 7 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 3 1/2-pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces

• 2 cups chopped peeled carrots
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth

• 2 bunches mustard greens, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

For Avgolemono Sauce:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt

Make chicken:
Mix 1/4 cup lemon juice, 2 tablespoons parsley, lemon peel and minced garlic in large glass baking dish. Whisk in 6 tablespoons oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add chicken. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate chicken overnight, turning once.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove chicken from marinade. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook chicken until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl.

Add carrots, sliced garlic and oregano to pot. Sauté over medium-high heat until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add wine and remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom. Simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock. Return chicken to pot. Place pot in oven. Bake uncovered until chicken is cooked through, turning chicken occasionally, about 35 minutes.

Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken, carrots and sliced garlic to large bowl. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Boil cooking liquid over medium-high heat until reduced to 3 cups, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour 1 cup reduced cooking liquid into small bowl. Set aside.

Return cooking liquid remaining in pot to simmer. Add mustard greens. Cook until greens are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in green onions, dill, Dijon mustard and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley. Cover and keep warm.

Make avgolemono sauce:
Whisk lemon juice and cornstarch in another small bowl to blend. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt in medium stainless steel bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in egg yolks, then lemon juice mixture. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Gradually add reserved 1 cup cooking liquid, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Add sauce to mustard greens; stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour sauce and mustard greens over chicken and serve.

White Bean, Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered [or use canned tomatoes]
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained- USE the shelled Jacob's Cattle beans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with oil spray. Arrange carrots, tomatoes, onion, squash and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Transfer carrots and squash to work surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot; bring to boil. Add shelled Jacob's Cattle beans. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until beans are almost tender. Add kale and reserved carrots and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors and until kale is tender adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Tuscan Ribollita

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 ounces pancetta or ham, chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
• 3 15-ounce cans cannellini or great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted bread crumbs
• Grated parmesan

Directions

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the first five ingredients in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil for 5 minutes.

2 Add the tomatoes and their juices, along with the beans, broth, and rosemary. Simmer, covered, until the beans break apart, about an hour.

3 Add the kale and cook for 5 to 7 minutes more. Stir in the bread crumbs and serve, drizzled with the remaining olive oil and sprinkled with the cheese.

Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

from the Smitten Kitchen

Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi

I made a couple changes to this recipe due to personal preferences. The original called for a lot of carrots and celery (4 carrots, 3 celery stalks) but I wanted them to just be a background flavor, not main ingredient. I also chopped them more finely. I used a lot less lemon zest and oregano than was suggested because I was nervous but ended up wishing for more of each so I’ve listed the range from my amount to the suggested one below. Finally, the tomatoes were intended to be sliced and then arranged across the top of the dish as it baked. If you’d like to do it this way, sprinkle them with a teaspoon of dried oregano, salt and pepper before you bake it. I chopped them for two reasons: I wanted the tomatoes inside the dish and I also like the crunchy lid of a baked pasta dish. A layer of tomatoes would protect you from that if you’re not into it. (You probably don’t like pudding skin either, do you? It’s okay. We can still be friends.)

You could easily use whole wheat orzo here, or I suspect, another grain. However, you’ll have to do a bit of fiddling with the broth level to adjust for each one. Grains that take longer than pasta to cook (just about all of them) would probably benefit from par-cooking before they go in.

A few other substitions: I didn’t have any vegetable broth and used water. I felt it wasn’t lacking at all for flavor. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned ones (though fresh will hold up better on top). If you don’t have fresh oregano, use half the amount of dried oregano. If you don’t like or don’t have either, thyme, fresh or dried, would work well here but it’s much stronger in flavor and only half as much should be needed.

Serves 4

1 large (mine was just over 1 1/4 pounds/570 grams) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces (225 grams) orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed
1 teaspoon (6 grams) tomato paste
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) vegetable stock
1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon
4 ounces (115 grams) mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup or 45 grams) parmesan, grated
3 medium tomatoes, diced

Sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. I used this time to get the rest of my ingredients ready. After 30 minutes, rinse it well and pat it dry on towels.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add celery and carrots to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Off the heat, add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt, many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. (You can increase the ration of foil-on to foil-off time if you don’t like a crunchy pasta lid.) Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Slaw

Ingredients

• 1 large head cabbage, shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4- 1/2 cup sugar- can sub honey
• ½ cup vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 medium onion, quartered

Directions

In a large bowl, toss cabbage, carrots and celery seed. Place the remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor; cover and process until combined. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Yields 10-12 servings.

Spiced Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 6 cups finely shredded cabbage       
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrots                
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced (VERY hot, omit or use chili flakes)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar                         
• 1 tbsp. Asian (toasted) sesame oil   
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce                
• 3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• minced ginger (optional)

Directions

In a wide bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. Mix vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili, and garlic. Pour over salad and mix. Serve, or cover and chill up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with peanuts and mix. Makes 8 servings.

*mix it up and try adding cucumbers or apples!

Classic Minestrone

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart's recipe actually uses quite a bit of fall vegetables- carrots, cabbage, celery.... Substitute the green beans for our dried Jacob's cattle beans (or canned Cannellini's or Great Northern beans) and this is a wonderful fall soup.  

