The Not Necessarily Veg Thanksgiving at My House

I and my turkey!  My brother-in-law made use of the Vitamix
to make short order of the gravy.  

Yes, that is a turkey.  A Clarion River Organics 19.75 pound turkey raised by Matthew Schwartz (I think) to be exact.  If you recall in the beginning of this blog I said I eat plant-based most of the time.  Holidays are exceptions.  I did not eat any of this delicious smelling turkey, but I did consume a little dairy in the form of butter on Thanksgiving.  Since I have always said that my elimination of all animal products from my diet is for my health I am not opposed to cooking for others who do not share this view.  Hence, if I take a meal to a homebound person from church, it usually will contain meat and when I make dinner for 20 people in my family as I did on Thanksgiving this year, turkey is on the menu.  We had plenty of vegetable side dishes to go along with it including a wonderful dish of roasted butternut squash from Clarion River Organics.  And I used the CRO apples in my now famous "Fish Market Apple Pie" - a recipe I originally got in the 1980s from the now defunct Gourmet magazine.  

The table set for 20 extended into my front hall.

Shortly after Thanksgiving I was in the East Liberty Whole Foods and was delighted to see nice big bunches of Clarion River Organics kale still occupying shelf space in the produce section.  And just because I know how truly healthy kale is I feel it is my duty to pass on one last kale recipe to you.  This one is a nice kale-based entree that I served with one of our families favorite Thanksgiving side dishes - Baked Broccoli (recipes below).

Since the whole purpose of this blog is to post recipes and stories about being a subscriber to Clarion River Organics (CRO) CSA and since the season has now ended, this will be my last post.  It has been a wonderful season with CRO and I will definitely sign up again next year.  I may or may not continue this blog then, but most likely I will.  Check back in June!  Until then, I would like to wish everyone at CRO and all of you out there in the "CRO world" a Very Merry Christmas and God's abundant blessings in the new year.  

Hearty Kale Dinner

4 Clarion River Organics Potatoes (any kind that you may still have), cut into 1 inch chunks
olive oil cooking spray (or olive oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 bunch Clarion River Organics Kale, stripped from center rib and chopped
1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbs Clarion River Organics Hot Pepper Sauce
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of a lime

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Boil (or steam) potatoes in water until tender (approximately 20 minutes).  Drain and set aside. 

Steam kale in vegetable broth until tender (about 10 mins).

While potatoes are cooking, spray a skillet with cooking spray (or coat lightly with olive oil) and heat over medium.  Saute onions and garlic in skillet for 5 minutes.  Add the kale and vegetable broth.  Lower heat to medium-low and cover and cook until kale is tender about 10 minutes) checking to be sure skillet does not get too dry (add more vegetable broth if necessary).  

When kale is tender add cumin, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Stir to combine.  Add reserved potatoes and pinto beans, stir and heat through about 5 minutes.  Pour lime juice over all and toss to combine.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 as an entree.  

Heat kale with potatoes and beans then add lime juice.

Baked Broccoli

Baked Broccoli with Hearty Kale Dinner

I have veganized this recipe from one I used to make years ago.  If you don't care about removing the animal products you can use cheddar cheese in place of the Daiya, a can of mushroom soup in place of the mushroom gravy,  cow's milk in place of the rice milk, and dairy butter in place of the Earth Balance.  

1 large bunch broccoli, chopped (stalks and florets)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/3 cup rice milk
1 cup Daiya cheddar-style shreds
1/2 cup Whole Foods vegan mushroom gravy (ask at the counter if you do not see it)
1 Tbs Earth Balance buttery spread
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Place chopped broccoli in a steamer basket set over boiling water and steam for 5 minutes.  Place broccoli in a 2-qt casserole dish.

Heat milk with and Daiya "cheese" shreds in a double boiler until cheese is melted (or mostly melted).  Remove from heat and add the onion and mushroom gravy.  Stir to combine.  Pour sauce over the broccoli.

Melt the earth balance and combine with the bread crumbs to moisten them.  Spread bread crumbs on top of casserole.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Serves 6 as a side dish.  

