Easy Carrot Ginger Soup

It doesn't get more simple than this.  Fresh carrots, onions, ginger and broth.  I ate this for lunch with a nice crisp salad and a sprinkle of feta cheese but you could easily serve this as a first course at a dinner party.  It is perfect for all seasons, especially while the carrots are fresh at the farmer's market!

Ingredients

Ginger (size of your thumb)

1 small white onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove crushed

2 lbs chopped carrots

1 quart of vegetable stock

1. Peel ginger and finely chop

2. Heat soup pot over medium high heat on the stove.  When hot add olive oil and add ginger, onion and garlic

3. Saute for two minutes and then add carrots and stir to coat

4. Stir almost constantly for 4-5 minutes

5. Add broth to cover the veggies and let cook 25 minutes until carrots are very tender

6. This soup is best if blended with an immersion blender so when you remove it from the heat, blend being careful not to let hot soup splatter

7. Serve immediately or let cool and save for a later occasion!

Pork Kebabs with Curry Marinade

Craving something with substance but also spice, David and I came up with these pork skewers with a summer curry sauce.  There is not much else to be said except that this totally hit the spot and is something I would definitely grill again.  Serve with pita bread and a light salad and you have a complete summer meal.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 pound pork cut for kebab or stir fry

Juice from one lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons curry powder

Skewers

1. Rinse pork, pat dry and set in a dish ready for marinating

2. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and curry powder in a small food processor and power until well blending.  You could add some finely diced onion or green onion as well.

3. Pour the marinade over the pork and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.

4. Cover the meat and let sit in the fridge for at least two hours, four if you have time, turning the meat half way through.

5. When ready to cook soak the skewer sticks (if wooden) and then skewer meat using a brush to get all of the sauce on these skewers

6. Heat grill and add skewers when the grill is hot

7. Cook for about 10-12 minutes turning the skewers every few minutes.

8. Cut a test piece of meat to make sure the meat is done and when it is, serve up with some pita!

Simply Strawberries and Creme Fraiche

In honor of our 2 year wedding anniversary, let me post a sweet treat that should be part of anyone's summer repertoire of  desserts.

Ingredients


1 pint of fresh strawberries (rinsed and stems removed)
1/4 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup creme fraiche
Bottle of champagne (optional)

1. Sprinkle fine sugar on a nice plate
2. Add creme fraiche dollop to the middle of the plate
2. Surround the creme with the clean strawberries in a cute design

Serve with small forks or use your fingers.  Enjoy the deliciousness of the creme fresh with the gorgeous berries!

Orzo Pasta Salad

My parents make the most amazing orzo salad (I always request it whenever I'm visiting them for the weekend).  I made a slightly altered version based on a few special items I picked up at the farmer's market today...SCAPES!  These funny looking veggies are the tips of garlic and have a really nice mild garlic flavor.  If you can't find scapes, feel free to omit them and use dill instead.

Ingredients

1/2 box of orzo pasta

1 small salad onion thinly sliced or 5 scallions thinly sliced

5 or 6 scapes chopped into bite size pieces

1 can of garbanzo beans

zest of one lemon

3/4 cup feta cheese

1. Cook orzo pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile chop onion and scapes

3. Drain pasta when cooked and run cold water over the pasta to cool it down

4. Combine pasta, beans, scapes, lemon zest and feta in a big bowl.

5. Stir and serve!

Pizza Margherita with Golden Tomato Sauce

This was the first time I've ever made pizza in Seattle and though..."Woah, am I in New York City?"  I know that might sound pretentious but this pizza ROCKED.  Using some leftover frozen whey from this ricotta I made a few weeks ago, the crust literally melted in my mouth.  Inspired by the golden tomato sauce from 101 Cookbooks, I created this Pizza Margherita to remember!

Pizza dough (prepare at least two hours before you are ready to make pizza)

2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons rapid rise yeast
3/4 cup warm water or warmed leftover whey
1/2 cup olive oil

Mix dry ingredients in the food processor.  While food processor is running, add 1/2 cup of warm water in a slow stream. Next add olive oil. If dough is still not formed in a ball, add remaining water plus a few extra teaspoons if necessary until dough forms a ball.

Place dough in an oiled bowl and over with plastic wrap and kitchen towel.  Allow to rest for at least two hours (you can even let this sit for 24 hours!).


Golden Tomato Sauce

1 lb golden tomatoes roughly chopped
1 very small onion finely chopped
1 clove of minced garlic
salt/pepper
olive oil

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat
2. When hot add garlic and onions and stir for 2 minutes
3. Add chopped tomatoes and turn heat down to medium
4. Let tomatoes simmer for about 10-15 minutes until they breakdown easily
5. Transfer to a food processor and puree the mixture
6. Add salt and pepper to taste
7. Use just like you would red tomato sauce

MAKING THE PIZZA

Now you are probably wondering about the pizza right?  Luckily this is the easy part.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Carefully and stretch the pizza dough to desired shape and thickness and carefully lay on parchment paper
3. Lightly brush dough with olive oil
4. Evenly spread tomato sauce over the dough.  You can freeze the leftover sauce for another use or use it for pasta later.
5. Cover with favorite toppings, here we did mozzarella cheese and basil in honor of Princess Margherita.
6. Carefully place in the oven and bake until cheese is golden brown and bubbling and crust is finished, about 12-15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes (if you can) before serving

Liberty Whiskey Cocktail

Here is the ultimate summer cocktail.  It is unbelievably refreshing and compliments all the flavors of summer, from pasta to barbeque!

This recipe serves 5

Ingredients


2 tea bags (for black tea)
1/3 cup honey
2 cups water
2 cups lemonade (Newman's Own is nice)
10 basil leaves
5 slices of lemon
1 cup of bourbon or whiskey

1. Boil hot water.  When boiling add 1 cup of water to the 2 tea bags and let steep for 10 minutes in a coffee mug.
2. Remove tea bags and mix in 1/3 cup honey
3. Transfer to a pitcher and add additional cup of cold water and 2 cups of lemonade and let chill in the fridge for 15 minutes
4. When ready to serve, muddle 2 basil leaves with ice cubes (2 leaves per glass) and top with sliced lemon
5. Remove mixture from the fridge and add whiskey...shake well and then pour over the ice, basil and lemon.

Enjoy!

Linguine with Zucchini and Ricotta

This is the perfect summer pasta dish.  Fresh zucchini and mint give our favorite ricotta recipe all the attention it deserves.  Your friends will love the fresh play of flavors while you sip on a nice glass of white wine and pat yourself on the back.

Ingredients


1 lb pasta (fettucini or linguine)
2 zucchini thinly sliced
1 cup ricotta cheese (Smitten Kitchen style)
1 cup of mint leaves finely chopped
lemon zest from 1 lemon
salt/pepper

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. When there is 1 minute left on the timer for the pasta add the zucchini to the boiling water
3. Drain zucchini and pasta and transfer to serving dish
4. Drizzle olive oil over the pasta/zucchini mixture
5. Stir ricotta cheese into the pasta
6. Top with mint leaves and lemon zest
7. Salt and pepper to taste