It's good for what Ails Ya, Garlic Cilantro Soup.

Its getting cold out. That means that people tend to stuff themselves into houses, schools, office buildings and malls and touch things with their unwashed hands. They think they are getting cozy with you while spittling all over your face. This is when our children come home with all sorts of new bugs, lice included. Hopefully I have not grossed you out to much and you will latch onto my prevention theory. Garlic is the answer. Lots of it. It may not necessary strengthen your immune system but it definitely keeps those who want to become close away (yes that sometimes can mean your "what I never get sick" snuffling husband). That in my mind equals a healthier you.
Now I know you are thinking but what about your kid? Mine of course doesn't do garlic but I think if I breath heavily on her head at least I can keep the lice away. Your kid,on the other hand, if partaking in this glorious concoction may keep my kid at a bit of distance and then maybe, just maybe, they both won't get sick. I know, I know, I can dream can't I?
Here is another thought I have about illness and cooking: Clean your Kitchen before you Cook. I am a bit anal about this little tidbit of advice. Not only will it keep you healthier, it will make it so much easier to cook. Clean as you go and after you are done, Clean up whatever is left. Oh, and wash your hands frequently. Before, during and after. That applies to all things, not just cooking. There don't you feel better?


Garlic Cilantro Soup with Lime
(for Reyna)
1 large bulb of garlic (that you grew or from Bread and Roses CSA cause it's better)
1 bunch of cilantro (that you grew or you got from Sweet Clover Market that in turn got it from Pete's Greens)
1 organic lime  (from Healthy Living Market)
2 tbs of butter
4 cups of pressure cooker chicken stock (YES you finally get to see it) or 1 32 ounce box of Organic Chicken Stock
Whole Wheat Orzo, cooked.


Let me be clear- I don't care where you get your ingredients, this is where I like to get them. Besides if you are trying to be healthy the best way to go about it is to get produce from local places that you know. I know these places. They are healthy places to get food if I can't grow it.

I run down to the basement to get my pressure cooker chicken stock and thaw it out.

Then I wash my cilantro and set about chopping it up.

After I have chopped it into tiny pieces (you can use an electric chopper too if you want it really fine), I take apart the garlic and peel. I think this garlic that I grew is gorgeous so I have taken several shots of it, naked even. Garlic has NO modesty.

Clothed Garlic

Naked Garlic

Smashed Naked Garlic

That garlic, it starts taking off its clothes even before it gets smashed...wanton bulb. I digress.

Okay chop that garlic.

Then add your 2 TBS of butter to the pot.

Melt at a low to medium heat.

Add your garlic and saute until soft.

Then add your cilantro and saute for a few more minutes.

Add your chicken stock and simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Cut a couple wedges of lime and squeeze into the soup.

Cook up some orzo, add it to the bottom of a bowl.

Now sometimes I let the orzo cook in the soup (because its my house and I am the only one who eats anything in it)  but when you sock the leftover soup into the frig, it gets gluey from the gluten so by cooking them separately you avoid all that. 

Add garlic cilantro soup.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

This soup will kill anything that is brewing in that body of yours and its delicious to boot. Not that my family would know though, they have never ever tried it. My friends on the other hand (Reyna, Rebecca, Michele G.) all can attest to this elixir's taste and transformative powers. 

Cheers! To your Health! Hey, if you eat it, you won't notice the garlic smell on me! That makes it all worth it doesn't it?

Because Just Everything is better with Bacon, including Soup

I love soup. Thick, stand your spoon up in it soup. Stick to your ribs, no need for a main course, soup. And bacon. Not your run of the mill go to the store filled with crap bacon but Hi! I have met the pig from whence this fatty meat goodness came from, my child has frolicked among them and even named one Babe.
These pigs have a terrific life up at our friend's farm www.breadandbutterfarm.com. They are happy pigs and I am happy to eat them. My philosophy is that everything is better with bacon and goat cheese. Goat cheese? Yep nothing better then a good Vermont Chevre. So imagine my joy when our CSA share included a Doe's Leap Chevre from Fairfield, VT.
 Soup is not hard. Seriously, anyone can do soup, especially this soup.

Today is definitely a Potato Leek Soup day. With Bacon. And Goat Cheese.

Bread and Butter Bacon

Chopped or scissored into a soup pot

Fry up your bacon. I have two large thick slices of no nitrate local bacon. I take my kitchen shears to them. Cook over low medium heat. Damn that smells amazing!
While the bacon is slowly melting into yummy crisp morsels, attend to the other ingredients.
Next in line, leeks.