Cabbage and Edamame-Sesame Salad

One thing is certain - if you subscribe to a CSA group in Western Pennsylvania you WILL eat lots of cabbage!  Honestly, cabbage is not my favorite vegetable.  What does one do with cabbage anyway?  Cole Slaw?  Too watery.  Cabbage Soup?  No flavor.  A Stir-Fry?  Yes, but done too many times.  So I usually use it up by throwing hunks of it into my juices and smoothies.  But the red cabbage we recently received from Clarion River Organics is so pretty and so...well, BIG, that I decided to get creative and come up with a salad I liked.  As a bonus this salad also uses the carrots and sweet wax peppers from the week #23 Clarion River delivery.

In this salad, I chopped the cabbage instead of shredding it which is the way you usually find it in slaws.  I'm not sure why it is always shredded unless it's because cabbage is very fibrous and can be a little, what shall I say...time-consuming to chew.  But when it gets shredded it just turns to mush so I like to chop it into nice chunks that are still small enough to be palatable.  This salad gets its flavor boost from the sesame seeds and sesame oil so don't leave them out.  They are the essential secret ingredients!

Cabbage and Edamame-Sesame Salad

4 cups chopped Clarion River Organics red cabbage

1-2 Clarion River Organics sweet wax peppers, seeded and chopped

2 Clarion River Organics carrots, shredded

1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (use 2 Tbs for more sesame flavor)*

1/2 package frozen shelled edamame

1/2 cup frozen corn

Salt to taste

Dressing:

3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2Tbsp rice wine vinegar (regular vinegar works too)

3 tsp tamari or soy sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, place cabbage, peppers, carrots, and sesame seeds in a large bowl and toss to combine. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a bowl.  

Add the edamame to the pot of boiling water.  Return to a boil and cook the edamame for 4 minutes.  Add the corn to the pot and continue to boil 2 more minutes.  Drain into a colander and run under cold water until cool enough to touch.  Add edamame and corn to the salad.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  This is even better after it has been allowed to "marinate" for half an hour.  Serves 6.

*To toast the sesame seeds, spread seeds out on a cookie sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for 2 minutes.  Watch carefully!  They burn easily!

Beet Hummus - Beets, Garlic

Beet Hummus

With four soups in "Sandy's Soup Series" completed (see my previous four posts), I think it is time to change things up a bit. 

Here is a new twist on a vegan favorite.  Hummus, as far as I know, always contains some type of bean (typically garbanzo beans, but could be white beans, black beans or nearly any other type).  Recently, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about the popularity of hummus in Jerusalem and the number of varieties one can find there.  One that was mentioned intrigued me - beet hummus.  After being a part of a CSA group in Western Pennsylvania for years, I have had my share of beets, believe me.  Tired of having them boiled, roasted, or just plain raw in a salad I had to find something new.  When I came across the words "beet hummus" I knew I had found the solution.

Though no recipe was given in the article, a quick google search turned up quite a few recipes.  Most of these had some type of bean in them, but I thought this would merely make the same old hummus with a slightly different flavor and color.  I wanted a hummus that was entirely beets.  I did find one on about.com and modified it only slightly.  Beets tend to have a bit more sugar in them than many other vegetables so if this hummus is a little sweet for you, just add more tahini and lemon juice.  Delicious! 

If the Clarion River beets are still lurking around your house, why not give this a try.  It makes a very pretty dish to serve as an appetizer at Thanksgiving or Christmas and no one will guess what it is (till they try it!). 

This is what one pound of beets looks like.

Beet Hummus

1 pound beets (Week 19) (about 4-6 beets)

2 Tbsp tahini

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp olive oil

3-5 Tbsp lemon juice

Rinse beets and trim off ends.  Place in a pot and cover completely with water.  Bring water to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 30 minutes or until beets are tender when a fork is inserted.  Drain and let cool.  When beets are cool slip skins off by rubbing the skins with your fingers.  Place beets and all other ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Serve with pita wedges, crackers, or fresh veggies.  

Beets with skins removed
I used a combination of red and gold beets.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup - Butternut Squash, Jalapeno Pepper, Garlic

I was happy to see another butternut squash in my bag this week.  I had been hoping to make some beautiful butternut squash soup.  I held on to the one we received from week 17 hoping we would get a second one.   This week my patience paid off!

This soup is easy to make and is a little less sweet than most butternut squash soups.  However, if you like things on the sweeter side use only one lime and cut back a bit on the ginger.   

