Makes 4 servings

This year we decided to plant a whole bed with radishes and beets. I LOVE the radishes now that they are ready. It’s a quick crop and the greens are lush and super lush. Radishes are from the cruciferous family, and they are related to broccoli and cauliflower.  Both the roots and the stems are crunchy and spicy, full of vitamin C (especially the green tops), iron, potassium and folic acid… as well as very good fiber. This soup is a great way to use radish greens, especially if they come from your garden, I just hate watching such beautiful greens go to waste.  This recipe is great for any kind of strong green though, such as kale, mustard, swiss chard, etc.  It’s also an awesome way to use lettuce that is not perky enough for a salad but still has life.

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 cups of washed, chopped Radish green tops (or some other strong green)
• 2-3 medium potatoes cubed small (starchy ones are better but any will do)
• 1/2  onion minced
• 1 tbsp. mustard powder
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• A couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• Salt
• Pepper
• A couple teaspoons of yogurt
• Croutons

Instructions:

1. In a soup pot or deep sauce pan sauté the onions on a little bit of olive oil and 1 tbsp. of melted butter.
2. Sauté the potatoes until they are cooked through, about 10 minutes
3. Wilt and sauté the radish greens, stirring often, they will get a lot smaller in size in your pan.
4. When the greens are fully wilted, add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil.
5. Start toasting 4 slices of bread (whole wheat was stellar)
6. At this point you need to blend the soup mixture.  I used a hand-blender, but you can use a normal blender or a food processor, just be careful because hot liquid splashes when you try to blend it, so do it in batches. Blend it until it’s creamy.
7. Let the soup simmer for a few minutes to reduce a bit.
8. Add the mustard powder.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and stir. Let it simmer for a couple minutes more.
9. Take the toast and cut the crust off, OR take a cooke cutter with your favorite shape (I use a big star) and cut a star-shaped crouton.
10. When you are ready to serve, fill the bowls, add a dollop of yogurt and a crouton on top.

This soup was an experiment based on a recipe found on Epicurious.com, I ended up making some “adjustments” to fit fresh ingredients from our garden and it turned out AMAZING.  You can make it quickly for a weeknight dinner or you can dress it up and serve it for company.  SO good!

Pistou – n. A sauce made of garlic, basil, olive oil, and often Parmesan, used on pasta or in soups and stews.  [French, from Provençal, from pestar, to crush, from Old Provençal, from Late Latin pistre; see piston.]

Ingredients:

Soup

• 4 large zucchinis roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1 large potato, peeled and chopped
• 3 tabsp of butter
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Pistou

• 1/2 of a cup of  loosely packed parsley
• 1/4 cup of basil leaves
• 1/4 cup of mint leaves
• Olive oil
• 2 tbsp of water
• Salt to taste

Process:

Heat oil and melt butter in a big pot.  Add the onion and cook it until it’s transparent and fragrant.  Add the vegetables, salt, pepper and sautee for a few minutes, then add the chicken broth.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are very soft.  Let cool a little bit and then puree using an immersion blender, or put in the blender in batches being careful not to make it explode and get all over your kitchen if it’s too hot.  Return to pot and keep warm.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.

This is a slight variation from traditional Provençal Pistou, but it really kicks up the flavor of the recipe.

Make the Pistou:  In a food processor pulse all the herbs and the salt until chopped, then add the water and pour the olive oil until it comes together (about 1/4 cup).

Ladle the soup in bowls and add a tablespoon of the pistou in the middle.

Note:

If you want to make the soup look more elegant, you can coat a few zucchini blossoms with seasoned flour and deep fry until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Toast a couple slices of whole wheat bread and using a cookie cutter cut some croutons out.  Place a zucchini blossom and a crouton next to the pistou in the soup.  You will really impress guests!

This soup is a delicious Asian inspired dish.  Peter really likes it.  It has no meat and the ginger and garlic feel deliciously warm in your tummy.  I recommend making it for two or four people, it’s hard to keep the veggies from overcooking if you are making it for a lot of people.  It’s very important to assemble this soup right before you eat it, which will give the veggies a delicious crunch.

