Harvest Zucchini Chile Soup w/ Goat Yogurt and Toum

21 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Events, gluten-free, soup

Tags

cilantro, gluten free, goat yogurt, local, seasonal, soup, squash

Love:

Each fall, Local First Utah hosts “Celebrate the Bounty” their annual fundraiser and gala event. Featuring some of Utah’s finest fare provided by locally owned, independent restaurants, artisans and food purveyors from across the state, “Celebrate the Bounty” is the party of the year. (Local First Utah)

Okay, truth be told I wrote this post last week but the night before I was going to post it Derek and Moudi of Laziz Foods called to tell me that we had just won “The People’s Choice Award” for our soup at the Local First Celebrate the Bounty (Oct 10). The hard part was keeping quiet until Local First could announce it last Friday (Oct 18). So now, read on!

I was lucky enough to be asked by my friends Moudi Sbiety and Derek Kitchen of Laziz Foods to participate in this years “Celebrate the Bounty”. Derek and Moudi asked me to come up with a soup recipe using zucchini and their very garlicy and very unique condiment Toum. Lucky for them I was just getting ready to test out a zucchini soup I had just seen in Food and Wine Magazine, I used that recipe as a template for ours.

The night before the event the three of us got together at the Laziz kitchen to make our creation. We were all very excited to be apart of this event for the first time and also a little nervous to be surrounded by all of the wonderful foodies and food artisans in the community that we look up to (maybe I’m just speaking for myself!). The feedback about our soup was overwhelming, everyone loved the flavor of the soup and the little “kick” at the end from the chilies. The night was a success. We had so much fun, we got to chat and meet with so many new people and we got to root on our fellow foodies, but the best part was we got to be apart of “Local First” big night. I have had to pinch myself a few times, I’m still taking it all in. ENJOY!

Food:

Harvest Zucchini Chile Soup w/ Goat Yogurt and Cilantro serves 8

3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium or 1 large leek, tough green ends trimmed, pale ends chopped (make sure to rinse well)

2 poblano chilies, stems, seeds removed and cut into 1 inch pieces

½ lb roasted hatch green chilies, charred skin, stem and seeds removed, chopped

1 T. heaping ghee or local butter

1 ½ T. Laziz Toum

4 c. veggie stock

1 Parmesan rind

Salt and pepper

1 c. Drake Family goat yogurt

1 bunch cilantro

Cilantro Oil

1 c. cilantro, mint, parsley?

1 c. olive oil

Directions:

1. Place your favorite large soup pot on the stove over medium heat, add the ghee to the pan and begin to melt. When the ghee becomes fragrant add the leeks, poblano’s, and roasted chilies to the pan and begin to sauté. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the leeks become soft and caramelized 8-15 min. Take your time with this step, caramelizing the chilies and leeks will add depth of flavor.

2. Next add the zucchini and Laziz toum, stir to combine. Continue to cook with the other veggies until zucchini is still bright green but beginning to soften. Season with a bit more salt and pepper.

3. Add the broth and Parmesan rind to the zucchini and leek/ chili mixture and bring to a boil, turn heat to a medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.

4. After 30 minutes turn heat off, remove rind and in batches begin to puree soup. Adding the yogurt and cilantro to each batch to incorporate. Taste for seasoning.

5. Soup can be served, hot or cold garnished with herb oil of choice. EAT!

Directions for herb oil:

1. Puree herb of choice and oil together, strain through fine mesh strainer.

Here are some photos from the night before the event, I was too busy the night of the event to get photo’s. You can find a few on Instargram @cosmohippiechef

Homemade Spiced Apple Cider Pumpkin Syrup

17 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, DIY, Drinks, gluten-free, seasonal, vegan

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

apple cider, cinnamon, gluten free, honey, local, pumpkin, seasonal, vanilla, vegan

Food:

Homemade Spiced Pumpkin Syrup

2 c. local apple cider (farmers market) or water

1 c. fresh pumpkin puree (fresh pumpkin puree is easy, find out how here and here)

1/2 c. local honey (if vegan use pure maple syrup)

2 cinnamon sticks

4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

1/2 vanilla bean, split and insides scraped out

4 whole cloves

Celtic salt or Pink Himalayan, a healthy pinch

1 inch nob of ginger, peeled and sliced (not pictured because I forgot!)

Directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, turn heat down to medium low heat for 40-45 minutes until thick and bubbly and reduced by half.

2. After 45 minutes let the mixture cool for just a bit and strain through a fine mesh strainer, be sure to push the pumpkin through the strainer and then scrape it off the under side of the strainer.

3. Pour into your favorite glass container and let it cool completely before you store it in the fridge.

Love:

This time of year everyone (including me) go nuts for all things pumpkin! Pumpkin cookies, Pumpkin doughnuts, Pumpkin risotto, and the all to favorite Spiced pumpkin lattes! It seemed silly to me to buy a spiced pumpkin creamer that is full of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils, so I set out to make a spiced syrup I could feel good about adding to my local fair trade coffee and homemade cashew milk lattes on the weekends. This syrup is just the right amount of sweetness from the honey and spice from the spices, using fresh pumpkin and apple cider gives it that extra depth of flavor. Plus, you feel like a total rockstar that you just made your own syrup! I think this would be great on pancakes and waffles, try it and let me know. ENJOY!

Curried Kabocha Squash- Eat Local Challenge

11 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in gluten-free, seasonal, Side dish

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Tags

carrots, garlic, ginger, gluten free, goat yogurt, local, onions, seasonal, squash, tomatoes, turmeric

Food:

Curried Kabocha Squash serves 6-8

Inspired by Nourishing Traditions

4 T. butter (local, Liberty Heights Fresh)

2 lbs. kabocha squash, peeled seeds removed (optional) and chopped into 1 inch pieces (farmers market)

1 large purple onion, chopped (farmers market)

1 large yellow bell pepper, chopped or minced (farmers market)

2 c. carrots, sliced (farmers market)

1-2 c. tomatoes, sliced in half (my garden)

1 chili pepper, stemmed & seeds removed (farmers market)

2 T. each ginger and garlic, minced (farmers market)

2 T. turmeric, grated (not local, I find mine at the ethnic market)

real salt

1 c. homemade veggie stock

1 1/2 c. Drake Family Farm Goat Yogurt

1 bunch cilantro, chopped (farmers market)

6-8 scallions, chopped for garnish (farmers market)

Directions:

1. Start by melting the butter over medium heat in your favorite pot. Add the onions and some salt, saute until softened (about 8-15 min).

2. Next add the kabocha, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, chili pepper, ginger, garlic, turmeric and a little bit of real salt. Mix well, then add the veggie stock and goat yogurt. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer until tender, about 30-45 min.

3. When the squash if fork tender pull your pot off the heat and mix in cilantro and garnish with scallions. EAT!

To Serve: If you are staying true to the Eat Local Challenge serve the Curried Kabocha over sautéed greens. If not, serve over grain of choice, I like millet. Top with a dollop of yogurt!

Nutrition:

Squash- Winter squash provides carotenoids and vitamin C plus potassium and fiber, it is also higher nutritionally than summer squash. Winter squash and other deep orange veggies are especially effective in preventing lung cancer. American Indians valued the seeds of both squash and pumpkins for various aliments, but the pulp also has pharmacological properties, notably anticancer carotenoids. (Nourishing Traditions)

Love:

Kabocha squash is by far my favorite winter squash, I love their bright orange flesh and creamy texture not to mention it is so versatile. Every year at this time I stock up on them at the farmers market, if you store them in a dry cool place they will last all winter. This was the perfect one pot dish for dinner all week during the Eat Local Challenge Week if you are staying true to the challenge omit the turmeric. It is warm, comforting and easy to reheat after a long day at work and gets better over time. ENJOY!

