Spicy Carrot Soup

Photo by Karsten Moran for the New York Times.


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Hail got Glade Road Growing's chard this week (sigh), but there will still be carrots and onions in the farm share.  With the cold weather, I though soup would be good.  (And when the warm weather returns, this one is also good chilled.  If you would like this to be heartier, for a main course, you can add two cups of cooked white beans or garbanzos. 

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Serves 4


Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil,  coconut oil, or ghee
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
4 cloves of fresh garlic, smashed, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon turmeric
½ ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 pounds young carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
8 cups of water
1 cup of dried white beans or garbanzo beans, cooked (optional)
1 bunch or hakurei turnips or one small daikon radish, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 2 cups) (if using turnips, reserve the greens for another use)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
Cilantro or basil leaves, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving
Greek yogurt or tofu sour cream for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.  If you are adding beans to make this a main dish, the night or at least two hours before, in a medium saucepan with a heavy bottom and a tight-fitting lid, cover 1 cup of beans with 2 cups water, and bring to a boil.  Rinse.  Return to pot, add ½ teaspoon sea salt and bring again to a boil again.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let stand over night or for at least one hour. Rinse a second time.  Add two cups of water and bring to a boil again and simmer on low heat until soft, about 1 hour with 2 bay leaves.



2.  In a heavy-bottomed, lidded  soup pot, over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil.  When it is hot enough that a drop of water turns to steam, add onions saute, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and cayenne and cook for one minute more, or just until fragrant. Season with salt.

3.  Add carrots and water. Raise the heat and bring to a brisk simmer, then put on the lid and turn heat to low. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool slightly. If you would like this to be a main dish, add two cups of cooked beans.  Purée in a blender in batches, then return to soup pot.  Thin with water as  necessary, as the soup should not be too thick. Set aside.

4.  While soup is cooking, steam the turnips or daikon until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

5.  Reheat the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon of  oil in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. Cook for one minute, or until spices are fragrant and beginning to pop. Pour the entire contents of the pan into the soup and stir to combine. Taste for salt and adjust.

6.  Divide daikon pieces among four bowls and ladle over a cup or so of soup. Garnish with cilantro or basil leaves, if using, and give each bowl a squeeze of lime.   Add a dollop of yogurt or tofu sour cream, if you desire.  

Mustard Potato Salad with Pickled Red Onions, Tomatoes and Basil

I first published the post on 7/28/14 at 9:41 pm.  I updated it with some corrections on 7/29/14 at 12:30 pm.

Photo from The Food Network.

The July 29 farm share from Glade Road Growing is expected to include tomatoes, basil, red onions, new potatoes, beans, and summer squash.  Here's a recipe for a slightly different potato salad, inspired by one created by chef Bobby Flay

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Serves 6


1. Let six eggs sit until at room temperature.  Place in saucepan and cover with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.  Transfer eggs to a colander and run under cool running water to stop the cooking. Peel.   Chop coarsely and store in refrigerator until ready to add to recipe.  For the vegan version I like to substitute garbanzo beans.

2.  Half and thinly slice one red onion or two small red onions.  If you want to pickle all the red onions in the farm share and reserve some for a condiment later, that's fine.

3.  Combine in a saucepan:
1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons honey (or 2 TB demerara sugar for vegan version)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 TB kosher salt

Bring  to a boil  cook until the sugar and salt dissolves, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the onions and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. Drain the onions through a strainer into a bowl and reserve the pickling liquid.  If you have extra onions you want to use later, save them in the pickling liquid (minus the few TB you will use in this recipe.

4. Slice 2 1/2 pounds of new potatoes into 1/2-inch thick slices.  Steam over boiling water until just soft.  Transfer warm potatoes to a large bowl. Add the eggs, pickled onions.

While potatoes cook, finely chop one tomato and 1/4 cup of basil.

5.  For dressing, whisk together:
1 cup Greek yogurt (or tofu "sour cream" for vegan version)
4 tablespoons whole-grain mustard, Dijon mustard or a combination
Freshly ground black pepper
A few tablespoons of the pickling liquid

Add the dressing, the tomatoes and the basil to the warm potatoes and gently mix to combine. Garnish with a whole basil sprig.  Serve at room temperature or cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and serve chilled.

This can be a main course, rather than a side.  If you want an even heartier recipe you can add add two cups of cooked beans or 1 cup of cooked chicken.