As an added bonus, you can roast the seeds from the squash and use them to garnish the soup (for roasting instructions scroll down to the bottom of this post: To Roast Squash Seeds ).  Since it was Halloween night and I was busy answering the door, I didn't have time for that so I just garnished with a bit of chives from my garden.  

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Microwave squash 2 minutes to soften then slice down vertically

2 Butternut Squash (Weeks 17 and 22)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (week 18)
2 garlic cloves, minced (Week 22)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp maple syrup
juice of 1 to 2 limes
snipped chives for garnish, optional
roasted squash seeds for garnish, optional

Slice off the ends of each squash.  Place squash in a microwave and microwave for 2 minutes (this softens the squash just enough to get a knife through them).  Slice each squash in half vertically.  This is easiest to do with the squash "standing up" (see photo).
Scoop out seeds and strings with a spoon.  (Roast seeds if you have the time - they make a wonderful garnish for the soup).  Brush the orange flesh side of each squash half with olive oil or spray each half with olive oil cooking spray.  Place on a baking sheet that has been lined with foil or parchment paper flesh side down (see photo).  Roast in oven for 35-40 minutes or until a fork can be inserted easily all the way through the squash and the outside skin is charred and blistered.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Roasted Squash

While the squash cools, sauté the onion for 5 minutes over medium heat in a soup pot that has been sprayed with cooking oil (I used olive oil spray).  Add the jalapeño pepper and cook 5 more minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook 2 more minutes.  

When squash is cool enough to handle, scrap out all of the flesh into a bowl and add the onion mixture.  Stir to combine.  Place half of the squash mixture in a blender with 2 cups of the vegetable broth.  Puree until smooth.  Pour into the soup pot.  Repeat with remaining half of the squash mixture and other 2 cups of broth.  Pour into the pot.  Reheat gently.  Stir in maple syrup and lime juice.  Serve garnished with chives and roasted squash seeds if desired.  Serves 4-6.

Root Vegetable Soup - Rutabaga, Cabbage, Potato, Daikon

If you are looking for a hearty winter soup that banishes the cold, look no further than root vegetable soup.  The inclusion of beans and spelt berries make this soup a filling, complete meal in a pot.  From start to finish it can be ready in an hour and it uses several recent offerings from CRO.  

Spelt is an ancient grain rich in manganese, copper, zinc and iron and is a good source of protein and fiber.  The spelt berry is the spelt grain kernel.  It has a chewy texture and nutty flavor.  I cooked my own (like cooking dried beans), but if you don't want to bother with all that and you can't find them already cooked, you could substitute something like couscous or even macaroni noodles.  

Root Vegetable Soup

2 medium onions, chopped (CRO Week 18)
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup rutabaga, peeled and cubed (CRO Week 19)
1 cup peeled and cubed daikon radish (CRO Week 21)
1 1/2 cups peeled and cubed gold potatoes (CRO Week 21)
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp each of dried rosemary, thyme, marjoram
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup chopped Green Cabbage (CRO Week 20)
1 15 oz. can Great Northern Beans
2 cups cooked spelt berries*
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sweating the vegetables draws out their flavor

Spray a soup pot with olive oil cooking spray and place pot over medium heat on stove.  Cook onions for 5 minutes stirring often and add rutabaga, daikon, potato, carrots, celery, dried herbs and bay leaves.  "Sweat" these vegetables by cooking over medium heat about 10 minutes.  Add the vegetable broth and cabbage and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat so the soup just simmers, cover it, and continue to simmer about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.  Add cooked spelt berries and beans with their liquid.  Continue to cook about 10 more minutes and season with salt and pepper to taste.  The soup will thicken as it sits so if you refrigerate any you may need to add more vegetable broth or water to thin it to the desired consistency.  Serves 6-8.

*You can find basic cooking instructions for spelt berries here: How to cook spelt berries.

Not Your Typical Minestrone Soup

I guess technically any soup that contains beans, vegetables, and noodles can be called Minestrone, right?  At least that is what a recent article in the Wall Street Journal said.  I have always thought of Minestrone as having a clear tomato broth with green beans, kidney beans, a few other common vegetables, macaroni noodles and some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.  But the following soup can be called "Minestrone" because it has those three basic elements: beans, veggies, and starch.  I could just keep inventing new "Clarion River Organics Minestrone soups" every week depending upon what CRO sends us, but then that would get confusing!   I am fairly certain you can't mess this up.  Just use what you still have in your fridge from CRO, throw in some beans and a starch and call it "Clarion River Minestrone Soup"!

