We have a monster head of cabbage I’ve been trying to work my way through. I’ve made this salad a few times this past week, and I really enjoy it. In fact, I’ll probably make it a few more times until the cabbage is used up. Hope you enjoy it too.

• ~1 cup sliced red cabbage
• 3-4 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 1-2 tablespoons pepitas
• drizzle of walnut oil
• drizzle of sherry vinegar
• freshly cracked pepper
• sea salt

1. Put the cabbage, cranberries, and pepitas in a bowl. Grind in some pepper and add a big pinch of salt.  Add the oil and vinegar. Mix to evenly coat. Enjoy.

(Serves 1)

I generally chop my cranberries, but that’s not necessary. I’m quite fond of the walnut oil and sherry vinegar combo, but I’m sure there are many good oil and vinegar combos. Experiment to your heart’s content. And if you happen to be working your way through a monster head of green cabbage, I see no reason to let that stop you from trying this red cabbage recipe.

Mike has a cold, so I wanted to make soup for dinner. Something spicy with ginger. He also had a conference call at 6:00 and wanted to eat before rather than after, so it had to be something that could come together quickly.

This soup is inspired by Thai flavors (I was thinking about Tom yum and Tom kha gai), but it’s also heavily influenced by what I could easily grab at the grocery store.

• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 knob of ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
• small glug of vegetable oil
• 2 14-ounce cans of coconut milk
• 1 cup water
• juice of 5 small limes
• 1/2 cup white rice
• 2 cups chopped bell pepper
• 1 14-ounce can of straw mushrooms, drained and rinsed
• 1 14-ounce can of baby corn, drained, rinsed and chopped
• 1/4 cup frozen edamame

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the garlic, ginger, and chili paste for about half a minute, until fragrant.
2. Add the coconut milk, water, and lime juice.
3. Add in the rice. Bring mixture to a simmer. Allow to cook for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the remaining vegetables. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes or so until heated through and the rice is finished. Serve.

(Serves 5-6)

I didn’t really plan to make this recipe into a post until I was halfway through making the recipe so I apologize for the shady measuring. The knob of ginger I used was about 3 inches by 1 inch.

I would have liked more edamame, but my memory of what I had did not match up with the 1/4 cup that I actually had sitting in the freezer. (I hate when that happens.)

I added a bit more heat by drizzling chili oil over the soup before serving.

This ended up being fairly hearty, which is what Mike likes. More water could be added to thin the soup out a bit. (Some water might need to added when reheating the soup because the rice will absorb some of the liquid.)

Yes, another soup recipe. I realize that I post lots of soup recipes. In fact I posted a potato soup recipe just a few months ago. What can I say, I really like soup. And they’re easy to make. I was recently discussing with my sister-in-law (who also shares the soup making obsession) how I never really made soup until last year, which is quite silly since soup making is one of the easier techniques to master when you’re trying to learn how to cook.

This particular soup-making endeavor was inspired by the precipitous drop in temperature over the last week. I was originally thinking about potato soup when I remembered that the cafeteria in our dorm (bastion of food inspiration!) always had potato soup and broccoli cheddar soup on the same day. So, you mix the two together and–like Voltron–the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Also, somewhere along the way, cauliflower was substituted for broccoli in an attempt to make an all-white soup.

Enough meandering explanation. Here’s the recipe:

• 1 small head of cauliflower (~1 pound)
• 2 medium yellow potatoes (~1 pound)
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 cup cream
• sea salt
• freshly cracked pepper
• vegetable oil
• shredded cheddar cheese (for garnish)

I know that head of cauliflower is huge. I only used half of it.

1. Wash the cauliflower and potatoes. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Peel and cube the potatoes, but don’t discard the peels.
2. Place the cauliflower and potatoes in a medium sized saucepan. Add the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the water to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes and cauliflower are tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a toaster oven to 400 degrees F. Rub oil on the potato peelings. Arrange on the oven tray. Bake until skins are brown and crispy, also about 15 minutes.
4. Once the potatoes and cauliflower are done, blend until smooth. Mix in the cream. Readjust seasoning if needed.
5. Serve topped with crumbled crispy potato skins and shredded cheddar cheese.