Aristocratic Apples- Eat Local Chellenge

07 Monday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in breakfast, dessert, gluten-free, Side dish

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Tags

apples, butter, gluten free, honey, local, seasonal, tart dried cherries

Food:

Aristocratic Apples serves 6

recipe adapted from Nourishing Traditions

8 large tart apples (I used HoneyCrisp from S&R Fruits in Alpine, Ut)

1 c. dried tart cherries (Farmers Market), soak in warm water

1/2 tsp. saffron (I found some last year at the Farmers Market, ask around you might have a friend who grows it) dissolve in 2 T. water

6 T. butter (local, I found at Liberty Heights Fresh)

6 T. local honey (I use Clifford Farms)

1 t. real salt (local)

Directions:

1. Peel, quarter and seed the apples. Heat the butter in a heavy saucepan. Cut the apples into smaller chunks, place them in the melted butter. Cook gently until the excess water is evaporated.

2. Drain cherries and add them to the pan along with the with remaining ingredients. Cook, stirring until mixture is the consistency of a thick applesauce. *I left mine a little chunkier, but cooked it until the sauce was thick and caramel like.

To Serve: I will be serving ours over Drake Family Farms Goat Yogurt and walnuts I found at the farmers market.

Nutrition:

Saffron- Disease prevention, detoxification, anti-depressant, digestive properties, cell formation and repair, heart disease and blood pressure and optimum health. It also helps soothe coughs and relieves colds.

Love:

I know what your first thought is, saffron? I know, I know, local? Yes, I was able to score some at the farmers market last year, we even bought some for my mother-in-law for her favorite paella recipe she makes during the holidays. Check around, you might have a friend who is growing some in their garden. I have two friends who grow it, Andrew Stone of LifeLong Learning and Carly Gillespie of Wasatch Community Gardens. This is the perfect recipe for breakfast during the Eat Local Challenge week, I can’t wait for breakfast! ENJOY!

Anasazi Bean, Potato, Leek and Green Chile Soup- Eat Local Challenge

04 Friday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Uncategorized

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Food:

Anasazi Bean, Potato, Leek and Green Chile Soup

1 1/2 c. dry Anasazi beans, soaked overnight (farmers market or Liberty Heights Fresh carries beans from Idaho)

1 1/2 lb. potato, cubed (Farmers market)

2 lrg. leeks (about 5c.), sliced thin and rinsed well (Farmers market)

5 oz. Firebird roasted green chilies, chopped (Farmers market) if you have hard time finding these you can sub 2 fresh poblanos, remove stems and seeds and chop fine

2 garlic cloves, chopped (Farmers market)

8 c. homemade veggie broth

2 c. water

2 T. local butter (Liberty Heights Fresh)

Real salt (Harmon’s, Whole Foods)

cilantro (Farmers Market)

Directions:

For the beans-

1. After you have soaked your beans overnight, drain and rinse them well. Place them in a heavy bottom pot and fill with water about an inch above the beans. Bring the pot of beans to a boil, boil for 5 minutes without the lid and skim off any gray foam that forms around the edge of the pot. After those five minutes place the lid on the pot, turn the heat down to low and simmer until tender about 45min-1 hour. Note: fresh dry beans (from the previous season) cook up faster, be sure not to over cook. Test by pressing a bean between your fingers to see if they are tender.

2. When the beans are done, drain and set aside.

For the veggie broth:

1. I use whatever vegetables I have left over at the end of the week. All of my vegetables came from the farmers market, I had purple and green cabbage, garlic, purple onion, carrots, purple bell peppers, Bok choy and broccoli stems. Place all of the veggies in a large pot and cover with water (I use about a gallon of water) bring to a boil and then turn heat down to a simmer. I simmer mine for at least 2-3 hours.

2. Let the stock cool just a bit and the drain through a colander over a large bowl. Set aside if using right away, if not store in glass jars and place the fridge until ready to use, or divide into freezer bags and store in the freezer. (I usually get about 9c.)