Clarion River Minestrone Soup with Rosemary Pesto
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced plus 2 whole cloves
3 stalks celery
1/2 of a large Clarion River Organics rutabaga, peeled and diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 can (15-oz) white beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
3 cups Clarion River Organics chopped cabbage (about 1/3 of the head)
1 small apple, peeled and diced OR 1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 pound dry spaghetti, broken into thirds
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Rosemary Pesto:
1 cup kale, chard or other leafy green (the Clarion River Organics bok choi greens would work well)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/4 cup rosemary sprigs
2 Tbsp olive oil

Spray a large cooking pot with cooking oil and place over medium heat.  Add onions and minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add a little water to the pot as necessary to keep onions from sticking and burning.  

Stir in celery, rutabaga and cook another 5 minutes.  Add 4 cups vegetable broth, bay leaves, white beans, lentils, cabbage, and apples or apple cider.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Add the additional 2 cups of broth as needed to keep enough liquid to make this a soup and not a porridge!  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Add the dry spaghetti and continue to simmer about 10 more minutes.  Make the rosemary pesto: in a food processor, puree greens, pecans, whole garlic cloves, a pinch of salt and oil until mixture is reduced to a paste.  

To serve, ladle soup into bowls.  Place 1 or 2 dollops of pesto on top of each bowl.  Serves 6.

Great Green Veggie Soup!

Here is the first of what will be "Sandy's Soup Series"!  From here on out a number of my recipes will be for soup.  It is that time of year when there is a damp chill in the air and fall vegetables lend themselves so nicely to warming soups.  Root vegetables, squash, apples, and greens all make for flavorful soup additions and endless possibilities.  And is there really anything like the scent of a pot of soup simmering on the stove?  I think not.  

Great Green Veggie Soup
1/2 cup whole wheat couscous
1 32-oz. carton vegetable broth
1/2 head broccoli, including stalk, cut up (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
2 scallions, sliced
1/2 fennel bulb, chopped
1 inch piece ginger, minced
1/2 tsp dried dill
2 to 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 bunch greens (I used the CRO brussel sprout greens), chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

In a small container, combine the couscous with 1 cup boiling water.  Cover and set aside. In a soup pot, combine broth with 2 cups water and bring to a simmer.  Add broccoli, peas, fennel, scallions, ginger and dill.  Return to a rapid simmer, cover and cook 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are done.  Stir in soy sauce to taste, greens, and cilantro/parsely.   Cook about 5 more minutes or until the greens have wilted and are tender.  Stir in the couscous and serve at once.  Serves 6-8.

Tomatoes, Banana Peppers, Black Beans

Mile-high Rice and Beans

I still had those two beautiful Clarion tomatoes resting on the sill of my sunny kitchen window this week.  I loved looking at them because they remind me of summer and growth and new crops coming.  Now fall is here, the sun is waning, the nights are much cooler and there are no new crops on the horizon.  I was almost reluctant to use them because that would signify the end of the growing season.  But earlier this week I had a craving for one of our household mainstays as plant-based eaters - rice and beans.  We call ours "mile-high" because we pile on so many veggies!  We use all sorts of combinations of vegetables so use the recipe below (which is adapted from the Engine 2 Diet book) as a rough guide and create your own version with whatever vegetables you like. The sensory experience of the warm rice and beans with the cold vegetables is a metaphor for this transition from late summer to early fall.  Enjoy!  

Mile-high Rice and Beans 
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook up your CRO dry black beans if you still have them!)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1 tsp chili powder
2-3 Clarion River Organics Tomatoes, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 cup corn, frozen or canned
2 carrots, grated
2 Clarion River Organics banana peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, course stems removed and chopped
2 avocados, peeled and cubed
3 cups cooked brown rice (you can cook the rice while preparing the vegetables) 

Heat the beans with vegetable broth, Bragg's and chili powder.  To serve place several spoonfuls of rice onto large plates and ladle beans on top.  Pile generous amounts of the chopped vegetables, cilantro, and avocado on top of the beans.  Serves 3 to 4.  

