It isn’t exactly the height of tomato season any more but the brisk air sure pairs well with a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Believe it or not, thanks to the bizarrely warm fall we had in Chicago, I just brought my basil plant indoors earlier this week and still have quite a harvest! I can’t bring myself to waste the fresh basil which seems such a precious gift at this time of year. On the other hand, there is only so much pesto you can make and freeze in ice cube trays.

Although it is not quite as yummy as using fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes with fresh basil still make a satisfying soup. I usually don’t follow an exact recipe each time, it depends on what I have in the house. Below is a recipe I found on the Food Network site that looks a lot like what happens in my kitchen. Try serving it with mini grilled cheese sandwiches that have different add-ins like bacon, avocado, fresh tomato…yum.

Homemade Tomato Soup
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello & Food Network
1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream, optional
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Strain the chopped canned tomatoes, reserving the juices, and spread onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, to taste, drizzle with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and roast until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat remaining olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the roasted chopped canned tomatoes, reserved tomato juices, chicken broth, bay leaf and butter. Simmer until vegetables are very tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add basil and cream, if using. Puree with a hand held immersion blender until smooth.

Do you ever have one of those nights where you think that you are going to whip up something quickly and over an hour later with a kitchen that could qualify as as a federal disaster area, you wonder what the heck happened? That was my night.

My intentions were to use up a beautiful bunch of asparagus and incorporate some of my fresh herbs. I have been neglecting my herb garden a bit which I know is reaching its final days with the quickly cooling weather. After a bit of searching, I settled upon this recipe.

Once you read the recipe below, you may wonder why I encountered such difficulty since it seems relatively easy. I think that exhaustion from a long day and a blender with a loose lid (yikes…hot soup shower) were a few of the hurdles in making this recipe quickly and painlessly.

Despite my slight struggles in the kitchen, I will make this recipe again and again as it was perhaps the best asparagus soup I have eaten. The fresh basil cream was such a perfect combination and it looked so beautiful in the bowl!

Asparagus Soup with Basil Cream
from Gourmet Magazine, April 1995
3 pounds asparagus, ends and tips cut off and reserved separately
and stalks cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 1/2 cups water
2 medium onions, chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chicken broth

Makes about 7 cups.

My first soup of fall! The truth is, I was starting to make Red Lentil Dal and added too much chicken stock. So, I just adjusted the ingredients a bit and turned it into a soup. It was delicious and made me even more excited for fall flavors and foods.

Now, why is it that they are called red lentils when they are a beautiful orange? Would it be so bad to call them orange lentils? A further mystery… they turn yellow once cooked, even without the addition of curry. hmmm (All this speculation from a redhead who spent much of her childhood announcing that her hair is more orange and not red and that carrot tops are actually green.)

I served this soup with a yummy nibbling plate of cured olives, crunchy toasted bread and slices of sausage.
Curried Red Lentil Soup
1 1/4 cups red lentils
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon curry
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse and drain lentils. Put them in a pot with chicken stock and curry. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in additional ingredients and simmer for an additional few minutes. I like it garlic-y and spicy. Add more of any of the spices to your liking.

I have found that good dried Greek oregano is the key to successfully making many Greek dishes taste authentic. Store bought dried oregano and Italian oregano just do not taste the same. We are lucky enough to get a fresh harvest each year from my father-in-law’s childhood friend. He plucks it from the hills near his home.

The oregano is already quite dry from the Greek summer sun. After bringing home our fragrant bundles, we take turns rubbing our hands together over the small branches detaching the harvest which sprinkles down into a large pan. Next, we portion it and bag it and take it home. Sounds like an illegal activity! More than once, I have been worried about a suspicious suitcase search to reveal my ziplock baggies of the fresh, pungent herb.

Horiatiki is a common fixture on the Greek table. In the neighborhood gardens in Corfu, you find a majority of tomatoes, some peppers, zucchini, eggplant. Fresh plucked tomatoes and green peppers are tossed with red onion, feta and olives. Tossed with oil, vinegar and oregano, the result is one of hte most healthy, refreshing summer side dishes to be found.

Horiatiki - Greek Peasant Salad
I like to eyeball the portions to my liking. Below is a basic guide.

Put all ingredients through red onion in a bowl. Sprinkle with oregano and toss with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

It is about that time of year when corn is reaching its best. For the first time, I think that I will cut a bunch of corn off the cob this summer and freeze it for winter treats. Considering how much I love everything corn… I looked back and realized that I have not posted any corn recipes! What a shame. Well, get ready… here they come!

I stumbled upon a web page which has a brief history of corn and the sweetest essay by a young 7th grader named Jemima. (scroll down to see her report) Remember when essays were hand written? And, look at those wonderful little drawings to illustrate her subject. I was so drawn to the childlike wonder and excitement for something as simple as corn. “Did you know that corn is just a huge grass?” Jemima’s report is as refreshing to me as this cold, summer soup.

White Corn Chowder with Shrimp and Avocado
Adapted from Everyday Food
3 cups corn kernals, fresh or frozen
1 cup low fat yogurt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
pinch cayenne pepper
1 pound cooked shrimp, roughly chopped
coarse salt and pepper
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced

If the corn is frozen, thaw it under hot water. For fresh corn, boil in hot water until tender then rinse under cold water. In a blender, working in two batches if needed, puree corn, yogurt, milk, lime juice, cilantro and cayenne. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. This takes some time to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped shrimp and avocado. Serve cold.

