INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
4 large gold beets
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup whipping cream
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp tumeric
DIRECTIONS
Saute onions in butter for approximately four minutes. Add broth, gold beets, and cream. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Add vinegar and tumeric. Pour in blender and puree until smooth.
Optional toppings: sour cream or yogurt, pumpernickel croutons, fresh dill.
Green Earth Organics Inc. is a home and office certified organic grocery and natural product delivery service. We have a wide selection of 100% Certified Organic fruit, vegetables, and other grocery products. We also carry a growing list of environmentally friendly products that make it easier for our customers to tread lighter on our planet. This blog offers exiting information on organic food and healthy eating habits.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Borscht
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 cups shredded green cabbage
3 carrots, peeled and chopped small
3 large beets, peeled and shredded or diced medium
Other vegetables (such as potatoes, beans, corn, turnip, parsnip) if desired, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves, whole
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery, and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
Add the cabbage, carrots, beets, other vegetables if using, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Cover pot and cook on very low heat for between 60-90 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle hot borscht into bowls and top with a heaping spoon of sour cream. Serve with crusty bread.
Serves 8.
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
2 stalks celery, diced small
1 cups shredded green cabbage
3 carrots, peeled and chopped small
3 large beets, peeled and shredded or diced medium
Other vegetables (such as potatoes, beans, corn, turnip, parsnip) if desired, diced
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves, whole
Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and celery, and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
Add the cabbage, carrots, beets, other vegetables if using, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and bay leaves. Cover pot and cook on very low heat for between 60-90 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle hot borscht into bowls and top with a heaping spoon of sour cream. Serve with crusty bread.
Serves 8.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Spiced Plum Soup
This soup is excellent piping hot or chilled. Serves 6 to 8 people as appetizers.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ripe dark plums, washed, cut in half, and pitted
1 6-inch thin strip of orange zest
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Garnish: Spoonsful of yogurt swirled in each serving
DIRECTIONS
Mix the plums, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and honey in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the fruit is very soft.
Puree the entire contents in a blender, skins and all. Stir in the yogurt. If you plan to serve it cold, chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
When ready to serve, add more orange juice, if you like, to achieve your preferred consistency. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then ladle into small bowls. Swirl a spoonful of yogurt into each portion as a garnish.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs ripe dark plums, washed, cut in half, and pitted
1 6-inch thin strip of orange zest
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
Garnish: Spoonsful of yogurt swirled in each serving
DIRECTIONS
Mix the plums, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and honey in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the fruit is very soft.
Puree the entire contents in a blender, skins and all. Stir in the yogurt. If you plan to serve it cold, chill in the refrigerator for several hours.
When ready to serve, add more orange juice, if you like, to achieve your preferred consistency. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, then ladle into small bowls. Swirl a spoonful of yogurt into each portion as a garnish.
About Plums
It's plum season in British Columbia!
Wild plums are native to North America. They are relatives of the peach, nectarine, and almond. Depending on the variety, they range in flavour from sugary-sweet to tangy and almost sour-tasting. They come in many shapes and colours too. They are smooth-skinned and are usually rounded, although they can also be oval or heart-shaped. Some, such as prune plums, have dark blue skin with yellow flesh. Others have red, golden, or black skins with red or yellow flesh. All plums contain a large flat seed.
Varieties
Yellow Plums: Round, yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed plums arrive early and include varieties such as Early Golden and Shiro. Their tart-sweet flavour makes them wonderful for conserves and jams.
Red Plums: Best for eating out-of-hand, red plums ripen in late summer (mid- to late-August), with varieties such as Burbank, Ozark Premier and Vanier.
Italian Plums: Their deep flavours and firm flesh make purple, oval plums best suited for cooking. Varieties include Stanley and Italian.
Blue Plums: Due to the array of early- and late-blooming varieties, blue plum season is the longest (September to late October). Varieties include Brufre, Victory and Voyageur.
Pluots: These fabulous hybrids are easily identifiable by their speckled skins and curious names, such as Elephant Heart and Dinosaur Eggs. A cross between plums and apricots, pluots make delicious out-of-hand snacks and are great for crumb cakes and pies. Also look for Plumcots and Apriums.
Nutrition
One plum contains 36 calories, and is a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fibre. Plums are rich in antioxidants that are said to reduce the risk of cancer. Plums and prunes are known for their laxative effect. And though plums provide fibre, it is isatin - a natural laxative in plums - that gives prune juice its claim to fame as a laxative.
Buying and Storing
Look for plums that are plump with lots of colour. Choose fruit that yields to gentle pressure and is slightly soft at the tip. Avoid fruit with tears or shriveled skin, or soft, mushy spots.
If plums are not ripe when you buy them, leave them out at room temperature to ripen. Once they are ripe, store plums in the refrigerator.
Preparation
Wash plums just before using. Fresh plums are best eaten at room temperature for maximum flavour. They can also be baked or poached. Cooked plums are usually eaten with the skins on, but if you wish to peel them, first blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then submerse them in ice water to loosen the skins.
Plums can be enjoyed raw, whole or cut up in salads, on cereal, pancakes, and waffles and as a main-course garnish. Try plums as a perfect substitute in your favourite summertime berry recipes. Prune plums are especially well-suited to baked cobblers and crisps, pies, shortcakes, coffee cakes; in preserves and meat and game sauces; and as flavouring for ice cream. They also make a good base for a chilled summer soup.