Radish Greens

Quick!  If you haven't eaten (or thrown away) those radish greens yet, now is the time to use them!  They do not keep.  If they already look a little wilted, they are still useful as sautéed greens.  I removed the entire tough stem (just didn't have time to chop all that up) and used only the green tops.  Nothing could be simpler or healthier than this quick recipe that tastes very much like cooked spinach.  

Sautéed Radish Greens

1 bunch Clarion River Organics radish tops, green only, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or grated

2 Tbsp water

1 tsp soy sauce

olive oil cooking spray

Coat a medium fry pan with the cooking spray and heat pan over medium.  Add garlic and ginger and stir fry about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add radish greens and toss to combine with ginger and garlic.  Add the water and soy sauce.  Continue cooking 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are completely wilted.  Serves 1 as a side or 2 as a small side.  

Huckleberries, Apple

Apple-Berry Baked Oatmeal

Huckleberries?  Never had them.  Never even seen them.  "Aren't good for eating fresh," says Katie Schwarz in her newsletter.  Really?  I never met a fruit or vegetable I didn't like so I had to taste one raw, all by itself.  Katie's right.  It tasted more like a vegetable (and a bland one at that!).  So...noticing the deep color of these delicate little fruits, and knowing that berries are some of the healthiest foods on the planet (Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. of nutritionfacts.org says we should eat them every day), I had a real desire to come up with a way to enjoy them.   It just so happened that this same week I saw a recipe in the Whole Foods newsletter for an apple-berry oatmeal bake.  Why not try the hucks I thought?  And for another idea to use some of your huckleberries, go to my previous post and scroll down for Breakfast Juice.

Apple-Berry Baked Oatmeal
The original recipe just calls for "2 cups frozen berries" so what is given below is the way I adapted it to use the huckleberries.  I have also veganized it by replacing the milk and yogurt with dairy-free versions and using "flax eggs" (see below).  This is a real delight to enjoy for breakfast or anytime of day - warm or cold.  Delicious! 


cooking spray

1/2 cup Clarion River Organics huckleberries, stems removed and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango, cut into small chunks
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 Clarion River Organics apple, peeled, cored and grated (about 1 cup)
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond milk is nice)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (coconut, almond, or soy based)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 flax eggs*

Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil a (9-inch) pie pan with the cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together all fruit, oats, pecans, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, syrup, vanilla, and flax egg; stir into oat mixture. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until firm and golden brown on top, about 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes.  Cut into slices and serve.  Great chilled too!

*To make flax eggs: whisk together 2 tablespoons ground flax (flaxseed meal) and 6 tablespoons water until creamy and frothy.  

Kale! Kale! Kale!

As promised, I have a trio of kale ideas for you.  Remember the thoughts of some from the CRO survey about kale?  It was their least enjoyed item.  So for those of you who fall into that category, I promised that the next time we received a batch I'd try to change your mind.  And now that batch is here!  Go for it!

Green Jade Soup

Idea #1:  Green Jade Soup 

This is an old Moosewood recipe and is a very simple, quick and low calorie way to get both greens and protein.  It will use up about 1/3 bunch of your kale.  Use your CRO carrots if you still have them!

4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
6 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onions or leeks
2 Clarion River Organics carrots, sliced
1/3 bunch Clarion River Organics kale, coarse stems and rib removed, and chopped (about 3 cups chopped)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 pkg (14-16 oz) extra fim tofu, cubed
several drops dark sesame oil, if desired

Place the shiitake mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover with boiling water, and set aside for about 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the broth in a large soup pot.  When it comes to a boil add ginger, onions, carrots, and kale.  Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Drain the shiitake liquid into the soup pot.  Slice the shiitakes and stir them into the soup along with the spinach and tofu.  Cook for 5 more minutes.  Serve garnished with sesame oil if desired.  Serves 8.  

Spicy Black Bean and Kale Saute

Idea #2: Spicy Black Bean and Kale Saute 

I love the combination of the soft beans, the slightly crunchy kale, the heat of the red chili peppers and the saltiness of the olives.  A winning combination! If you are kale averse you won't even know you are eating it!  Use your CRO elephant garlic if you still have some!