I tend to first chop and then wash.

This way the dirt sinks down to the bottom of the container .
Swish it around through a few changes of water.

Bacony Gold!

Yum, Yum, I have to hold myself back from just eating those morsels of heaven.

Now most people would try to lower the fat content in their soup and drain off some of the bacon fat after the bacon bits have cooked down. Not me. I throw those leeks into all that wonderful yummy bacon fat.

I slowly saute those leeks in that decadent pasture raised pig fat and am not at all sorry. In fact I turn my attention to my potatoes that I  grew this summer and commence peeling about 2.5 lbs of them.

After the leeks become nice and soft. I throw the potatoes in with them, Toss them into a bacony marriage with the leeks and out of laziness (and because I don't feel like going down to the freezer to get the pressure cooker chicken stock) I use the BOX.

I pour that on top of those potatoes and commence the low boil.

Before the Boil

After the boil when the potatoes are fork soft, I weld the handy dandy immersion blender and create the velvety goodness we all know as potato leek soup.

But this gorgeous concoction is not finished. It needs a bit of pepper and sea salt.







And then my friends, all of us girls know that it really is the accessories that make the outfit.....

Bacon Bits and Chevre

Oh, how can I forget! The thing that makes it a meal! Gerard's bread with butter!

The kid rolls her eyes and clamps her mouth shut. This is not a battle I am in the mood to engage. She eats Grand Isle Veggie Pasta with butter and green beans. The hubby is busy visiting with friends at the Hornets Nest, he never makes it home for dinner. Sheesh.





Potato Leek Soup with Bacon and Chevre
2 slices of bacon chopped or scissored into small bits
2 leeks chopped and washed
2.5 to 3 lbs of potatoes peeled and sliced
4 cups to 6 cups of pressure cooker chicken broth or THE BOX of Imagine low sodium chicken broth
 32 ounces.
Salt and Pepper to taste
A dollop Chevre

Fry bacon until crisp. Pour off half the bacon fat (or more if you are really out to deprive yourself). Add leeks, saute until soft. Add the potatoes, toss with the leeks and potatoes. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Bring to a soft low boil for about 20 minutes or until you can poke the potatoes through easily with a fork. Bring out your handy dandy immersion blender or blend in small batches in your blender. If too thick for you, add a little water. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into a bowl. garnish with bacon and a good dollop of chevre. Roll your eyes at your child and butter some really good crusty bread. YUM.
Realize you are a damn good cook. Think about writing a blog post about it.

Spiced Butternut Squash Soup, revisited

Today I ate my Spiced Butternut Squash Soup and thought it fabulous. This, my friends, is the soup that made my daughter roll her eyes and scrunch up her sweet little face as I forced a spoonful through her lips. This is the soup that caused my husband to sigh and say, that's okay I am alright with the leftover grilled steak. This is the soup that I grew two gorgeous butternut squashes for, squealed with delight when our CSA bounty included garlic and leeks, scored a bag of Honey Crisp apples for. Yes, that soup. This is the soup that the neighbors raved about on Facebook because this was a soup that must be shared. It's that good.

Spiced Butternut Soup (adapted from allrecipes.com)
2 large butternut squashes roasted. (Split in half, seed, place on baking pan in water, cut side down, Roast @ 375 degrees F for 40 minutes or until you can poke a knife into it easily)
2 tbs butter
1 onion chopped
1 leek chopped
2 to 3 cloves of garlic chopped
8 cups of homemade pressure cooker chicken broth (that is a post for another day) or 2 box cartons of low sodium chicken broth
2 to 3 large apples cored and chopped
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
(now I like mine spicy, if you want milder, cut it back to 1/8 tsp for each spice)
1/2 cup or a few good glugs of good sherry wine (don't get cooking sherry, it tastes like crap)
1 cup of ( local if you can get) cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, leeks, garlic and apples. Saute until tender. Add chicken broth, squash and spices and bring to a high simmer for about 20 minutes. Add spices, sherry and cream, doesn't that smell great?
Now dig out your stick blender and blend in the pot or transfer to blender in small portions and blend until smooth. Don't burn yourself!
Simmer but never boil. Force your 8 year old to try at least a spoonful. Then have some for dinner, freeze some and bring some down to neighbors who have good food sense.
A day in the life of a foodie who lives in an Eat to Live household.