Heirloom Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

10 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes (any color or variety)

1 Large yellow onion, diced

8-10 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced

1/4 Cup olive oil

1 Cup dry white or red wine

1 Tbs Alchemy Spice's Kitchen Karma spice blend

2 Bay leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method #1 (lots of texture)

In a large stock pot, saute the onions on medium-low heat with a little oil. Wash tomatoes, cut away the core and any bad spots. Chop the tomatoes into large chunks and place them in the stock pot with the onions.  Add the garlic, wine and spices.  Let simmer for at least one hour, but it's great if it simmers for several hours, with occasional stirring.  Taste occasionally and remove from heat when it is suitably done to your taste. Discard the bay leaves. Puree with an immersion blender.  Serve warm.

Method #2 (smooth texture)

Boil 6-8 quarts of water in a large stock pot.  Fill a large bowl with ice and water.  Cut an "x" in the bottom of the tomatoes. Plunge 3 or 4 tomatoes into the boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, or until the skins begin to curl away.  Remove the tomatoes with a large spoon or sieve and place them in the bowl of ice water long enough to cool them.  Repeat until all of the tomatoes have been blanched.  Remove the skins, cores, and any bad spots.  Chop the tomatoes into large chunks.  Continue with instructions for Method #1.

Serve with Grilled cheese, tomato and basil sandwiches.

Golden Gazpacho

There's nothing better than a cold soup on a hot day.  This is a simple gazpacho recipe using several fresh summertime ingredients.  It's delicious and light, but could easily be spiced up or flavored with other ingredients. Serves 2.

Ingredients:

1 Yellow tomato, core removed, quartered (or use 1-2 cups of sungold cherry tomatoes)

1 Green tomato, core removed, quarterd

1 Small cucumber, or 1/2 large, seeded, peeled and cut into large chunks

3 Garlic cloves, peeled

1 Purple sweet pepper,

Juice from 1 lime

Salt and Pepper to taste

Garnish: Caramelized Cabbage and Onions (optional)

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until  the gazpacho is soupy but with a slightly chunky texture.  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  Add a dollop of Caramelized Cabbage and Onions as a garnish.

Caramelized Cabbage and Onions

There are many uses for caramelized vegetables.  This recipe is more of a simple preparation method for having a tasty base for sandwiches, soups, and side dishes.  Caramelizing cabbage, onions, and other vegetables, is a simple method of slowly cooking them with a pinch of salt and a little oil until the natural sugars are released and cooked to a golden-brown caramel.  The cabbage and onions are delicious as a side dish, but there's no need to stop there.  Try it on a pizza, a grilled cheese sandwich, or add broth, garlic and leaf celery to make a simple cabbage soup.

Ingredients:

1 Head of green or red cabbage

2-4 Yellow onions

1/4 Cup of olive or canola oil

1/4 - 1/2 Tsp kosher salt

Method:

Slice the cabbage and onions thinly and place them in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with the oil.  Cook on medium-low heat until they begin to sweat, stirring occasionally.  Add the salt and continue to cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally so that the cabbage and onions don't stick to the pan. Taste periodically.  They will be done when they have turned a nice golden-brown color and have a soft texture and sweet flavor.

Kimchi and the Micro-Universe of Probiotics

One of the many reasons why we choose to farm organically is because we want to protect the natural ecosystems of life.  Much of what we see in terms of "pests" that nibble holes in the broad leafy greens, are only a tiny portion of living organisms that depend on vegetables for life and health.  When pesticides are used, It's not just the beetles and caterpillars that are eradicated; even the organisms that are healthy and necessary for digestion are disrupted. Bacteria are part of the life cycle, and for humans and other animals they are necessary in the process of digestion and absorption of necessary nutrients. Lactobacilli is the main naturally-occurring pro-biotic that lives on fresh fruits and vegetables.  When the vegetables are allowed to ferment in an anaerobic environment, the lactobacilli multiply.  This is good news for everyone, but especially for anyone who might have difficulty digesting certain foods.  Other fermented foods such as sour dough bread, yogurt, and cheese are already common in western diets for their taste as well as their nutritional properties. Although pro-biotics are available in pill form at pharmacies, making your own is not only cheaper, it's delicious as well!  This season's CSA shares are full of fantastic fermenters. Cabbages, radishes, spring onions, and kohlrabi are excellent as sour kraut or kimchi.  Give it a try.  And if you are looking for more information about fermenting, contact our local Slow Food Chapter, or read one of the many books about fermenting available online or at your local library.

