Late summer minestrone

late summer minestrone|pamela salzman

Oh, I am not very good at goodbyes.  And saying farewell to summer is just inevitable now, isn’t it?  My minestrone soup is one of those recipes that bridges summer and fall.  Zucchini and tomatoes are still plentiful in the farmer’s markets, but the weather is showing signs of cooling down.  We’ve had a few chilly and foggy beach days in the last week and that was my signal to make this favorite soup of ours.  The word minestrone means “big soup” in Italian.  To me it means, “use what you’ve got, ” especially lots of veggies.  No matter what, it’s always hearty enough to be called a meal, but light enough for the season.  My mom used to make it with elbow macaroni or the smallest of pastas, but I adore farro and find that it adds a heartiness that the pasta doesn’t.  Plus, it has more to offer in the way of fiber and protein.  Combined with white beans, this is a well-balanced meal that almost always makes its way into thermoses in tomorrow’s lunch box.  Have I mentioned lately that making school lunches is not my favorite morning pastime?  I know, I’m such a whiiiiiner.  But Daughter #1 is trying to be an overachiever this year and start school at 7:00 am.  Do you know what this means?  I need to be making lunch around 6:00 am OR I could just reheat minestrone five minutes before we need to leave the house.  Sounds like a plan!

As the seasons change, so does this soup.  I have used jarred tomatoes instead of fresh, and frozen shelled peas and cabbage for the zucchini.  Don’t be put off by the piece of rind from a wedge of Parmesan cheese.  It’s a little secret ingredient found in so many Italian kitchens.  One you see how delicious it makes this soup, you’ll never throw it out again!   My mom would make this soup or pasta e fagioli whenever we would come to the end of a piece of Parmesan.  In my house, my kids and husband love this soup so much that we buy buy the cheese just for the rind!  Mr. Picky even likes this soup.   His favorite thing to do is add a leftover meatball, chopped up into his bowl and he’ll have seconds, thank you very much.

late summer minestrone|pamela salzman

This week I will be harvesting almost all the basil and parsley in the garden and making a mountain of pesto to freeze in small quantities for the upcoming months.  At least I can make summer last a little longer in my own way.

late summer minestrone|pamela salzman

 

 
 
 

 
 
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Late Summer Minestrone

Pamela
5 from 4 votes
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil + more for drizzling
  • 1 onion coarsely chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery coarsely chopped
  • 1 carrot coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 1 pound of fresh tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped or 1 14.5 ounce can, diced with juice
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock preferably homemade
  • ¾ cup farro
  • Piece of rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese if you have it
  • 4 small zucchini medium dice, about 4 cups
  • 1 ½ cups cooked white beans e.g. cannellini, Great Northern, rinsed if canned
  • Handful of greens coarsely chopped
  • Chopped basil leaves or pesto for garnish optional
  • Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano cheese

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot, and add the onions, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown.
  • Add the tomatoes with the juice, parsley and ½ teaspoon sea salt. Cook for 5 minutes more, until the tomatoes are fragrant.
  • Add the stock and 2 teaspoons of sea salt and bring to a boil. Add the farro and the parmesan rind and bring to a boil again. Lower the heat so that the soup simmers. Cook about 15 minutes.
  • Add the zucchini and cook another 10 to 15 minutes, until the farro is tender but still has a little “toothiness.”
  • Add the cooked beans and heat through. Add more stock, if desired.
  • Add the chopped greens and stir until wilted. Adjust seasonings and serve with chopped basil leaves and freshly grated parmesan cheese and/or drizzled olive oil on top or a spoonful of pesto.
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Seared wild salmon with beet, blood orange and spinach salad recipe

Seared Wild Salmon Salad with Beets, Blood Oranges and Spinach | Pamela Salzman

Don’t let the fancy name fool you.  This recipe is as easy as it is beautiful and it’s absolutely delicious.  All of this is in season right now — from the wild salmon and spinach to the blood oranges and beets — and it comes just in time for the last Friday of Lent.

This dish reminds me of a nutrition lesson I taught to some elementary school students one year about “eating the colors of the rainbow.”  Nature provides us with a beautiful spectrum of colors from which to choose and those colors represent different phytonutrients — compounds found in plant foods which help protect the plants from viruses and bacteria, but also support our health, as well.

There are thousands of phytonutrients which are classified by family.  But teaching the classification of phytonutrients to fifth graders (or adults) is overwhelming and confusing. All we really need to know is that each color (including white) represents an important set of different health benefits.  In order to maximize our exposure to all these health benefits, we need to eat  a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables everyday in as many colors as possible…..like the colors of the rainbow.

