Chilled Lettuce Soup

For the hot August days, try this recipe from member Alyssa Brin.

Try something different with all that lettuce!! This recipe is a great way to use up older heads of lettuce and ragged outer leaves that may have seen better days to avoid letting any of your awesome produce go to waste!

It is also fairly flexible and allows you to take advantage of what you have on hand. I already had in my kitchen – especially more of the items I had from The Root Connection!!  Note: all measurements are an approximation.

2-3 onions
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp. sea salt
4 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2-4 heads of lettuce
2-4 Tbsp fresh herbs, if desired
sea salt and pepper to taste

Peel and coarsely chop the onions (because they will later be pureed, size does not matter much here – but do try to keep it uniform to ensure even cooking). Heat a 5-6qt. stock pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions with a sprinkle of sea salt and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to caramelize.

*Note: If you still have the stalks on your onions (I did), peel off the papery outer layer, thinly slice, and add them to the pot as well!

While the onions are cooking, prepare the rest of your ingredients: peel and mince the garlic, cut the sweet potato into ~½ inch cubes, cut or tear the lettuce into smaller pieces, and finely chop any fresh herbs (basil, parsley, dill, thyme, sorrel…the options – thanks to our awesome U-pick opportunity – are endless! Go with the flavors you like the most!).

Once the onions have begun to caramelize, add the garlic and cook for just a minute or two – be careful not to let it burn. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the sweet potato and stock. Cover and cook until the sweet potato is fork-tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the lettuce, a few handfuls at a time, stirring as you go. If you’re including fresh herbs in your soup, now is a good time to add those as well. Cook for a minute or two, until all of the lettuce has wilted. Remove from heat.

Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can transfer the soup in small batches to a regular blender and use the puree function – just be careful not to add too much, and vent the lid a little bit to allow steam to escape, to prevent scalding yourself with any of the hot liquid.

Once you’ve pureed the soup, add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer it to a large bowl and chill, uncovered, in the refrigerator until cold.

I made mine ahead so that it could chill overnight – experiment with the length of time that works best for you (e.g., maybe you like the taste before it’s completely cold, or you’re using a metal bowl that helps to speed up the process).

I served the soup with a dollop of plain yogurt. Next time I will also try sour cream, croutons, cucumber cubes (“croutons”), and bacon. Garnish with more of your fresh herbs, if you like!

Going out-of-town for Labor Day Holiday?

Take a moment and call the Farm Store 425-881-1006 (24 hours).

Let us know what your plans are, that is, if you aren't planning to pick up your share on Friday September 2 or Saturday September 3 due to being out-of-town on vacation.

If you pick up on Friday/Saturday, consider picking up your share on Wednesday, 31 August or Thursday, 1 September.  That way, you can use the vegetables on your campout or in your cabin or leave them in your ‘frig for your return home!

If you won’t be picking up your share, then please let the Farm Store know.  Harvest counts will be adjusted accordingly. 

Hey, and enjoy your vacation!  Send us your photos and we’ll post here on the blog.

Lemon Basil Sorbet

Here’s a sweet way to use your fresh basil, from member Steve Falcon ~

This easy sorbet avoids cooking your lemon basil, leaving its lovely

flavor unharmed. The recipe uses acid from a little lemon juice to

balance the sugar, but the basil provides most of the lemon flavor

without the puckering tang of a lemon recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups medium-pack lemon basil leaves

1-1/4 cups sugar

2 medium organic lemons

2-1/2 cups water

Place your sorbet container in the freezer to pre-cool.

Heat 2 cups water and 1-1/4 cups sugar in a saucepan until completely

dissolved. Allow to cool slightly and pop into the freezer to chill

cold. But don't let it freeze.

Put 1/2 cup water in the food processor and add the lemon basil

leaves. Blend well to a slurry.

Wet a clean cloth and wring it out. Push the center of the cloth into

cup and pour the lemon basil slurry inside, scraping out every bit.

Lift the corners of the cloth and begin squeezing, working your way

down to press all the juice out into the cup. You can finally twist

the cloth to wring out the last drop.

Pour half of the sugar water into your ice cream machine. Add the

lemon basil juice and 4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Top

off with the remainder of the sugar water - hopefully your machine can

take all of it.

Run  your machine until the sorbet is as thick as it will get. This

sorbet melts fast. Transfer QUICKLY into the pre-cooled container.

Smack the container a couple of times on the counter to shake it down.

Cover and QUICKLY get it into the freezer.

After a few hours freezing, it should scoop easily but not melt instantly.

Feel free to experiment with quantities. Adding more basil, sugar and

lemon juice will give you an amazing powerful batch. Reducing them

will give you a nice palette-cleanser for your next fancy feast.

Substitute spearmint leaves for basil, and use only 2 tablespoons

lemon juice for an equally excellent mint sorbet. (Don't be surprised

when this one doesn't come out green, but rather a light tan color.)

Enjoy!

Join us for Beekeeping Demo at Noon, Sat 13 August

You’ve probably noticed the honey on the FarmStore counter and wondered “Where does it come from?”  Well, it comes from our very own hives at Root Connection. 

Jim Olsen, beekeeper from Sunset Hill Honey, extracts the honey.  On Saturday, he will pull out a frame of honey to show kids (old and young alike) where honey comes from and how it “sits in the hive”.  There will be a nylon netting canopy for members to stand in while he shows us how the honey is extracted. 

Last summer, it was “standing room only” while Jim pulled out the frames of honey to show the kids and grownups.  He’ll also discuss the role of bee pollination at the farms in western Washington.  

Sunset Hill Honey Company, Woodinville, WA

http://sunsethillhoney.com

Whole Foods Chef Dishes Up Veggies

Shelly Nester presents wonderful dishes using zucchini, summer squash and carrots.

from Noon to 1.30pm on Wednesday 3 August.  All veggies and herbs grown here at Root Connection Farm.  She’ll demo different cuts of these vegetables.  Questions? She’s here to answer yours.

Here’s one share recipe we think you’ll enjoy (we did ~ YUM!):

Quinoa & Herb Stuffed Zucchini Bites with Balsamic Reduction

Looking for yet another way to enjoy the abundant harvest of zucchini?  Try these unique and presentable hors d'oeuvres in the summer time when friends are over for a cookout.  You can pick any of your favorite fresh herbs to customize these little bites to your liking. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Yields: 24 zucchini bites

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon pastured butter

½ onion, sliced in half moons

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons of fresh parsley and sage, chopped

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup cooked quinoa

3 medium zucchini

½ cup balsamic vinegar

Freshly grated parmesan cheese to garnish (optional)

Heat skillet over medium and add oil and butter.  Add onions and cook for about 20 minutes to caramelize.  Right before they are done, add the minced garlic, fresh herbs and cook for 1 minute.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from skillet and run a knife through it to roughly chop. 

In a medium bowl, combine onion herb mixture with quinoa.  Heat balsamic vinegar in a small pot over medium-high heat until reduced by half.

To prepare the zucchini, cut the ends off and slice into 3/4” thick coins, approximately 8 coins per zucchini.  Use a melon baller or small spoon to scoop out center of zucchini, making a small well but not piercing through to the bottom. 

To assemble, place zucchini coins on a platter, spoon in quinoa mixture and drizzle with balsamic reduction.  Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish with fresh herbs if desired.

Enjoy!