Summer Soup!
This summer I had the great fortune of traveling over much of the Midwest. It was a very fun and HOT trip! On my travels I was inspired to try new foods and recipes. One highlight from my trip was a stop for lunch at the Moosewood restaurant, AKA vegetarian mecca. :) I had an amazing meal and bought a cookbook with some delicious recipes! Upon arriving at home I also purchased a few more of Mollie Katzen's books and below you will find two recipes I found to be too yummy for words...Gazpacho
This recipe is based on Mollie Katzen's recipe in the New Moosewood cookbook. I made alterations according to what veggies I had in my CSA box.The best part of this recipe is that it requires no cooking and is refreshing on a hot summer day!
Best served with fresh crusty bread and butter.
4 cups tomato juice or pureed stewed tomatoes
1/2 large onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, finely minced (or pressed through a garlic press)
1 bell pepper, finely diced
2 green onions, minced
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely diced
2 cups fresh diced tomato
juice of 1/2 lemon and 1 lime
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 c. fresh, mined parsley
1 TBSP. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
hot sauce to taste (I prefer the hot sauce from Trader Joe's, made with just red ripened jalapenos!)
Combine all ingredients, puree to desired consistency, ENJOY!!
Marinated Cold Cauliflower Salad (taken from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest)
This is a surprisingly delicious, refreshing cold salad. It's perfect for a summer picnic since it has no eggs or mayonnaise in it.First, make this marinade to cook the cauliflower in:
1/3 c. olive oil
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 c. water
3 large cloves of garlic
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 medium cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces (head about 6-7 inch diameter)
Combine all the ingredients above and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender (not soft).
Remove cauliflower with slotted spoon, put into serving dish, cover and chill until cold.
Meanwhile, prepare the following ingredients:
1/2 c. finely minced red onion
1/2 c. minced fresh parsley
handful of minced fresh basil
1 medium carrot, grated
When cauliflower is cooled, toss with other ingredients and serve. You will be pleasantly surprised!