This salad may not cover every color, but it sure gives you a solid start.  One colorful addition to the salad which does not contain phytonutrients, but is loaded with anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory Omega-3 fatty acids is wild salmon.  If you don’t eat fish, the salad is fantastic without it, but if you do eat fish I strongly encourage you to find a good source for wild salmon which is one of the richest sources of Omega-3s that you can find.  Unfortunately the typical American is both lacking in Omega-3s and out of balance in the Omega 3 – Omega 6 ratio, resulting in a highly inflammatory diet.  I bought this lovely piece of sockeye from Vital Choice because I need a consistent source of high quality fish for my classes, but occasionally I can find what I’m looking for in my local markets, including the farmer’s market.

Although I don’t get too worked up about the presentation of my food (I’m much more concerned with how it tastes and its nutritional benefits), it is always nice to eat something that looks as beautiful as it tastes.

To all my students and readers who celebrate Easter, have a lovely holiday!

 

Seared Wild Salmon with Beet, Blood Orange and Spinach Salad

Pamela
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bunch medium beets
  • 5 medium blood oranges or regular oranges
  • 2 Tablespoons finely diced shallot
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons raw honey
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces baby spinach leaves or arugula washed and dried
  • 6 filets wild Alaskan salmon 5 to 6 ounces each
  • zest of one blood orange optional
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the fish
  • 4 Tablespoons cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut the greens off the beets, leaving about ½ inch of the stems still attached. Save the greens for another time. Wash the beets well and place them in a roasting pan with a 1/2-inch layer of water on the bottom. Cover tightly with foil (if the foil touches the beets, cover first with parchment, then with foil.) Roast about 50 minutes (or longer for larger beets). When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Allow them to cool, and then peel them by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut them into ½-inch wedges.
  • Slice the stem and bottom ends from the blood oranges. Stand the oranges on one end and, following the contour of the fruit with a very sharp knife, remove the peel and white pith. Work from top to bottom, rotating the fruit as you go. Then hold each orange over a bowl and carefully slice between the membranes and the fruit to release the segments in between. Squeeze any juice left in the remaining membrane into a measuring cup. Add any juice from the bowl of blood orange segments to the measuring cup. (Or if you're pressed for time, just slice the oranges into rounds.)
  • Combine the diced shallot, lemon juice, ¼ cup blood orange juice (if you didn’t reserve enough, you can add regular freshly squeezed orange juice), honey and ¾ teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil slowly. Add black pepper and additional sea salt to taste.
  • Remove the salmon from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Season the salmon with the zest, sea salt, and ground pepper.
  • Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the oil to the pan and allow to heat up for 1 minute, until very warm, but not smoking. Lay the fish in the pan, seasoned side down, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until it is lightly browned. Turn the fish over, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook a few minutes more, until it is almost cooked through. Do your best not to overcook the salmon. When it is done, the fish will begin to flake and separate a little, and the center will be slightly rare. The salmon will continue to cook a bit more while it sits.
  • Place the spinach in a bowl and toss lightly with some dressing. Transfer to a serving platter. Place the salmon on top of the spinach.
  • Place the beets and blood oranges in the bowl and toss lightly with some dressing. Arrange the beets and blood oranges around the perimeter of the platter. Drizzle the salmon with additional dressing, if desired.

Notes

Blood oranges are little more tart than regular oranges, so if you are not using blood orange juice in the dressing, you can balance the acidity with a little extra lemon juice or some rice vinegar.
Do-ahead suggestions: You can prepare your beets, oranges, greens and dressing up to 2 days before.
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Spring green cleaning and a sesame spinach salad recipe

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Did you miss the January 1st detox craze?  While your friends downed maple syrup and cayenne pepper smoothies, were you cozying up to a bowl of chicken and vegetable stew?  How smart you are!  The winter is not the ideal time to detox.  Granted, if you were overindulging on alcohol, sweets and late night snacks during the holidays, going back to a more normal diet would have been a good idea.  But winter is our time to keep warm and insulated by eating warming foods and hunkered down at home to replenish our energy reserves.

The good news is that the time to start fresh is Springtime.  The energy is ascending from the ground and coming alive.  Now would be a good time to do a little physical spring cleaning, but you don’t necessarily need to go on a liquid diet to do that.  How timely that what is bountiful in the garden right now are nature’s natural detoxifiers — greens!  I always say that if you can eat seasonally and locally grown food, you don’t even need to know why it’s good for you.  Nature gives us just what we need at just the right time.  Dark green leafy vegetables are loaded with chlorophyll which helps to protect the liver and eliminate toxins from the body.  Leafy greens, especially watercress and arugula, can be slightly diuretic and help the liver flush out those toxins, but build strength in the blood with their high mineral content.

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

It’s always important to keep dark green vegetables in regular rotation in the diet whether in juices, salads, lightly sauteed or in soups and stews.  At the moment, I am juicing kale and parsley with carrots, apple, lemon, ginger and celery.  Delish!   You can try adding greens to soups — try my Mushroom-Barley Soup with Kale or Vegetable Chili with Swiss Chard or lightly cooked, such the Braised Collards and Cannellinis.  Salads are an easy and familiar way to eat greens.  The Raw Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette is always a winner, especially with the lemon juice in the dressing which helps convert toxins into their water-soluble form so they are easily flushed from the system.  Or try my favorite everyday salad dressing with lemon juice.