Salads and I have come a long way. As a child, I refused to eat them due to my distaste for lettuce and tomatoes. I also was not and still am not a fan of bottled salad dressings. During the last decade, with the discovery of ’spring mix’ greens, good olive oil and vinegar, arugula, good cheese and various other salad accoutrements, I learned to eat them. However, it was truly not until this summer that I have actually come to enjoy salads and as perhaps you can tell from my growing list of recipes…. seek them out!

This Asian-inspired chicken salad was found in Everyday Food last month in a “no-cook” meals section. (music to my ears during hot summer months) Although the cilantro dressing was memorable, my true romance with this salad was with the red cabbage. I have never been drawn to red cabbage and always imagine it mushy and sogged next to a droopy bratwurst. In this dish, it adds a flavorful crunch and is oh so pretty.

Asian Rotisserie Chicken Salad
from Everyday Food

In a blender, combine cilantro, lime juice and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. In a large bowl, combine chicken, cabbage, bell pepper and scallions. Seals with salt and pepper. In another bowl, toss lettuce with 1/2 cup dressing. Divide amount four bowls and top with the chicken mixture. Drizzle all with the remaining dressing and sprinkle with cashews.

Is it too boring to post another orzo salad so soon? Well, the last was such a hit, I had to use up the rest of the orzo and my fresh herb garden continues to lure me in for clippings. So, this salad was born. I added chopped basil to the orzo and broccoli with a sherry vinegar and olive oil dressing. Next time, I would puree the basil with the dressing to make a fresh Basil Vinaigrette. It will add better flavor to each bite of the salad as well as some nice color to the pasta. The recipe below includes the adjustment. Enjoy!

Broccoli and Orzo Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
1 head of broccoli
1 cup uncooked orzo
pine nuts (optional)

Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and steam it. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Toss with pine nuts and basil vinaigrette.

For the Basil Vinaigrette
This recipe yields more than you need for the above salad. Try it with grilled lamb or steak.

Puree first five ingredients in a food processor or blender. Slowly add oil in a thin stream to incorporate.

I am officially on a “standby summer salads” kick. This is another that I have made with frequency. I am so excited to be using fresh herbs with regularity!

I finally planted a number of my porch herb pots a few days ago only to have them trampled by an intense rain. I found one little fella out on the edge of the railing, completely exposed, roots washed clean from the downpour. The newly potted plant had not even enjoyed 24 hours in his new pot to secure his roots and had therefore, floated right on out when the torrential rains came. We are three floors up and yet the little foundling stayed on the 4 inch railing being pelted but did not plummet to his death three stories down. That little guy is a fighter and after gently tucking him back in his dirt, I named him Rocky.

Orzo Salad with Chickpeas, Dill & Lemon
1 cup uncooked orzo
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 19-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 T fresh lemon juice
1.5 T olive oil
1 T cold water
1/2 t salt
1 clove crushed garlic

From Cooking Light

This is probably my number one summer standby recipe. I searched back through the archives just to be sure that I had not posted this recipe already. I had forgotten that this is my first summer blogging. Oh Whipped… it is as if you have been a part of my life forever!

Initially, when I started this blog (encouraged by my buddy mav), I was looking for a new hobby and welcomed another way to obsess about food. I was skeptical as to how long I would keep it up since I have a love affair with learning curves and lose interest quickly when I do new things. My basement and closets are filled with various art supplies and equipment from past interests.

In the past six months, this blog has offered me much more than expected. It has been wonderful meeting new friends, finding kindred spirits, being welcomed by so many new people and even reconnecting with an old friend by chance. I must admit that there has been a time or two when I felt a slight obligation to the blog but in large part, it has been such a delcious, friendly, stimulating, exciting adventure. Thank you for reading!

(sappy background music ends)

I discovered this recipe a few summers ago and make it a number of times each grilling season. The grated cucumber in the dressing adds something refreshing and special to the flavors. As I prepare to type it out, I am surprised at how long it is as I seem to throw it together so quickly. After you make it a time or two, you will see that it is a snap.

Chicken Souvlaki Salad
Adapted from Cooking Light

Grill or broil chicken. Cut into chunks. Mix with cubed cucumber, feta, onion, olives and tomatoes. In separate bowl, combine yogurt, grated cucumber, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix together to form dressing. Toss the salad with the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with Greek oregano. Serve with pita chips.

I have made this salad a number of times. The recipe, copied from the Almost Vegetarian cookbook, is safely embedded in a plastic sleeve inside my “do-over” 3-ring recipe binder. But, each time I make it, I ask myself, “Lentils…do I really like you?”

I really WANT to like lentils, which is why I keep making lentil recipes, I am just not sure how much I do. I have a little test for just these cases. It goes something like this…If lentils were as bad for you as custard filled donuts or red velvet cake, would you ever eat them again?

Probably I am just being bratty towards lentils because I am trying to take a little hiatus from baked goods and sweets while I trim off a few unwanted pounds this summer. The poor lentils shouldn’t have to take the heat!

This is a good summer recipe, stays in the refrigerator for days if not a week and has made many a picnic-goer happy. Next time, I think I will try it with red lentils or French lentils which I find more flavorful.

Lentil Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta
2 whole cloves
1 white or yellow onion, peeled and halved
2 cups uncooked lentils, picked over and well rinsed
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 large Belgian endive, cored and leaves separated
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon walnut oil
6 large sundried tomatoes (dry packed, minced)
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup minced celery or fennel
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Whisk togeterh vinegar, oil and stir into lentils. Toss in tomatoes, feta, onion and celery or fennel. Season with pepper. Spoon onto plates in middle of endive.

Comments: I have used olive oil in absense of walnut oil. And, I prefer the fennel to the celery. Finally, as you can see from the photo, I skipped the endive as well.