COOK THE BOOK: POTATO-ASPARAGUS SOUP (pg.99)

It’s asparagus season so this recipe seemed quite appropriate. Too bad our supermarket didn’t get the memo as they were completely out of asparagus when we went shopping for our ingredients. Oh well, only delayed us by a day. On a side note, too bad we weren’t delayed by an extra day as our new Le Creuset dutch oven arrived today. The last one, about 10 years old chipped due to wear and tear and the company made good on the lifetime guaranty and replaced it with a brand spanking new one! Check it out.

So, here are the ingredients nicely displayed.

We’ve got potatoes, asparagus, onion, garlic, vegetable broth, bay leaves, lemon and dill. Simple enough.

Here is everything chopped, asparagus tips separated from the chopped stems.

As an added step to boost the flavor I added the asparagus stems, a bit of dill, chopped carrot, celery and bay leaves to the vegetable broth. At the same time the potatoes were started in cold water, brought to a boil and simmered for about 20 minutes. I dutifully obeyed the recipe by draining the potatoes, wiping out the pot and using the same pot to sauté the onions and garlic, then seasoning with salt and pepper. It saved dirtying another pot and probably added a bit of starch (though seemingly unnecessary as half the 3lbs of potatoes were pureed, adequately thickening the final product).

The broth was added to the onions and garlic to briefly simmer, then the potatoes and asparagus were added to bring up to temperature. The recipe called for pureeing ¾ of the soup but we went with only about ½ as we prefer a bit thinner consistency.

A squeeze of lemon, some chopped dill and a drizzle of our sundried tomato-chile oil brightened up the presentation. Some whole wheat bread helped cover the rest of the nutritional pyramid, for a complete supper.

Verdict: Quite tasty, wouldn’t really change a thing (other than what we already changed!) I suppose some small, crispy croutons would have been nice but why bother. Surprisingly the dill worked perfectly and was not overpowering or off-putting. In fact there are many, many people who actually hate the taste of dill as evidenced by the 36 members of the Facebook page “I Hate Dill”

****Two new posts below****

COOK THE BOOK: CHICKPEA BROCCOLI CASSEROLE (pg. 96)

Ah, time to get back on the horse. It’s been a slow transition from cooking dishes appropriate for cold, winter evenings to the lighter and fresher cooking we naturally crave when the days get longer and the temperature turns warmer. Its been a lot of veggie burger nights (delicious by the way), simple salads and, oh dear, the occasional Chinese takeout (vegetable lo mein, fried rice, and dumplings usually).

The Baltimore Farmer’s market opened the first Sunday in May and we were there! It drew quite a crowd as expected but a good time was had by all and it was certainly a great impetus to get back to buying fresh ingredients, getting back into the kitchen and cooking new and interesting meals. Here are a few photos of the fun we had sampling falafel, vegan waffles, veggie samosas while loading up on some plants, food stuffs and more. Can’t wait to go back as summer unveils its fruitful bounty.

So, this trip was an inspiration to get back to the blog, and back to cooking from Vegan With a Vengeance. In hindsight this recipe must have only been inspired in a very general sense by the trip to the Farmers Market because it really doesn’t scream Summer. In any case the nights are still cool and we had most of the ingredients, on an already short list, in the house. The easy preparation was perfect for a Monday evening. So, I present Chickpea Broccoli Casserole (pg. 96)

Get your ingredients together:

A few cans of chickpeas, sliced onion, grated carrots, broccoli florets, chives, whole wheat bread crumbs, olive oil and vegetable broth.

Mash the chickpeas (this was not as easy as it sounds!)

Add the vegetables, then the breadcrumbs, then the oil. Mix, mix and mix.

The last addition is the vegetable broth and s+p, and you guessed mix well.

Put the whole smushy pile in a 9x13 dish and press it in firmly.

Cook covered for 45 minutes, and uncover for another 15.

Voila! Dinner is served.

The book definitely undersells this recipe describing it as “a little bland, but not in a bad way”. Hmm, we loved it. The broccoli became tender but added just enough texture. Perhaps we'd even put more broccoli in next time. Herbed breadcrumbs sprinkled on top, then toasted under the broiler, could make a more interesting finish too but it was good just the same. Inspired by the mucho expensive flavored oils at Williams Sonoma we made our own with chile flakes, smoked paprika, sundried tomato and a splash of sherry vinegar. A drizzle of this beautifully colored oiled around the plate and, (as the British say) Bob’s Your Uncle.

And a little tease, next up Potato-Asparagus Soup . . .

Too cute not to post!!!!

I can honestly say that before Eric and I went vegan we L-O-V-E-D Buffalo Wings! We sort of made it our mission to try them at every restaurant we went to, determine who had the best and who deserved a return trip. Since becoming Vegan I have not thought of them very often....that is until I spent 5 days in Maine! Some friends brought over a beautiful NON VEGAN spread for all (except me) to enjoy. I could not pass taking a picture of my beautiful niece enjoying what may be her very first Buffalo wing!!




Brooke is definitely a girl after Eric's heart...or should I say "old" heart ;)!