With locally grown, fresh greens available, salads can easily be the main attraction. Serve with one of the soup recipes for a light but filling meal.
1 1/2 Tablespoon tarragon white-wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup olive oil
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
2 medium beets, stems trimmed to 2 inches 1 pound small new potatoes or fingerlings, scrubbed well 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/8 teaspoon sea salt 5 ounces microgreens (such as baby Bibb, red-leaf, oak-leaf lettuces, baby arugula, or mesclun) (about 10 cups) 4 cups baby spinach 1/3 cup lovage leaves, coarsely chopped 1/4 cup fresh chervil and/or dill leaves 1/4 cup fresh tarragon leaves 20 unsprayed organic nasturtium blossoms
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Wrap beets individually in foil and roast on a baking sheet in upper third of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/4 hours in total. Once beets have roasted for 30 minutes, toss potatoes with oil and salt in a small baking pan and roast in lower third of oven, shaking pan occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Carefully unwrap beets and cool slightly, then slip off and discard skins.
Cut beets into 1/3-inch dice and put in a large salad bowl. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick slices and add to beets along with all greens and herbs. Add vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle blossoms on top and serve immediately.
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1 cup sour cream 1/3 cup celery (chopped fine) 6 large cucumbers (cut into thin slices) 3 Tablespoons scallions (minced) 3 Tablespoons watercress (washed well and chopped) Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
Wash and dice celery into small pieces. Peel or score cucumbers and cut diagonally into thin slices. In a medium sized mixing bowl, toss together celery, cucumbers, sour cream, scallions and watercress. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
4 cups bok choy (thinly sliced) 2 large carrots (peeled) 1 cup snow peas (strings removed and sliced lengthwise) 1/2 cup red cabbage (grated) 1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 Tablespoons sesame oil 2 1/2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar 1 Tablespoon tamari soy sauce 3 teaspoons fresh ginger (minced) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Place sliced bok choy and red cabbage in a large bowl. Grate carrot into cabbage mixture. Toss in prepared snow peas. In a small bowl, mix oils, vinegar, tamari soy sauce, and ginger. Pour dressing over salad, toss to coat. Season to taste with salt.
2 Tablespoons butter 1 large onion 2 ribs celery 1/4 cup parsley 2 medium carrots (peeled and sliced) 4 medium garlic cloves (chopped) 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms 1/2 pound porcini mushrooms 4 ounces oyster mushrooms 1 Tablespoon flour 2 quarts low sodium chicken broth (or use vegetable stock) 1 1/2 cups barley 1 teaspoon sea salt
Soak the mushrooms in enough hot water to cover for a half hour. Strain through a filter. Reserve the water. Coarsely chop the dried mushrooms. Melt the butter in a stockpot and sauté the onion, celery, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, carrot, garlic, and fresh mushrooms until soft, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat and add the flour, stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes or until thick.
In a soup pot heat the chicken broth. Add a cup of mushroom mixture at a time to the pot, stirring. Turn the heat to high, and add the reserved mushroom water and barley. Stir well and add salt to taste. Simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the barley is tender and the soup is thickened, stirring often. Add additional chopped parsley, mix thoroughly, and adjust seasonings.
3 Tablespoons butter 3 Tablespoons olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 24 large garlic cloves, peeled 7 parsley sprigs 3 thyme sprigs 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock 2/3 cup small, stale bread cubes, preferably from French bread 1/2 cup half and half or yogurt Sea salt, to taste 1/8 teaspoon white or cayenne pepper, or to taste
Place the butter and oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot and warm over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown and the garlic is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure the onions and garlic don't burn. Wrap the parsley, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth and tie with string to make a bouquet garni.
Place the packet in the stockpot and add the chicken stock and bread cubes. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to the start of a boil. Then, lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the bread softens to the point of disintegration, about 15 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni and discard. Add the half and half and puree the soup in a food processor or with an immersion blender stick until it is smooth.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Photo credit — Fresh watercress, ©iStockphoto.com/Pgiam