Today I’ll offer a new recipe for Sesame Spinach Salad which is one of the most delicious and easy salads you will ever love.  My farmer’s market sells pre-washed baby spinach so you really have no excuse not to make this.  Today I made it plain and simple with a couple handfuls of mung beans sprouts I found at the farmer’s market, but really you can add a zillion different things that would be great — grated carrots, thinly sliced red pepper, blanched broccoli florets, rehydrated seaweed, poached chicken, you get my drift?  A zillion things.   Make the dressing days in advance if you want.  No excuses.

Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Sesame Spinach Salad

Pamela
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Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
  • ½ pound fresh baby spinach leaves washed and dried
  • 2 handfuls bean sprouts such as mung bean sprouts
  • DRESSING:
  • 3 Tablespoons unrefined extra virgin olive oil can substitute up to half flax seed oil
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined toasted sesame oil dark
  • 1 Tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon of fine grain sea salt
  • a couple grinds of black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the spinach leaves, toasted sesame seeds and the bean sprouts in a large salad bowl or serving platter.
  • Place all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified or place them in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
  • Dress the salad to coat lightly. Taste for seasoning.

Notes

This is a basic recipe that can be adapted in terms of what is added to the salad. Feel free to add julienned carrots, sweet bell pepper, grilled shrimp, blanched broccoli, cooked soybeans etc. Depending on how much you add, you may need to increase the amount of dressing you make.
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Spring Green Cleaning and a Sesame Spinach Salad Recipe | Pamela Salzman

Artichoke and spinach barley “risotto” recipe

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

When I invited some friends over for dinner last Friday night, it seemed like a great idea.  After I finished teaching a class and picking up the kids from school, I would have a few hours to get the house organized and prepare a proper meal before our guests arrived at 6:30.  You know what they say about best laid plans.  My husband didn’t make it home in time to take Mr. Picky to baseball practice.  My girls each needed a ride here and there and then baseball practice was cut short because it was too dark to see the ball.  So my uninterrupted time in the kitchen turned into Pamela’s taxi service.  Has this ever happened to you?

It’s a very good thing that barley risotto was on the menu.  Traditional risotto is one of my favorite comfort foods, but it definitely requires a bit of babysitting.  Maybe I had a hunch that Friday would not be the night to stir a pot of rice on and off for 20 minutes, because I planned for a version of risotto which I could pop in the oven and say “see ya later.”  Barley takes the place of the classic arborio rice in this dish.  Like arborio rice, barley releases that nice starchiness which is essential to make the risotto creamy and rich.  Barley also packs a nice bit of protein and soluble fiber, which helps reduce cholesterol levels and support digestive health, but is missing from white rice.  Unfortunately, barley does contain gluten and is not appropriate for people who are gluten-intolerant.

This risotto almost parallels nature’s transition from winter to spring.  It is hearty with the barley being a bit nutty and chewy, but the leeks, artichokes and lemon help keep everything tasting light and fresh.  I am a huge fan of leeks and how grassy and mild they taste.  If you don’t have leeks, feel free to use shallots or onions.  I am not embarrassed to admit that I don’t enjoy trimming artichokes, so I keep frozen or water-packed artichoke hearts in the kitchen at all times.  Or adapt your favorite risotto recipe to use barley instead.

There’s something about risotto which is like a warm blanket, encouraging you to slow down and relax for a bit.  After a long week and a busy afternoon of shuttling children to and fro, it was so nice to sit down to a civilized dinner with friends.  It didn’t even matter that the house never got organized.

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman

Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto"

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 6 as a side dish

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups thinly sliced leeks white and green parts (about 2 medium leeks), washed well
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • Sea salt
  • 1 cup barley semi-pearled or hulled (do NOT rinse)
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 3 ½ cups chicken stock or vegetable stock preferably homemade
  • 6 oz. artichoke hearts frozen or water-packed is fine, quartered
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese or to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large handfuls of spinach

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a medium ovenproof pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 Tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and sprinkle with sea salt. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the barley and the lemon zest and stir to combine. Add the wine, raise the heat, and simmer, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  • Add all the stock, the artichokes and 1 teaspoon sea salt (add more to taste if your stock is unsalted), and bring to a boil.
  • Cover the pot with a lid and transfer it to the oven. Say "see ya later!" Bake for about 1 hour, until the barley is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  • Remove the pot from the oven and uncover it. If it seems too liquidy, place over low heat and simmer a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid to your liking. I like it it a little looser than a pilaf. Otherwise, stir in the Parmesan, 1 Tablespoon butter, lemon juice, black pepper to taste and the raw spinach. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately. To reheat leftovers, add a little hot water in a saucepan or add enough stock to change it into a soup.
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Artichoke and Spinach Barley "Risotto" | Pamela Salzman