Mushroom, Barley & Canadian Bacon Soup

www.jonesdairyfarm.com/recipes/showRecipe.aspx?id=306

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon butter
1 Cup thinly sliced leeks (white parts only) or chopped onion
1 Cup very thinly sliced carrots
4 Cup (8 ounces) prepackaged sliced mixed exotic mushrooms or crimini
or button mushrooms
3 1/2 Quart beef broth
1/2 Cup quick cooking barley
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Cup 2% low fat milk
1 (6 ounce) package Jones Canadian bacon slices, diced
Croutons (optional)

Directions:
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and
carrots; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 2
minutes. Add broth and barley; bring to a simmer. Cover; reduce heat
and simmer 12 to 14 minutes or until vegetables and barley are tender.
Stir in milk and Canadian bacon; heat through. Ladle into 4 shallow
bowls; top with croutons and additional fresh thyme or pepper, if
desired.
Makes 4 servings.

Creamy Tomato and Basil Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

3 pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped

1/8 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1 cup plain soy milk

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

red pepper flakes, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until soft, add fresh tomatoes and stir until mixture boils. Add sundried tomatoes. Simmer on low for 30 mins. Add soy milk and season to taste with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix in fresh basil and serve.

(Adapted from Andrew Weil's recipe for Quick Creamy Tomato Soup in Eating Well for Optimum Health.)

Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Maple-Mustard Glaze

Ingredients:

2 bunches (~1-1.5 pounds) rainbow carrots

Olive oil

Kosher or sea salt to taste

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon grainy mustard

Splash of sherry vinegar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Wash and scrub carrots well and slice them in half lengthwise. Lay them, cut side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

3. Roast carrots for 30-35 minutes, until soft and lightly browned.

4. While carrots are roasting, combine maple syrup and mustard in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until the mixture just starts to simmer. Remove and stir in a splash of sherry vinegar. Set aside.

5. About 2 minutes before carrots have finished roasting, drizzle maple-mustard glaze on top of them. Continue cooking until carrots are done.

http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2010/09/28/roasted-rainbow-carrots-with-maple-mustard-glaze-recipe

Bellwether Farms Carmody Cheese

Had this in the Google cafeteria today. Was so impressed. It's got quite an acidic bite to it, kind of reminds me of white wine. Cheese was paired with golden raisins and some nuts.

My friends got me a giant chunk of it "to go". Will be curious to see how (whether) it melts. Am thinking of pairing with heirloom summer squash seasoned with herbs de provence.

Curry Chicken Salad

Made a delicious curry chicken salad this week. Dressing was very simple, combining equal parts plain yogurt and mayo (tastes just as decadent and is healthier to boot!).

2 chicken breasts - cooked and shredded

1 cup arugula

1 stalk of celery, diced

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup mayo

2.5 tsp curry powder

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Ideally refrigerate overnight - this allows the raisins to really plump up.

Herbs de Provence

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/herbs-de-provence-recipe/index.html

This Emeril recipe is really good - I didn't have savory and I substituted dill seed for fennel seed. I sprinkled this on top of trout fillets with salt and pepper and it was truly a flavor explosion!

• 2 tablespoons dried savory
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
• 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed

Broccoli Soup with Yogurt

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/broccoli-soup-with-yogurt

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 4 cups (cut from about 2 pounds of whole broccoli heads) broccoli florets
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup plain whole yogurt or soy yogurt

Directions

1. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in milk, bring to a boil, and simmer for 4 minutes.
2. Cook the broccoli florets in rapidly boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to set the bright green color. Drain.
3. Puree the milk mixture with broccoli in a blender. Return the soup to the saucepan and heat thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve lukewarm to warm. Garnish each serving with a dollop of yogurt.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Broccoli Soup with Yogurt - Martha Stewart Recipes