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 large celery stalk, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
• 1 large potato, peeled and diced
• 1/4 head Savoy or green cabbage (1/2 pound), cored and thinly sliced
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, plus torn leaves for serving (optional)
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, red-pepper flakes, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn golden, 5 to 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes; cook until some of the liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add potato, cabbage, cannellini beans, and 7 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in green beans.

Reduce to a simmer, and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in garlic, if using, and basil. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and, if using, torn basil. Drizzle with more oil, if desired.

White Bean, Kale & Roasted Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

• Non-stick vegetable oil spray
• 3 medium carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise
• 2 large tomatoes, quartered [or use canned tomatoes]
• 1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 1/2 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 6 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth
• 4 cups finely chopped kale
• 3 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf

• 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, drained- USE the shelled Jacob's Cattle beans

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray rimmed baking sheet with oil spray. Arrange carrots, tomatoes, onion, squash and garlic on sheet. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake until vegetables are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

Transfer carrots and squash to work surface. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside. Peel garlic cloves; place in processor. Add tomatoes and onion; puree until almost smooth. Pour 1/2 cup broth onto baking sheet; scrape up any browned bits. Transfer broth and vegetable puree to large pot. Add 5 1/2 cups broth, kale, thyme and bay leaf to pot; bring to boil. Add shelled Jacob's Cattle beans. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until beans are almost tender. Add kale and reserved carrots and squash to soup. Simmer 8 minutes to blend flavors and until kale is tender adding more broth to thin soup if necessary. Season with salt and pepper. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to simmer before serving.)

Butter Braised Carrots

from Katherine Deumling of Cook With What You Have

Scrub as many carrots as you want to use. If they are quite small you can leave them whole. If a bit larger, cut them in half lengthwise. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet that will fit the carrots in one layer. Add the carrots and sprinkle with sea salt. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally over medium heat until the carrots are tender. Add a little splash of water or turn the heat down if they begin to brown too much or stick to the pan. Finish with more sea salt and a sprinkling of chives, if you like.

Carrot Soup With Lemon, Tahini & Crisped Chickpeas

From Smitten Kitchen

My soup vice is because I’ve already confessed to finding it a little dull, that I overcompensate with add-ins. Here, there’s a dollop (lemon-tahini), a crouton (cumin-crisped chickpeas), wedges of toasted pitas (brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with za’atar) and a garnish (parsley). If you’re not me, this might seem like overkill, in which case you should definitely just use the ones you find the most interesting.

Serves 4, generously or 6, petitely

Ingredients

Soup

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
• 2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
• Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
• 4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas

• 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
• 1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Pita wedges, garnish
A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil, to brush pitas
Za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice-herb blend) or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Directions

Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.

Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.

Spread pita wedges on a second baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with za’atar or a combination of sea salt and sesame seeds and toast in oven with chickpeas until brown at edges, about 5 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita wedges. Forget January, you’d eat this anytime. Right?

Carrot Soup With Miso & Sesame

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (it could easily be doubled)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste

To finish

• Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
• 2 scallions, very thinly sliced

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso an a half-cup of the soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of sesame oil and small mound of scallions.

Pickled scallions? I didn’t do this in the end, but was tempted to lightly pickled the scallions by letting them hang out in a mixture of 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt (I use Diamond brand, use less if you’re using Morton or another, which are more dense) and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar for a while before using them as garnish.

Simple Vegetable Curry

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a 13.5-ounce can)
• 2 carrots  
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• fresh cilantro, for serving

[Potatoes would also be a nice addition, add at the same time as carrots.]

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high. Add mustard seeds and half the onion and cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, 3 minutes. Add rice and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 cups water, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer; cook until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.  
2. Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add remaining onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 3 minutes. Add curry paste and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Add sweet potato and cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.  

Stir chickpeas into curry and increase heat to high. Simmer rapidly until liquid reduces slightly, 2 minutes. Serve curry over rice with cilantro.

Roasted Chicken & Carrots With Olives & Lemon

Don't forget to use the chicken carcass for a wonderful stock or chicken soup!

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces 
• 2 pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces (halved lengthwise if thick) 
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives 
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

1. Heat oven to 425° F. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the chicken, carrots, olives, bay leaves, lemon, oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle the chicken with the paprika.
2. Roast, tossing the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through and the carrots are tender, 45 to 50 minutes.

Spiced Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 tsp. soy sauce
• 6 cups finely shredded cabbage       
• 1-1/2 tsp. sugar
• 2 cups shredded carrots                
• 1 fresh jalapeno chili, stemmed, seeded, and minced (VERY hot, omit or use chili flakes)
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar                         
• 1 tbsp. Asian (toasted) sesame oil   
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp. Asian fish sauce                
• 3/4 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
• minced ginger (optional)

Directions

In a wide bowl, combine cabbage and carrots. Mix vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, chili, and garlic. Pour over salad and mix. Serve, or cover and chill up to 4 hours. Sprinkle with peanuts and mix. Makes 8 servings.

*mix it up and try adding cucumbers or apples!