Category — Organic Food

Butternut Squash Soup is warm and comforting. It’s just what the doctor ordered as we bid summer adieu. This beautiful picture is from Bay Area Foodie who used Thomas Keller‘s recipe. Yum!

Butternut Squash Soup With Brown Butter
1 3-to-3 1/2-pound butternut squash
2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 sprigs sage
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
6 garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons honey
6 cups vegetable stock, more if needed
Bouquet Garni made of 8 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs Italian parsley,
2 bay leaves and 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, all wrapped in a
packet made of 2 green leek leaves
1/4 cup creme fraiche
Freshly grated nutmeg
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced chives
Extra-virgin olive oil.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the neck off the squash and set it aside. Cut the bulb in half and scoop [Rosle Ice Cream Scoop] out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside and out with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the canola oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of sage into each. Place cut-side-down on the baking sheet and roast until completely tender, about 1 hour. Remove the squash from the oven and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh (discard sage).

2. Meanwhile, using a paring knife, peel away the skin from the neck of the squash until you reach the bright orange flesh. Cut the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces (you should have about 4 cups).

3. Put the remaining canola oil in a stockpot [Infinite Circulon 7 Qt. Covered Straining Stockpot]  over medium-high heat, add the leeks, carrots, shallots and onions and cook, stirring often, for about 6 minutes. Add the diced squash, garlic, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary to keep the garlic and squash from coloring. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bouquet garni, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.

4. Add the roasted squash and simmer gently for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat and discard the bouquet garni. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and puree. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a bowl. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Place the creme fraiche in a small chilled bowl and stir in nutmeg to taste. Whisk until the creme fraiche holds a shape. Cover and refrigerate.

6. Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. When it is very hot, add the butter and rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly, scraping up any bits that settle in the bottom. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup — keep a safe distance, it may sputter — then stir.

7. Ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of creme fraiche. Grind some black pepper over the top and sprinkle on the chives. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top. Serves 6.

Adapted from ”Bouchon,” by Thomas Keller.

This Butternut Squash Orzo recipe from The Little Red House looks, in a word, perfect.

Sheena Jibson’s wonderful recipe with suggestions by me!:

Butternut Squash Orzo
Serves 4

1 roasted chicken
1/2 butternut squash
1/2 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper and thyme
1/2c-3/4c chicken broth
1 cup orzo, fully cooked according to package directions
3 strips of bacon (I am not a bacon lover so this was just the right amount for me….if you love bacon, add a few more:)
1/3 c grated parmesan cheese

-Halve and clean squash
-Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme and s&p (Le Creuset® Silicone Basting Brush – White)
place squash (cut side up), onion, and garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet and roast at 425 until veggies are fork tender, about 30 minutes (onion and garlic will need to be removed before squash) Squash will easily scoop right out of peel when it is done roasting.
-Add all veggies to a food processor, along with 1/2c chicken broth and puree. (Cuisinart 9-cup Food Processor)
-Add a bit more broth if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste.
-Combine cooked orzo, chicken, crumbled bacon, and butternut sauce.
Top with parmesan. (Microplane Rotary Parmesan Cheese Grater)

I just got over being super sick; I wish I knew about this Green Smoothie recipe beforehand. Golubka calls it a “Glass of Emerald” and vouches for it’s cold-fighting ability and the drink itself is so beautiful!

Per Golubka’s instructions: “Take some familiar greens, or better yet, be adventurous and pick the brightest leaves with the strangest name. A bunch usually serves about three people. Add a banana per person, the riper the better. Stop here for a classic combination, or go on to add some kiwi, apple, grapes, mango, or berries for a more fruity flavour. Add about 1/2 cup of water per person and blend well until smooth and bubbly. Generally, this kind of smoothie tastes like fruit, but some greens overpower the sweetness. Those include collard greens, Swiss chard, and, the mightiest of all, arugula – nothing can mask its presence.”