1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 medium onion, sliced thin
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
6 kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 bunch Clarion River Organics Kale, coarse stems and rib removed, and chopped (about 4 cups chopped)
1/4 tsp dried crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp rice vinegar

Heat vegetable broth over medium heat in a large fry pan.  Add garlic and onion and cook 5 minutes.  If pan becomes dry, add a little more vegetable broth or water.  Add black beans and olives and cook 2 more minutes.  Add kale, stir to combine ingredients, lower heat to medium low, cover and cook until kale is tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in crushed red pepper and and the vinegar, heat one more minute.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4 as a side dish or 1 as an entree.

Idea #3: Breakfast Juice

Breakfast Juice

I nice way to use a generous handful or two of chopped raw kale is to throw it into a juice or smoothie.  You won't even know it's there.  I know you get tired of hearing about my Vitamix blender, but it is seriously the best kitchen appliance I've ever owned!  I literally use it everyday.  You can make a smoothie or juice with a regular blender, but if you want it fast and smooth, use a Vitamix (or Blendtec).  What I list below is the fruit I had on hand.  You can use any fruit you like in this.  Pour this juice into a to-go cup and drink it on your way to work.  There.  Now you have had your 5-7 servings of fruits or vegetables for the day.  You're welcome.  

2 small oranges, peeled
1/2 Clarion River Organics apple, cut into chunks 
1/4 cup blueberries (I used frozen)
a handful of Clarion River Organics huckleberries, stems removed and rinsed
a handful of Clarion River Organics ground cherries, husks removed and rinsed.
1/2 cup chopped Clarion River Organics kale
1/2 cup cold water

Add all ingredients into the blender*.  Blend on high for 2 minutes (longer, much longer, in a regular blender, sorry).  Serves 1 as a breakfast or 2 as a beverage with other breakfast foods.

*if you must have your 
juice a bit sweeter, try adding
a tablespoon of maple 
syrup or agave nectar to
this.  

Hubbard Squash

Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup

Can you take just one more squash soup recipe?  Honestly I thought I was done with soup for awhile, and maybe it had something to do with the gloomy, rainy day outside, but when I looked at the great big Hubbard Squash staring at me from my kitchen counter and started researching its flavor, well, soup was the natural thing.  Hubbard squash it turns out has a "remarkably sweet with a clear pumpkin flavor" to it (about.com) and well, I could have incorporated it into a coffee cake but that just would have hidden its flavor.  I felt that "remarkably sweet" called for a soup with a spicy twist.  I think you will find that this soup has a heartier flavor than my previous squash soup (Red Kuri Squash Soup).  I adapted my own simpler version of this Hubbard Squash soup from one I found on finecooking.com, but they did have a great method for preparing the squash here: how to cut and roast squash that you might want to check out.

Roasted Hubbard Squash Soup with Cashews & Chives
1 Clarion River Organics Hubbard Squash, halved, seeds removed
1 large Clarion River Organics clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
Sea salt
4 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/4 cup raw cashews, chopped and toasted
2 tsp thinly sliced chives
4 dashes cayenne pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400ºF. Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine garlic, coriander, and sage and rub this spice mixture on the flesh of the squash halves.  Set them cut side down on the prepared pan and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes.  Let cool, cut side up.  

Spray a soup pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, a big pinch of salt and 1/4 cup water.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, scrape the flesh away from the rind of the squash right into the soup pot.  Scrape the drippings from the squash pan into the soup (all the juices from the squash as well as the garlic mixture should be on the parchment and can be easily scraped off with a knife).  Add the broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to low, simmer and cover, and cook for 30 minutes to develop the soup’s flavor.

Remove the bay leaf and allow the soup to cool slightly. Purée the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and add the lemon juice.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the cashews, chives, and a dash of cayenne in each bowl.  Serves 4. 

Red Kuri Squash

Red Kuri Squash Soup

It doesn't get much simpler than this recipe.  I will admit that preparing the squash is a bit tiresome.  I would suggest using a sharp knife to cut them in half and then a spoon to remove the seeds and stringy pulp.   A vegetable peeler will do a better job of removing the skin than a paring knife and it is easier to peel them once they are cut in half.  I also do not suggest roasting the seeds from these squash. Though they are abundant in number, they are quite tough, difficult to chew, and not particularly flavorful.  Believe me, I tried it!  What a disappointment after spending the time to separate them. 

