Peachy Keen Green

Elsa and John came over for dinner, and I was inspired to make a soup with white beans to serve with a hearty whole wheat bread . I searched and looked at a few recipes, chose this Tuscan white bean soup , and made a few adjustments. It was delicious! I increased the ingredients (below) but it still doesn't make a huge amount. I like lots of extra soup that I can freeze. Next time I might double this recipe. Ingredients 2 T oil 1 yellow onion, finely chopped 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp salt  3 large carrots, peeled and chopped 2 stalks celery, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 C white wine 4-5 C vegetable broth 1-2 T tomato paste 1/2 tsp black pepper 2 bay leaves 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried basil 3 C white corona or cannellini beans 2 C kale, finely chopped afterstems removed juice from half a lemon Instructions Saute onion in a large pot or dutch oven with the oil, salt, and red pepper flakes. Once it starts to brown, add in the garlic, celery and carro...

Fermented foods are good for the gut. Larry likes kimchi, so he decided to try to make it. He wanted it to be vegan, so used miso instead of shrimp powder. It turned out well! Ingredients 1 head napa cabbage (1-2 pounds) 1/2 C (approximately) course sea salt 1/2 T miso 2 1/2 green onions, chopped 1 clove garlic, pressed 1/2 tsp ground or use fresh ginger 1 1/2 T gochugaru (Korean chili powder) 1 T gochujang (Korean fermented red pepper paste from TJ) Instructions Cut cabbage in half lengthwise and trim ends. Rinse and cut into pieces about 2 inches square. Place cabbage into large bowl or resealable bags; sprinkle salt evenly over leaves to coat. Use your hands to rub salt into cabbage. Seal and leave at room temperature for 6 hours. Rinse leave under cold water at least 2-3 times to remove most of the salt. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place rinsed cabbae in a large container with a tight fitting lid. Stir in sauce, onion, garlic, and ginger. Sprinkle Korean chili powder o...

 Our kitchen was overflowing with zucchini and tomatoes from our and Elsa's garden. Larry fondly recalled ratatouille, so Cyndy and I gave it a try during her visit. We decided on this roasted vegetable version. Really good! And the fresh tomatoes added a lot. Ingredients 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes (6 medium or 4 large) 1 medium eggplant (1 pound), diced into ½-inch cubes 1 large bell pepper, cut into ¾-inch squares 2 medium or 1 large zucchini, diced into ½-inch cubes 1 large yellow squash (or second zucchini), diced into ½-inch cubes 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 C chopped basil 1/4 T red pepper flakes (or dice a hot pepper) olive oil salt fresh pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with silicon sheets or parchment paper. Chop tomatoes and puree in a blender/food processor. Dice eggplant, zucchini/squash, and pepper.  On one baking sheet, toss the diced eggplant with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until lightly coated. Arrang...

 Cyndy made this salad for us during a visit. It has a great mix of sweetness, heartiness, and crunch. Beautiful and delicious! Ingredients 1 can drained chickpeas 1 C fresh spinach, chopped into ribbons 1/2 C dried cranberries 1/2 C walnuts, finely chopped 1/2 C red onion, very thinly sliced Vinaigrette: 1/4 C olive oil 1/3 C orange juice 1 1/2 T maple syrup pepper to taste Instructions Put all but vinaigrette in bowl. Mix vinaigrette, and then mix everything together. Let sit in the fridge or on the counter for at least 15 minutes before serving.