Oster Classic Beehive Blender – Blue, Chrome, Copper, Red

Oster 14 Speed Blender

Magic Bullet Express

It’s the weekly produce aisle dilemma for me…do I spend more to fill my refrigerator with organic fruits and veggies or just stick with the old standbys?  Have you ever wondered if buying organic food is really worth the money?  According to the green living gurus at Ideal Bite, there are times when organic is definitely better. Here are the top ten picks for food you should always try to buy in organic varieties:

1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Bell Peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Lettuce
9. Pears
10. Imported Grapes

In addition to reducing the risks associated with consuming pesticides and other chemicals,  organic foodies claim that organic produce tastes better, and is more nutritious. Here’s an interesting article on the benefits of eating organic foods.

If you’re trying to make room in your grocery budget for organic foods, consider slashing bottled water from your grocery list. A recent California study showed that bottled water isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

First, don’t think of this broth making adventure as extra work.  Think of it as extra food!  I know it’s easier to buy chicken bouillon cubes but not only are they less nutritious and don’t taste as good, but you also won’t have a the juicy bird a the end for dinner!  Here’s a list of all the things I was able to make from one batch of chicken broth:  chicken breast served with butternut squash soup (tomorrow’s recipe), real Italian chicken and mushroom risotto (recipe to come) and a delicious homemade chicken liver feast for my cat!  That’s three meals for four people and a feline.  So get to it!  You will need:

• one 4-5 pound (organic, free range) chicken
• 4 carrots
• 1/2 a celery head including leaves
• 2 whole onions, unpeeled
• 1 whole bulb garlic, cut through the middle so each clove is cut in half
• 3 bay leaves
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 bunch parsley
• 2-3 cubes chicken bouillon

Open the bag of neck and gizzards and put them in a large pot along with the whole chicken, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, parsley and some salt and pepper to taste.   Fill the pot with water so that everything is covered and boil.  Suet, a brown bubbly substance will rise to the top.  Skin the suet off the top for as long as it continues to rise.  Cook for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours until the leg bone easily twist loose.  When the chicken is almost cooked taste the broth to see if you need to add some cubes.  Stir a crumbled cube or two in to give it extra punch, but be careful not to make it too strong tasting.

Remove chicken and let it cool.  While the chicken is warm, take the pieces from the bone.  Strain the broth into a storing container.  When your stock is cool or refrigerated, you’ll be able to skim the fat off the top.  Don’t through out the veggies!  You can use them in my butternut squash soup recipe or another soup of your own!

I mixed it up the other night with this new recipe and it got major kudos from my man.  I feared I might regret that I didn’t just order Chinese, but once we tasted the finished result I was convinced the effort was worth it.  I felt it was much healthier than restaurant Chinese probably because I used organic chicken and cashews, brown rice, the freshest veggies and no msg or other bad ingredients.  You will need:

• 2 chicken breasts, cut length ways to make four thin pieces
• 1/2 pound Chinese snow peas
• 1/2 pound shitake mushrooms
• 4 green onions
• 1 cup bamboo shoots (from can) drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 T corn starch or 4 T flour
• 1/2 t sugar
• 1/2 t salt
• 4 T peanut or sesame oil
• 4 ounces cashew nuts
• 1 1/2 cups rice

Prepare the rice as directed.

Prepare the veggies.  Remove the strings and ends of peas pods.  This makes them nicer to bite but if you don’t have time, it’s no drama.  The peas will have a little more to chew but it’s not that noticeable.  Slice the mushrooms and green part of the onions.  Keep the onion seperate from the other veggies.

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Heat one T of the oil in a skillet, add the cashews and stir fry for a minute, tossing the nuts lightly.  Remove nuts from pan and set aside.  Pour remaining oil in the skillet and stir fry the chicken until opaque.

Mix the soy sauce, cornstarch or flour, sugar and salt in a seperate dish. Add the chicken broth to the frying pan, then the soy mixture and stir.  Add the peas and mushroom.  Cover and cook, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add the green onions and cashews and simmer for a few minutes.  Serve immediately with the rice.  Delicious!