Wild plums are native to North America. They are relatives of the peach, nectarine, and almond. Depending on the variety, they range in flavour from sugary-sweet to tangy and almost sour-tasting. They come in many shapes and colours too. They are smooth-skinned and are usually rounded, although they can also be oval or heart-shaped. Some, such as prune plums, have dark blue skin with yellow flesh. Others have red, golden, or black skins with red or yellow flesh. All plums contain a large flat seed.
Varieties
Yellow Plums: Round, yellow-skinned, yellow-fleshed plums arrive early and include varieties such as Early Golden and Shiro. Their tart-sweet flavour makes them wonderful for conserves and jams.
Red Plums: Best for eating out-of-hand, red plums ripen in late summer (mid- to late-August), with varieties such as Burbank, Ozark Premier and Vanier.
Italian Plums: Their deep flavours and firm flesh make purple, oval plums best suited for cooking. Varieties include Stanley and Italian.
Blue Plums: Due to the array of early- and late-blooming varieties, blue plum season is the longest (September to late October). Varieties include Brufre, Victory and Voyageur.
Pluots: These fabulous hybrids are easily identifiable by their speckled skins and curious names, such as Elephant Heart and Dinosaur Eggs. A cross between plums and apricots, pluots make delicious out-of-hand snacks and are great for crumb cakes and pies. Also look for Plumcots and Apriums.
Nutrition
One plum contains 36 calories, and is a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fibre. Plums are rich in antioxidants that are said to reduce the risk of cancer. Plums and prunes are known for their laxative effect. And though plums provide fibre, it is isatin - a natural laxative in plums - that gives prune juice its claim to fame as a laxative.
Buying and Storing
Look for plums that are plump with lots of colour. Choose fruit that yields to gentle pressure and is slightly soft at the tip. Avoid fruit with tears or shriveled skin, or soft, mushy spots.
If plums are not ripe when you buy them, leave them out at room temperature to ripen. Once they are ripe, store plums in the refrigerator.
Preparation
Wash plums just before using. Fresh plums are best eaten at room temperature for maximum flavour. They can also be baked or poached. Cooked plums are usually eaten with the skins on, but if you wish to peel them, first blanch them in boiling water for about 30 seconds and then submerse them in ice water to loosen the skins.
Plums can be enjoyed raw, whole or cut up in salads, on cereal, pancakes, and waffles and as a main-course garnish. Try plums as a perfect substitute in your favourite summertime berry recipes. Prune plums are especially well-suited to baked cobblers and crisps, pies, shortcakes, coffee cakes; in preserves and meat and game sauces; and as flavouring for ice cream. They also make a good base for a chilled summer soup.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Roasted Beet and Fennel Salad
INGREDIENTS
2 large beets
1 lb fresh fennel
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 oz feta
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the stem and tip ends off of the beets. Scrub well and wrap in aluminum foil.
Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. (This may be done in advance and the beets place in the refrigerator overnight.)
Remove the leafy ends from the fennel and any stalk that appear too tough. Slice very thinly.
Place the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Remove the beets from the aluminum foil. The skins will slip off easily after roasting. After they are skinned, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
Mix together the beets, sautéed fennel, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and crumbled feta. Chill well.
2 large beets
1 lb fresh fennel
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 oz feta
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375.
Cut the stem and tip ends off of the beets. Scrub well and wrap in aluminum foil.
Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. (This may be done in advance and the beets place in the refrigerator overnight.)
Remove the leafy ends from the fennel and any stalk that appear too tough. Slice very thinly.
Place the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
Remove the beets from the aluminum foil. The skins will slip off easily after roasting. After they are skinned, cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
Mix together the beets, sautéed fennel, salt, black pepper, ground cumin, and crumbled feta. Chill well.
Carrot and Fennel Soup
INGREDIENTS
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, shredded
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 cup whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrots and fennel, and season with coriander and fennel seeds. Cook until lightly browned.
Mix in the whipping cream, and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 5 minutes until the cream has been absorbed into the carrots and fennel. Serve hot.
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, shredded
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
1/3 cup whipping cream
DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the carrots and fennel, and season with coriander and fennel seeds. Cook until lightly browned.
Mix in the whipping cream, and reduce heat to low. Simmer about 5 minutes until the cream has been absorbed into the carrots and fennel. Serve hot.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
More Than Just a Garnish
Parsley is the world's most popular herb. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is related to celery).
Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium, and calcium. Like most green vegetables, parsley is a good source of vitamin K, folic acid, and fiber.
Today, parsley is one of the most commonly consumed herbs in America. A fresh sprig of the curled parsley is often used as a garnish, while the Italian parsley is used to flavour sauces, soups, and stews.
Parsley can be minced and added to salads and coleslaws, dips, sauces, and salad dressings. It is a particularly lovely addition to tomato dishes, baked potatoes, potato salads, and peas. The stalks, which have a stronger flavour than the leaves, add flavour to casseroles and cooked dishes. To prevent a white sauce from being discoloured, stems are used instead of leaves.
Finally, for a natural breath freshener, try a sprig of parsley!
Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium, and calcium. Like most green vegetables, parsley is a good source of vitamin K, folic acid, and fiber.
Today, parsley is one of the most commonly consumed herbs in America. A fresh sprig of the curled parsley is often used as a garnish, while the Italian parsley is used to flavour sauces, soups, and stews.
Parsley can be minced and added to salads and coleslaws, dips, sauces, and salad dressings. It is a particularly lovely addition to tomato dishes, baked potatoes, potato salads, and peas. The stalks, which have a stronger flavour than the leaves, add flavour to casseroles and cooked dishes. To prevent a white sauce from being discoloured, stems are used instead of leaves.
Finally, for a natural breath freshener, try a sprig of parsley!
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