(Serves 5-6)

This soup is great for a weeknight dinner since it’s quick cooking. You can reduce calories by subbing in half and half or milk in place of the cream. Or veganize the recipe by using rice/nut/soymilk and omitting the cheese. Or use soycheese, especially if you know of one that tastes like cheddar. Mike and I both thought the cheddar was a great compliment to the soup. (Not a big surprise to anyone who’s ever had cheddar on potatoes or cauliflower.) Meat eaters (are there any meat eaters out there?) might want to think baked potato and add crumbled bacon.

We were back in St. Louis this past weekend and there was a family get together at Mike’s parent’s house. His aunt brought these as an appetizer. They were delicious and elegant, so I felt I should share.

Since I didn’t actually make these I don’t have an exact recipe but I hope this will suffice.

• 1 10-ounce log of goat cheese
• 8 ounce package of almonds, finely chopped
• 20 leaves of fresh basil
• 20 sun-dried tomatoes
• 20 wooden skewers

1. Slice the goat cheese in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 10 even sections.
2. Dip a piece goat cheese into the almonds, then roll into a ball. Then roll the ball through the almonds to coat.
3. Place a piece of basil on top of a tomato. Put an almond covered ball of cheese on top and skewer, making sure that the tomato and basil are skewered on each side.
4. Repeat with the remaining pieces of goat cheese.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

(Makes 20)

Mike’s aunt said to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil. You want them to be pliable. Make sure to drain well before you start skewering. She also noted that she had leftover almonds. I guess you get an almond snack while you make them.

I was playing around on various food sites the other day (as I am apt to do) and came across this article at Culinate about ways to use up your greens. It suggested adding greens to vichyssoise and specified radish greens as a particularly good choice. And it just so happened this lady bought a bunch of radishes the other day….

• 3 large russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 4 leeks, washed and thinly sliced (separate the white/light green parts from the dark green)
• 1 large handful of radish greens, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 1 cup cream
• 3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
• freshly cracked pepper
• sea salt

1. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the potatoes and white/light green leeks. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes; then add the water. Cover and bring to a boil; then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Add the dark green leek slices. Stir to coat with oil. Cook, stirring occasionally until they begin to brown. Lower the heat a tad and continue cooking and occasionally stirring. Stop once the leeks start showing black parts. All in all this probably takes approximately 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Once the potatoes are tender, add the radish greens to the pot. Cook for a few minutes to allow to wilt. Turn off the heat.
4. Blend the soup using an immersion blender or food processor. Once pureed, stir in the cream.
5. Soup is ready to serve, but to go the traditional route, chill before serving. Either way, make sure to top with the crispy burnt leeks.

(Serves 6-8)

Since there’s no broth, be generous with the salt and pepper. You can of course use broth if you’d like; it’s just not really necessary.

I used light cream. Heavy cream would work, as would half-and-half, or milk, or sour cream, or yogurt. You get the picture. Use what you have and what suites your tastes/dietary needs.

I suggest russets since starchy potatoes work best in this sort of recipe. Any “all-purpose” potato would work as well, but  you probably want to steer clear of red potatoes.

You may be thinking, “Soup? Is she crazy, it’s June already!” And while that’s a valid point, here in Chicago we’re still frequently having temperatures in the 50s. Like yesterday, when not only was the temperature in the mid 50s, but it was also raining. Perfect soup weather.

The produce boxes we’ve been receiving have tons of leafy greens. I’ve been sneaking them into everything.

• 3 cups cooked fava beans and bean water
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large leaves of chard, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• freshly cracked pepper
• sea salt
• crushed red pepper

1. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a medium to large pot.
2. Add the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until onions become translucent.
3. Add the beans plus bean water, a big pinch of sea salt, and a healthy dose of pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about half an hour. While cooking mash the beans against the side of the pot.
4. Add the chard and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the chard to soften.
5. Serve, garnished with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

(Serves 4)

I realize “3 cups cooked fava beans and bean water” is a rather vague measurement. A few days earlier I cooked up a 1 pound bag of dry fava beans. The 3 cups was about half of what resulted. Depending on how firm the beans you begin with are, you might need to adjust the cooking time upwards or downwards.

As noted I mashed the beans as they were cooking. The longer they cook the easier this becomes as they will begin to split open on their own. If you want a perfectly smooth soup, run it through a food processor or take an immersion blender to it before you add the chard.

Ask most people for a good summer salad using fresh mozzarella and they’ll probably tell you Insalata Caprese: tomatoes, fresh basil, mozzarella, olive oil. That’s fine and all, unless you are like me and you don’t like raw tomatoes. I offer melon, mint, mozzarella as an alternative.