Putting it all together:

1. Place your favorite soup pot on the stove over medium heat, start to melt the butter, when the butter has melted add the leeks and saute until soft and flavorful about 10-15 minutes, stir a few times and add garlic about 10 minutes in. Season with real salt (about 1t.)

2. Next add potatoes, green chilies and 8c. of vegetable broth, simmer for twenty minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. After those twenty minutes add the beans and 2c. of water and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer again for 10 minutes. Season with more salt if needed (up to 1t.)

3. Ladle into soup mugs and garnish with cilantro. EAT!

Nutrition:

Eating locally helps support the economy, provides food security, taste better and is more nutrient dense. Eating and choosing local connects you to your community.

Love:

This soup is spicy, hearty and full of local goodness, my hope is that this recipe will start you down a path of eating a little closer to home. This will be our lunch next week and at the very least we will be eating one meal that is 100% local! The purpose of the Eat Local Challenge Week is to start or further the conversation about where your food comes from. Even though I am very involved in my local food community this challenge is a challenge for me. I am not able to pledge that I will only eat food with in a 250 mile radius of where we live, but this week I hope to learn more about choosing items that support the community I am so proud to be a part of. Don’t get overwhelmed and pledge a realistic goal that is best for you and your family. Good Luck and ENJOY!

Eat Local Week Oct 5-12

03 Thursday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in Uncategorized

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Eat Local Week Mission:

Eat Local Week celebrates the regional harvest, promotes local agriculture and the preservation of Utah’s agricultural heritage, and brings people together as a community. Through a series of activities and events, Eat Local Week educates the community about resources for eating locally, and increases awareness around food production, transportation, and access to healthy food.

Goals:

1. Develop a greater awareness around food production, transportation, and consumption
2. Educate our community about resources for eating locally
3. Support and popularize local food producers and purveyors

The Eat Local Challenge:

The Challenge is simple, eat as local as you can. The standard Challenge is described as eating food that comes from within a 250 mile radius for one week, but if this isn’t realistic for you try to come up with a challenge that will work for you. Choose a couple of food groups to get locally and stay true to them, eat as locally as possible for a week, be creative – but be sure it is challenging and educational for you and your family.

Take the pledge to eat local here.

Here is a list of events to help you learn more about eating local.

CosmoHippieChef Pledge:

My pledge is to continue to eat as local as possible. I also pledge to post recipes that will help all of you eat more local.

Some ideas to pledge:

*Only eat local meat and dairy

*Only eat fruits and veggies grown locally

*Pledge to have a greater understanding of where your food comes from

GOOD LUCK!

Peanut Butter Honey Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by cosmohippiechef in cookies, gluten-free

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Tags

chocolate, gluten free, nuts, oats, peanut butter

Food:

Peanut Butter Honey Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies makes 18

1/2 c. nut butter (I used peanut butter from Liberty Heights Fresh), or nut butter of choice

1/2 c. Clifford Farm honey (local) if vegan use maple syrup

1 t. vanilla

1 egg (Clifford Farms) if vegan use 1 T. chia seeds mixed with 3 T. water

3/4 c. oat flour (I grind thick organic rolled oats in my blendtec until I get flour consistency, most blenders will work for this)

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. Vietnamese cinnamon

1/2 t. real salt (local)

1 1/2 c. thick organic rolled oats

3/4 chocolate chunks (or your favorite chocolate chips)

1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpad. Using your stand mixer or a mixing bowl cream together the nut butter, honey (or maple syrup), egg (or chia) and vanilla.

2. Next add salt, baking soda, cinnamon, mix well. Next add oat flour, oats, chocolate chunks and walnuts until well mixed.

3. I use a small cookie scoop. Scoop out the batter and place it on the prepared baking sheet. I bake 12 at a time. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned, let rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes (I swear by this step).

Nutrition:

Sometimes you just need a cookie.

Love:

Life has been very busy and overwhelming and last Wednesday night I just had to make cookies at 10 pm, not my usual routine. The great thing about having made these for no reason gave me a reason to gift them to the special people in my life. Enough said. Enjoy!