Food Recipes

This soup is perfect for breaching the transition from summer to fall. Zucchini is still growing wildly in people’s gardens and sold for very cheap at our local farmer’s stand. This soup is “creamy” from the pureed potato in it, though you can certainly add a drizzle of cream or a dollop of sour cream at the end for a non-creamless version! This soup is very simple to make, only using a few basic ingredients, but it’s delicious! Perfect for a fall evening, just serve with buttered bread and a nice salad on the side for a full meal deal.

Creamy (Creamless) Zucchini and Potato Soup

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 8 cups of chicken stock

• 4 medium potatoes (or 4 large red potatoes), peeled and cubed

• 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried thyme

• 4 medium zucchini, cubed (about 4 cups worth)

                 1) In a large pot, heat the olive oil over med-high heat until just hot. Add the onion and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Cook, stirring as needed to prevent browning, until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 more minute.
                 2) Add the stock and potatoes and thyme and bring to a low simmer. Cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Add the zucchini and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the zucchini is very soft.
                 3) Puree using a hand blender or blend in a blender in batches, being very careful not to overfill.
Salt to taste and serve with a dab of butter, dollop of sour cream,  drizzle of cream, or drizzle of olive oil.

Zucchini Chips

• 2 zucchini (medium small)
• 1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
• Unrefined Salt
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Freshly Ground Pepper

Directions:

1) First you need to thinly slice your zucchini. A mandolin would be best for this job. But I don’t own one. I used my food processor and tried to press very lightly down on the zucchini for thin slices. It worked well, though not as even as I had hoped, and a bit thicker too. But that ended up being just fine. Though it would take longer, you could also use a knife and cutting board the old fashioned way.
2) Add the slices to a small bowl and add the oil, a nice sprinkle of salt, garlic powder and a turn of freshly ground pepper. Do note that your zucchini will shrink dramatically. This also means that all seasonings will become much stronger in your finished product, so go easy on the seasoning.
3) Spread out evenly on the dehydrator trays and dehydrate until crisp and dry on 125F (about 4 hours for me).

More Tips and Ideas

1. You can use the lowest setting on your oven. It will take a shorter amount of time, so check every 1/2 hour or so. At 175 degrees, you can expect them to be done in roughly two hours
2. Play around with the seasonings. Spice it up with chili powder. Use fresh garlic instead of garlic powder. Sprinkle with lemon juice or vinegar for some tang.
3. These do become more chewy as they cool down. Make sure you store them in an airtight container.
4. For children you may want to leave out the pepper, as it can make it a bit spicy.
5. This makes about 1 cup of chips, so I recommend after you’ve tried it and if you like it, doing many batches at a time.

Recipes :


TUNA, GREEN BEAN, POTATO & CHERRY TOMATO SALAD
Makes 4 to 6 servings

• 1 pound green beans, stemmed and steamed until tender-crisp

• 3 California white potatoes, peeled, cubed and steamed until tender

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Salt, pepper, to taste

• 1/4 medium red onion, chopped, optional

• 8 to 10 ounces canned tuna, packed in olive oil

• 8 large cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters, depending on size

                  1. Put the beans and potatoes into a serving bowl.
                  2. Whisk together oil and vinegar, adding salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
                  3. Drain tuna, break into chunks with a fork. Add to the bowl with the beans and potatoes. Add the onion, if using. Toss gently.
                  4. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator and bring to room temperature, sitting on the kitchen counter 20 minutes. Add tomatoes. Toss again before serving.

AVOCADO VICHYSSOISE WITH ROASTED RED PEPPER

Makes 4 servings
To peel and seed an avocado, rinse 20 seconds under running water. Then cut around it the long way; the seed will stop the knife at the center. Twist the two halves apart as if unscrewing a jar. Then cut into the large seed with a knife so that the knife sticks; twist the knife and the seed will come loose. Cut across the flesh in a grid pattern; hold and pull the skin and the interior flesh will fall out.
You can change up the garnish for peppadew peppers or a chopped red chili pepper, if you like heat. On a hot day, I like this soup over ice, but it just as good hot or at room temperature.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 leeks, white part only, coarsely chopped

• 3 large potatoes, e.g. California whites or Yukon golds, peeled and coarsely chopped

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 2 avocadoes, peeled, seeded, chopped

• 2 teaspoons lime juice

• 1/4 cup cream or half and half, optional

• 1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped from the jar is okay

                    1. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot. Add the leeks, and cook, stirring about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the potatoes; continue cooking, stirring about 3 minutes longer. The leeks should be tender.
                    2. Add the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer; cover, and cook until everything is very tender.
                   3. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool. When the mixture is cooled, add the avocado and lime juice. Puree with a stick blender or in a food processor. Refrigerate until cold.
                   4. Ladle into serving bowls set in another bowl of ice. Garnish with chopped roasted red pepper.

Lizet’s Sweet Anise Bread

• 2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour

• 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar

• 1 cup (250 mL) 2 per cent milk

• 1 large egg

• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) margarine or unsalted butter

• 1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) baking powder

• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) anise seed

• 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon

In food processor, combine flour, sugar, milk, egg, margarine or butter, baking powder, anise and cinnamon. Process until combined. Pour mixture into greased 9-inch by 5-inch (23-cm by 13-cm) loaf pan.
Bake in centre of preheated 375F (190C) oven until tester comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes. Bread will puff and top may crack. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in sealed container at room temperature.
Makes 1 loaf (about 10 servings).