We received a honeydew in our produce box this week. I remembered a cantaloupe and bocconcini salad from Martha Stewart’s Everday Food: Great Food Fast cookbook (which is a lovely cookbook, but full of meat and wheat so I don’t frequently use it anymore) I always wanted to try. This is my variation.

• 1 ripe honeydew, cubed
• 7 ounces bocconcini or ~1 cup cubed fresh mozzarella
• half a lemon
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
• sea salt
• freshly cracked pepper

1. Combine honeydew, cheese, and mint in a large bowl. Squeeze lemon over the top. Season with salt and pepper. Toss and serve immediately.

(Serves 4)

We are lacking in the melon baller department, but if you have one, balls work just as well as cubes.

Here’s the first recipe to result from our produce box. Included were a mango and cherry tomatoes, making salsa seem the obvious choice. After a quick trip to the store for a few extra ingredients (it’s actually nice outside now!) we were in business.

• 1 mango, chopped
• 2 avocados, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• half a small red onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
• juice of 6 small limes
• 1 15-ounce can of black beans
• sea salt
• freshly cracked pepper

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

(Makes a lot, bring it to a party

I know 6 limes sounds like a lot, but the limes at our store are small and aren’t the juiciest. If you have big juicy limes at your lime purveyor you can cut back. For extra zing you could zest one of the limes into the salsa. We also used a fork to try and scrap out the pulp.

I actually eighthed my tomatoes but I figured most people would think that’s a bit too much work so quarters are called for in the recipe. It’s up to you how chunky you want your salsa.

The salsa was pretty mild. If you’re the type of person who likes your mouth on fire feel free to leave the seeds in the jalapeno or switch to a pepper with more bite.

As mentioned in the recipe, be gentle when you stir so that the avocados don’t end up as mush.

And finally, while this recipe is named Mango Avocado Black Bean Salsa–and it is great with chips–it could just as easily be called Mango Avocado Black Bean Salad and served as a side dish. It’s healthier for you that way too.

Another recipe to add the the quick, easy, good for you file. (In fact, it’s so quick and easy I’m not sure it actually merits being called a recipe.) Hope you enjoy.

• 1 Fuji apple, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups chopped green cabbage
• 1/2 small red onion, chopped
• 1/2 a lemon
• freshly cracked pepper
• sea salt

1. Combine apple, cabbage, and onion in a serving bowl. Juice the lemon over the top. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss and serve.

(Makes 2 large salads)

Making cheese is fun to try out every once in a while. It’s surprisingly easy.

I made a spreadable cheese this time. I used goat milk but the recipe works just as well with cow milk. The quality of milk definitely affects how the cheese tastes, so it’s important to have milk that tastes good.

• 1 quart milk
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 red bell pepper
• sea salt

To roast the pepper:

1. If you have a gas stove you can place the pepper over the flames. Allow the pepper to blacken on one side then turn. Continue until all sides are charred. Alternatively, you can set the pepper in the oven under the broiler. Again, rotate as the pepper blackens.
2. Once the pepper is blackened, you need to let it steam. This helps the skin come off. Many people suggest placing the pepper in a paper bag and folding over the top. Other people say wrap in foil. I put the pepper in a bowl with a lid. Once the pepper is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin, stem, and seeds. Finely chop and set aside.

To make the cheese:

1. Put the milk in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Cook the milk until it begins to bubble up the side of the pot. Stir every now and then to prevent the milk from burning. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
2. Line a strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth.
3. Dump the buttermilk in and stir until the mixture separates into curds and whey. Curds will look like little white chunks, while the whey looks like a yellowish liquid.
4. Pour the mixture into the strainer. The whey will drain off, while the curds will collect in the cloth. Gather up the corners of the cheesecloth and twist at the top. Hold the ball of cheese against the side of the stainer and press with a spatula to drain out extra whey. Do this until the cheese reaches your desired consistency.
5. Spoon the cheese into a storage container. Stir in the chopped pepper and a big pinch of salt. Mix well then refrigerate. Once chilled, serve with crackers, pita, toast points, etc.

I ended up using about half of my chopped pepper, but I had a very large pepper to begin with. Add more or less as you see fit. You could also mix in some herbs and spices to enhance the flavor.