Basic Kimchi

(Adapted from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Ellix Katz)

Ingredients:

(To make 1 quart of Kimchi)

Sea salt (not iodized)

1 lb Napa cabbage, pak choi, or arrowhead cabbage (or a mixture of the three)

1 Daikon radish or a few easter egg radishes

1-2 Fennel bulbs

3-4 Spring onions

4-6 Cloves of garlic

3 Tbs fresh ginger root

3-4 Hot chilies (fresh or dried)

Method:

To make the brine, fill a quart jar with filtered water or spring water, then add 4 Tbs sea salt.  Cover and shake until dissolved.

Coarsely chop the cabbage or pac choi, spring onions, and fennel.  Grate or julienne the radishes.  Place in a mixing bowl and cover with the quart of brine.  Cover with a plate or other weight to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.  Let the vegetables soak for about 2 hours.

Place the garlic, chilies and ginger in a food processor or blender and puree into a paste.  You may need to add a little water or brine to make the paste.

When the cabbage mixture is decidedly salty to taste, drain off the brine into a bowl or jug (you may need some later).  Place the cabbage into a bowl and massage the garlic-ginger paste into the cabbage.  Always make sure to use clean utensils and hands.  (Sterilizing with anti-bacterial or chemical sanitizers are not necessary, but you want to make sure there are more good bacteria present than bad ones that will encourage mold growth. Soap and water for hands and utensils is perfect).  Stuff the cabbage mixture into a clean quart jar, packing in as tightly as possible and forcing the brine to rise.  Bruising the vegetables until they release brine encourages fermentation and removes air pockets.  The lactobacilli bacteria will populate in an anaerobic environment (no air), whereas molds will grow in the presence of oxygen.  However, you need to make sure to Leave about 1 inch of space in the top of the jar because the fermentation process will release gasses and cause the kimchi to swell in the jar.

There are several methods for keeping the kimchi submerged in the brine and discouraging mold growth.  For the sake of simplicity, however, I'm going to suggest keeping the lid on the jar (not too tight!).  Without a weight to hold the vegetables under the brine, you will need to open the jar and press the vegetables down into the brine once a day for a week.  Katz says, "If you think you can remember to check the kimchi every day, you can jus use your (clean!) fingers to push the vegetables back under the brine. I myself like the tactile involvement of this method, and I especially enjoy tasting the kimchi by licking my fingers after I do this.  Either way, cover the jar to keep out dust and flies."  It takes about a week for the kimchi to ferment to a point of ripeness, but you can taste each day and decide how you like it best.  I won't hurt to let it go longer if you prefer.  Leave it in your kitchen or on a shelf (not in direct sunlight) at room temperature, then refrigerate for long storage once it tastes perfect.  It will continue to ferment very slowly in the refrigerator, but can be tasty for months of stored properly.

Kimchi is a very versitile salad or condiment, but my favorite way to enjoy this tasty pro-biotic-filled food is with scrambled eggs and sauteed greens. It's a fantastically nutritious way to start the day.

Kale Chips 101

If you have not yet tried turning your leafy greens into a crunchy snack, then this is the post for you.  Yes, we grow and eat loads of kale because it's nutritious, but also because it's tasty.  And this is one of the easiest, most addictive ways to enjoy your leafy greens.  Curly kale has a great texture for baking into chips, but you can use any leafy greens. Seasoning options are virtually endless.  However it does not take much salt, (since the natural salts in the leaves become more concentrated when they are dehydrated), so use salt sparingly. Here's a basic recipe with a few seasoning suggestions:

Ingredients:

1-2 bunches of curly kale leaves

Olive oil

Kosher or sea salt

Alchemy Spice Fat Elvis Memphis Rub (or your favorite spice blend)

Method:

Remove the washed kale leaves from the stem and thick rib. Pat dry with paper towels.  Place on a baking sheet and spray or massage a little olive oil onto the leaves. Spread the leaves into a single layer, then season lightly with salt and a little Fat Elvis.  The kale leaves will shrink to about 1/2 their original size, so you may want to make several batches.

Place in the oven at 350 F  for 10-15 minutes, or use a lower temperature to preserve more nutrients (about 250 F) for 20-30 minutes.  Either way, it's important to check the kale every 5 minutes or so, turning the leaves to expose more of the moisture, and checking that they do not burn.  They can dehydrate quite quickly at times, so make sure you are watching them closely.  Once they are crispy, remove from the oven and let cool.  The most difficult part about this recipe is deciding whether or not to share the kale chips.