Roasted Vegetable Stew With Beans & Spiced Chicken

This is a great soup to get you in the mood for late-summer and early-fall.  It is rich, hearty, and full of flavor.  The key is finding your favorite spice blend to create a signature flavor.  I tend to habitually reach for the sweet and spicy Jamaican Jerk blend.  But Alchemy Spice, a local spice and herb blender in Chattanooga, has an inspiring selection of blends.  What's best, is the fantastic flavor of freshly milled spices, as opposed to the bland old ones found in a grocery store. You can find Alchemy Spice online, at the Chattanooga Market, and in local specialty food shops. Ingredients: 3 Sweet peppers (any color), seeded and coarsely chopped 3 Medium tomatoes, cut into wedges 1 Yellow onion, coarsely chopped 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced 1 qt chicken or vegetable stock 3 cups beans (black, white or red beans, cooked and drained, or fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces) 1 lb boneless chicken, or leftovers from a roasted hen 1 Tbs your favorite Alchemy Spice blend (like The Jerk, Neo Masala, or Bayou Ya-Ya Cajun blends) Juice from one lime or lemon 1 Bunch cilantro, chopped (optional) Canola or olive oil Sea salt Black pepper

Method: Place the chopped peppers, tomatoes, and onions in a baking dish.  Coat with some oil, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for at least one hour, or until the vegetables are black on the tips and have begun to caramelize.  While the vegetables are cooking, season the chicken with the spices and brown in a heavy-bottomed stock pot with a little oil.  If you are using meat from a whole hen, rub the hen with the spices before roasting.  Chop the cooked chicken, and set aside.  Place the roasted peppers, onions and tomatoes in the stock pot with the chicken or vegetable stock.  Pulse with an immersion blender until coarsely pureed, or pulse in a conventional blender and return to the stock pot.  Add the beans, chicken, lime or lemon juice, and cilantro.  Simmer for a few minutes (or until the beans are cooked if using fresh green beans).  Serve with freshly baked corn bread.

Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

This time of year we often have an abundance of beautiful tomatoes, sometimes more than we can fit into a week of tomato sandwiches and salads.  When we get close to the end of the week, my favorite way to preserve whatever is left is to roast in the oven and freeze.  Canning a large batch of tomatoes is a great way to preserve extras, but these roasted beauties have concentrated flavor that will turn any quick meal into something special.  Bruising and fungus can make them unusable for canning, but cutting away the bad spots and roasting is a great way to get the most out of your share.  The result is a delicious base for soups, sauces, meat dishes or a quick addition to any meal.

For lunch today we had pasta tossed with pesto, grated zucchini, carrots, spinach and roasted tomatoes.  It was fabulous and quick to make.  I highly recommend freezing extras in small portions so you can have them available for meals all year long.

Ingredients: 8-10 tomatoes or peppers Canola oil Sea salt Black pepper

Method: Wash and trim any blemishes from the peppers and tomatoes.  Make sure to smell as you are cutting away the blemishes to make sure you have cut deep enough. (You will want to remove any undesired flavors on the part you are keeping.)

Place the peppers and tomatoes in ovenproof dishes. You can keep them separate or mix them all together.  Drizzle with canola oil, and sprinkle sea salt generously over the tops.  Finish with freshly ground black pepper and place in the top or middle of the oven, set at 350-375 degrees.  Doneness is a matter of preference, but I like to leave mine until the moisture released by the tomatoes has reduced by about 2/3rd and the tips are brown. The longer they cook, the more concentrated the flavors will be.  Let cool completely before freezing.

Cauliflower and Summer Ale Soup

Ingredients: 2 heads of cauliflower, (cheddar, white or both) 2 fennel bulbs, chopped 1 bunch of cutting celery, stalks chopped and leaves reserved 1 white sweet pepper, seeded and chopped (can use banana peppers if you want to add some heat) 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 2 Rapunzel vegetable bouillon cubes with sea salt and herbs 1 pint of local ale (Chattanooga Brewing Company Hill City IPA has a nice buttery flavor and would compliment this soup well) 1 Tbs whole-grain french mustard Canola or olive oil 6 cups of water Salt and pepper to taste Aged cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

Method: Cut or break the cauliflower into medium sized pieces.  Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, or until the tips begin to brown and the stems are fairly soft.

While the cauliflower is baking, place the chopped fennel, celery, sweet pepper, and onion in a large stock pot with some oil and saute on medium heat until the vegetables begin to brown just a little.  Add the garlic, vegetable bouillon cubes and the ale.  Give it a stir and let it cook for a minute or two, then add the water.  Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

When the cauliflower is done, add it and the tablespoon of mustard to the soup.  Remove from heat and carefully puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a conventional blender.  Warm through as necessary and serve with chopped celery leaves and grated cheddar cheese on top.

Cucumber Soup with Fennel and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients: 3 seedless cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks 1 yellow onion, diced 1 bulb of fennel, diced 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped 1 vegetable bouillon cube (Rapunzel: with sea salt & herbs) 1 cup of water 3 green onions, chopped 3 sprigs of fresh mint, stems discarded and leaves minced 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, minced 2-3 stems of fresh dill, minced 1/2 Cup of sour cream or plain yogurt Juice from 1/2 lemon Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup ice Toasted garlic drizzling oil for garnish

Method: Saute the yellow onion, fennel, and garlic in a little oil on medium heat.  When they are soft, add the vegetable bouillon cube plus 1 cup of water and let simmer until the bouillon cube is dissolved.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place all ingredients except the sour cream and ice in a blender and puree until smooth.  Add the ice and blend until smooth again.  Finally, add the sour cream and blend on low until combined.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve right away, or chill for up to 2 hours.  Float toasted garlic drizzling oil on top for garnish.

Kohlrabi Soup with Ginger & Lime

This is a great spring soup for cooler, rainy days like today.  Most of the ingredients are available at local grocery stores.  Kaffir lime leaves may be harder to find, but they make all the difference for this soup. If they are not available at a local Asian market, they can be purchased online.

Ingredients: 3 Kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and diced 1 Leek, chopped 3 Carrots, sliced into circles 6 Cloves of fresh garlic, minced Canola oil 1 Cup red lentils 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth A 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated 3 Limes, juiced 3 Kaffir lime leaves 1 Can coconut milk (15 oz) 1 Bunch of curly kale, stems removed and leaves chopped 1 red chili pepper, (optional) Sea salt to taste 3 Green onions, chopped

Method: In a large stock pot, saute 2/3 of the chopped kohlrabi, the leek, and 1/2 of the carrots in a little canola oil.  When they are soft, add the lentils, the garlic and 4 cups of broth.  Cover and let simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from heat and puree roughly with an immersion blender.  Add the remaining broth, carrots, kohlrabi, Kaffir lime leaves and chili pepper.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes, then add the ginger, lime juice, coconut milk, and kale.  Stir and cook on low heat until the kale is wilted.  Salt to taste.  Add about a tablespoon of chopped green onions to each bowl before serving.