We recently joined the Alpine Bakery’ Produce Club. Each week we drop by the bakery and pick up a very full brown paper bag of fruits and vegetables … all organically grown. With our produce we get a list of this weeks items, a write up about one of the vegetables or fruits, and a recipe that features something in our bag. I must say it has been a nice adventure. I’m challenged to use everything before it spoils and to make something with an unfamiliar ingredient. Several weeks back we had kale … a super good for you vegetable that I’ve grown in my garden and harvested long past the snow flying and freezing temperatures. It is practically indestructable! I so enjoyed this recipe I think I’ll share it with you. There isn’t any credits noted, so I’m hoping the cook of the original won’t mind my passing this on.

2 cups uncooked yellow split peas
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 tsps canola oil (optional)
1 cup onion, diced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh giner, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups spinach or kale, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp cayenne

Wash peas. Add to water or stock in large pot. Bring to boil, then cook on low heat for 45 minutes, partially covered. Stir occasionally.

Meanwhile, about 30 minutes into the cooking time, heat oil (or small amount of water or stock) in skillet and saute onions, garlic, and ginger until soft. Add spices and heat until fragrant (1 minute). Add kale or spinach* to skillet, stir about to collect the spices and then add contents of skillet to the soup pot. Use some stock from the soup pot to further clean up the spices in the skillet. Lower heat to simmer, cover and cook additional 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add a bit of pepper if you want. Enjoy!

*if using spinach, you may choose to add it later on in the cooking process, so it retains its flavour and colour.

This soup freezes extremely well; I divide it up into individual servings. No doubt the addition of some lentils, carrots, or even beans would be good.

I’ve made this several times now, and I love it. Creamy without using fat or flour!

5 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups water

Put this into your medium size soup pot and cook until potatoes are soft. Then blend them in your blender until completely smooth. (I have scooped out about a third of the potatoes and kept them whole for a change).

1 red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
1 tsp. olive oil (optional)

4 cups corn (frozen, fresh, or canned)
Other fresh vegetables if you are so inclined (I used broccoli once, chopped kale another time)
2 cups regular soya mik
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or fresh dill
freshly ground pepper to taste

In a skillet, saute the pepper and onion in the oil (or small amount of water or stock) until they are soft and start to brown. Add corn and other fresh vegetable and cover skillet until vegetables are steamed to desired doneness. Add entire skillet contents to pureed potatoes in soup pot (add any potatoes removed before blending) then add soya milk, fresh parsley or dill and pepper. Simmer for several minutes. Don’t allow to boil as soya milk will separate, edible but not lovely to look at! Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve.

I’m sure you can see the potential for all sorts of combinations. Have fun mixing it up! By the way, this can be frozen, but it isn’t the easiest to warm up and return to the nice creamy texture it has when fresh. It is easy enough to make quickly so I’d recommend sticking to this quantity unless you are expecting a crowd. This quantity feeds the two of us with a salad for supper and then two more lunches each.