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini cut into thin strips
• 1 large carrot cut into thin strips
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 5 large garlic cloves
• 1 package of Tempeh, or firm tofu
• 3 scallions
• soy sauce
• rice vinegar
• sesame oil
• siracha or other garlic chili sauce
• 1/2 small onion
• 2 cups of chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 4 cups or more of chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 bunches of soba noodles

Process:

Cut the tempeh or tofu in cubes and marinate at least one hour or overnight in 1/4 cup of soy sauce, two tablespoons of rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil, sliced onion, 2 cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon of hot sauce.

When you are ready to make the soup, heat up some sesame oil and a little bit of vegetable oil and brown the tempeh and marinade in it for a few minutes.  The garlic, onion and ginger will get a little darker and caramelize a bit.  The tempeh cubes will brown on all sides lightly. Take the tempeh out and all the liquid and caramelized bits and put them in a plate.

While the tempeh is browning, boil some water in a pot and cook the soba noodles until al dente.  Don’t over-cook and make sure you rinse them in cold water when they’re done.  Then drain them and set them aside.

In the same pot where the tempeh was cooked add a little bit more of sesame oil and vegetable oil.  Add the rest of the minced garlic and ginger and cook for a minute or two.  Add the mushrooms and deglaze with a little bit of rice vinegar.  If I used dehydrated mushrooms I also add a bit of the water used to rehydrate them at this point.  You may also add a bit of broth, just make sure the mushrooms don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan.  When all is cooked and the rice vinegar smell dissipates, add all the chicken broth, a dash of soy sauce and a dash of sesame oil, as well as the tempeh and cramelized bits and juices.  Let it boil and simmer for a few minutes to concentrate the flavors.

When you are ready for serving, put the zucchini and carrot in the broth.  Then divide the cooked soba noodles in deep serving bowls.  Let the vegetables cook for a minute or two but no more.  They should be al dente.  Ladle the broth into the bowls, garnish with freshly cut scallions and serve.

Note:

Remember that my recipes are more like guidelines, you can add other vegetables like bell pepper, shredded cabbage or other mushrooms.  Shiitake mushrooms are the best, but if you can’t find them, any kind of mushroom will do.  I usually keep a package of dehydrated shiitakes in the pantry though.  They are great for emergencies and they keep for a long time.

The Rice Vinegar and Sesame Seed Oil are very important in this recipe.  They make all the difference in the world to give the dish its distinct flavor.  Keep some in the pantry, they are great additions to a lot of recipes.

Gazpacho is one of my favorite “soups” in the world.  It’s best when you make it in the Summer, when the tomatoes are delicious and very ripe. Don’t skip the step of peeling and seeding the tomatoes, that will make the final product much sweeter and delicious.  I serve it in chilled bowls, just place them in the freezer for an hour or more and they will keep the “soup” nice and chill!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes (ripe romas, vine ripened or heirloom will be good)
• Tomato juice or clamato
• 1 cucumber see ded and diced
• 1 bell pepper seeded and diced
• 1/2 onion dice d (red onion is good)
• 1  jalapeño ch ile minced (you can seed it for less heat, not include it at all)
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1-2 tbsp of balsami c vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce – a couple dashes to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• 2 slices of day-old bread or about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, whatever you have), don’t chop until right before serving

Process:

Peel and seed the tomatoes.  The easy way to do this is to boil a pot of water.  With a sharp knife make an X shape on the tomato skin on the opposite side of the stem belly button.  Place them in the boiling water for 15-25 seconds depending on the size of the tomatoes.  Then put them in an ice-water bath or run them through very cold water.  They will be easy to peel then as the skin will just curl off.  Then cut them in half or quarters and squeeze the seeds out.  This is is an extra step but it will make a difference on the texture and flavor of your finished gazpacho.  I promise!

Put the chopped veggies (onion, green pepper, cucumber and jalapeño) in a bowl and mix.

In a blender or food processor put the tomatoes, half of the veggie mix from the previous step, tomato juice, garlic, olive oil, lime, vinegar,

Place the tomato juice, oil, salt, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and the bread or breadcrumbs.  Puree all the ingredients into a smooth mix.  Pour this into the bowl with the other chopped vegetables.  Place in the refrigerator for at least one hour or overnight if making ahead. Before serving check for seasoning and adjust as necessary (salt, pepper, lime, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, etc… some times I even put in a couple dashes of tabasco if the jalapeño is not doing its job).

Serve in chilled bowls with a swirl of olive oil and the chopped herbs sprinkled on top.   Serve and enjoy!