Once your squash is prepared however this is a very quick soup,  but will look and taste like you spent much longer.  I served it with a large side salad.  Serves 4.

Red Kuri Squash Soup

(adapted from FoodandWine.com)

 2 Clarion River Organics red kuri squash, seeds removed, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes 
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup non-dairy milk, optional (for a slightly richer taste)
2 Tbsp. chopped toasted pecans, for garnish (toast at 400 degrees for 2 minutes)
2 Tbsp. marjoram leaves, for garnish

In a large saucepan, combine the cubed squash with the chopped onion, bay leaf, vegetable broth, and water and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf from the soup. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (or if you have a Vitamix or other industrial strength blender you can do soup all at once).  Return the soup to the saucepan and add milk if desired.  Warm over low heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the pecans and marjoram leaves. 

Tomatoes!!

Yep!  When you see that many tomatoes in one week, it is definitely spaghetti sauce time!  This recipe will use up your entire batch and will be very easy if you have a Vitamix blender or other high powered machine.  The Vitamix will completely dissolve the tomato skins and seeds.  This is of course for a smooth sauce so if you like yours chunky or you do not have such a blender then you will want to remove the skins of the tomatoes and possibly the seeds before cooking them (the cooking world is divided on this issue of removing skins and seeds, but I would recommend doing so if you are not pureeing.  For instructions and information on why and how see how to peel and seed tomatoes).



Classic Spaghetti Sauce

1/4 cup red wine
1 clove Clarion River Organics elephant garlic, minced
1 bag Clarion River Organics roma tomatoes, chopped (16 tomatoes)
1 12-oz can tomato paste
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp pine nuts, crushed, optional

Saute garlic in red wine over medium heat two minutes.  Add all other ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  If sauce becomes to thick, add a little water, 1/2 cup at a time.  Puree sauce in Vitamix or other high powered blender (or if no blender, just leave chunky).  Serve over a plate of hot spaghetti (or pasta of choice) and top with some crushed pine nuts.  Serves 6-8.

Week 15 - Potatoes, Jalapeño, Garlic

Remember that wonderful cream of potato soup you used to eat as a kid?  Well, this vegan version has that same great comforting taste, but is lighter and healthier.  It is a cinch to make and can be a satisfying dinner when served with a salad and bread.  Once the vegetables are prepped, it's ready in about 20 minutes.  As outside temperatures begin to drop, it's time for some soup!

Potato Chowder

(adapted from The China Study Cookbook)

1 onion, chopped

1 clove Clarion River Organics elephant garlic, minced

1 Clarion River Organics jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced

4 Clarion River Organics red potatoes, diced (leave skins on)

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

1 14-oz can light coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

In a large pot, saute onion, garlic, jalapeno and potatoes in 1 cup of the vegetable broth over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add chickpeas, corn, coconut milk, and remaining broth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender and soup has thickened a little.  Season with salt and red pepper flakes.  Serves 4.

Week 14 - Apples

Grilled Apple Cheese Sandwich

Do you really need a recipe for a grilled cheese sandwich?  No.  But perhaps you hadn't thought to take one of those nice crisp tart apples from Clarion River Organics and incorporate that into the traditional lunchtime favorite.  The result is delicious!

Grilled Apple Cheese Sandwich

1 small Clarion River Organics apple, sliced into thin rounds
4 slices sandwich bread
4 slices Daiya Swiss style cheese slices (or any cheese of your choice)
1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread 

Place one slice of cheese on each of two slices of bread.  Top each slice with the apple rounds dividing them evenly between the two sandwiches.  Top the apples with the other slice of cheese and then the second slice of bread.  Using about 1/2 tbsp of the Earth Balance "butter", spread a little on the outside of the top slice of bread.  Add the other 1/2 tbsp Earth Balance to a frying pan and heat over medium.  When the butter has melted place sandwiches, unbuttered side down,  in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes, flip sandwiches and cook about 3 more minutes or until cheese has melted.   Serve with a few Clarion River Organics carrot sticks.  Voila!  You have now transformed the lowly grilled cheese sandwich into a quick healthy gourmet meal!

Makes 2 sandwiches