food

I need to use up some vegetables from down on the Crook farm.  Thus I am placing these recipes here to hold them until I make and they get their own entries.

• Beef, okra, potato, carrot soup
• Celery soup
• Roasted eggplant soup
• Roasted egglplant and chickpea soup

Beef, Okra, Potato And Carrot Soup

1/2 red onion, diced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat (chuck or round roast), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound okra, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 medium waxy potatoes, cubed
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half
5 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Prep the onion, celery and carrot. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables 
and season them with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prep the beef, okra, potatoes and tomatoes. Season the beef generously all over with salt and pepper. Add these to 
the pot and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4-6 more minutes.

3. Add the water and bring the soup to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef and 
potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. 

4. Stir in the minced garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Celery potato Soup

NGREDIENTS
1 large bunch celery with leaves (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion (about 12 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
3 cans (14 to 14 1/4 ounces each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
2 medium all-purpose potatoes (about 6 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups water

PREPARATION
1. Trim ends from celery stalks. Reserve a few celery leaves for garnish; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
Slice celery stalks and remaining leaves crosswise into 1-inch pieces; transfer to colander. Rinse and drain well.

2. In 51/2- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and leaves, onion, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 

I need to use up some vegetables from down on the Crook farm.  Thus I am placing these recipes here to hold them until I make and they get their own entries.

Beef, okra, potato, carrot soup
Celery soup
Roasted eggplant soup
Roasted egglplant and chickpea soup
Beef, Okra, Potato And Carrot Soup

1/2 red onion, diced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat (chuck or round roast), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound okra, cut into bite-sized pieces
3 medium waxy potatoes, cubed
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half
5 cups water
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Prep the onion, celery and carrot. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables 
and season them with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prep the beef, okra, potatoes and tomatoes. Season the beef generously all over with salt and pepper. Add these to 
the pot and stir. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4-6 more minutes.

3. Add the water and bring the soup to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef and 
potatoes are tender, 20-30 minutes. 

4. Stir in the minced garlic, parsley and lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Celery potato Soup

NGREDIENTS
1 large bunch celery with leaves (about 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion (about 12 ounces), chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
3 cans (14 to 14 1/4 ounces each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
2 medium all-purpose potatoes (about 6 ounces each), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups water

PREPARATION
1. Trim ends from celery stalks. Reserve a few celery leaves for garnish; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. 
Slice celery stalks and remaining leaves crosswise into 1-inch pieces; transfer to colander. Rinse and drain well.

2. In 51/2- to 6-quart saucepot, heat oil over medium heat. Add celery and leaves, onion, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 
and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until celery is soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. 
Add wine and cook 2 minutes or until wine is mostly evaporated.

3. Add broth, potatoes, and water to saucepot; cover and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover 
and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

4. In batches, ladle celery mixture into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, 
and blend very well until pureed. Pour puree into large bowl. Repeat with remaining mixture.

5. Return soup to saucepot; heat through. Ladle soup into tureen; sprinkle with pepper and garnish with celery leaves.

INGREDIENTS

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, diced medium
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
Fresh oregano (optional)
Plain yogurt (optional)
DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together eggplant, onion, garlic, and 4 teaspoons of the 
olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, 
leaving a wide strip of empty space at one end. In bowl, toss chickpeas with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. 
Transfer to empty space on sheet. Roast until eggplant is golden and cooked through and chickpeas are slightly 
crunchy, about 35 minutes.

STEP 2
Set chickpeas aside. Peel garlic and add to a medium pot, along with eggplant, onion, and broth. Bring mixture
 to a simmer over medium-high. With a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon, mash some eggplant until soup
 is thick and chunky. Stir in chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with fresh
 oregano and plain yogurt, if desired.

and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until celery is soft but not browned, stirring occasionally. 
Add wine and cook 2 minutes or until wine is mostly evaporated.

3. Add broth, potatoes, and water to saucepot; cover and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover 
and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.

4. In batches, ladle celery mixture into blender; cover, with center part of cover removed to allow steam to escape, 
and blend very well until pureed. Pour puree into large bowl. Repeat with remaining mixture.

5. Return soup to saucepot; heat through. Ladle soup into tureen; sprinkle with pepper and garnish with celery leaves.

 

INGREDIENTS

2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, diced medium
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
Fresh oregano (optional)
Plain yogurt (optional)
DIRECTIONS

STEP 1
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, toss together eggplant, onion, garlic, and 4 teaspoons of the 
olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet, 
leaving a wide strip of empty space at one end. In bowl, toss chickpeas with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. 
Transfer to empty space on sheet. Roast until eggplant is golden and cooked through and chickpeas are slightly 
crunchy, about 35 minutes.

STEP 2
Set chickpeas aside. Peel garlic and add to a medium pot, along with eggplant, onion, and broth. Bring mixture
 to a simmer over medium-high. With a potato masher or back of a wooden spoon, mash some eggplant until soup
 is thick and chunky. Stir in chickpeas and season to taste with salt and pepper. To serve, top with fresh
 oregano and plain yogurt, if desired.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds butternut squash, halved, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 (13 3/4-ounce) cans chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup light cream or heavy cream
• garlic

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine squash, onion, carrots, broth and salt. Simmer, uncovered, until squash is very tender, 
about 40 minutes. Puree soup in a blender or food processor with the butter. Whisk cream into soup. Serve in wide, 
shallow bowls with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Notes

• Squash is much more sweet than I imagined
• No carrot, butter, sour cream was added 
• turned out very good

 

Research Links

• L&L: Butternut Squash Soup

Research links

• Applebees tomato basil soup reverse engineered recipe
• Garden fresh tomato soup recipe – uses no canned tomato product

Notes: Crazy Andy brought me more tomatoes from his farm.  I now have a refrigerator shelf full of tomatoes.  Must use quickly or will go bad!

 

Ingredients

sautee the following

• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

add tomatoes then simmer for 1/2 hour

• 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes – fresh tomatoes even better

Put in a blender and puree the vegetable bits

Add the rest of the stuff 1 by 1 to suit taste – I did it in this order

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup minced fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup heavy cream

Simmer for another 1/2 hour.

I only used the quantities as a guide.  I did not measure anything.