farm fresh cucumber soup

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here's to delicious summer meals without heating up your kitchen!

     dinner. fresh, delicious, seasonal, chilled, mostly raw, delicious for days.

  

I'm so in love with the vegetables that arrive each week from angelic organics, and each week I'm inspired to create dishes that incorporate all the ingredients in my box . . . yes, I'm even compelled to eat the beautifully green celery tops.
 
     how can one possibly throw away something so fresh, so lovingly tended?


so here's a delicious summertime treat, 
     packed with green goodness, 
          and sure to tempt even the youngest of palettes. 

serve with some good bread & grilled veggies, and you'll have yourself a garden feast.

   Enjoy yourselves. it's summertime.



chilled cucumber soup
(recipe adapted from eating well)

Serves 4

4 cucumbers, cups peeled, seeded &roughly chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons celery tops* (or parsley), plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt

lemon wedges

*note on celery leaves: only use the dark greens from unblanched celery, as grocery store celery has very little color & flavor. If unavailable, parsley is a much better bet.

in a food processor or blender, combine cucumber, garlic, avocado, celery tops, salt, lemon juice, and vinegar. process until creamy and smooth. 

 

strain half of the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into large bowl, using the back of a rubber spatula to press soup through strainer. reserve solids and return liquid to the rest of the batch.

with food processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil into soup, creating a smooth emulsion. add yogurt and process until combined.

 

chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. garnish soup with a drizzle of olive oil, julienned cucumber skin, lemon wedges, and minced celery leaves. pass extra yogurt and sherry vinegar at the table. 

 

soup will keep well in the refrigerator for a couple days, and flavors only improve as they rest. 

 

 

 

 

now as for the reserved solids . . . again, I can't bear the thought of tossing something that is not only beautiful, but delicious! if you're in need of an appetizer, here's the perfect thing. shall we call it cucumber tapenade?

 

mix reserved vegetables with olive oil. serve atop toast points or seeded crackers with hummus, crumbled goat cheese and fresh ground pepper.

kellyallison photography specializes in creating inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

 

 

glen ellyn baby photography: 7, 8, 9 months, SP

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kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

see how they grow packages document baby's first year, offering monthly or seasonal photo sessions to preserve the cherished memories and first milestones.

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see.

glen ellyn baby photography: 4 months, OPL

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kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

see how they grow packages document baby's first year, offering monthly or seasonal photo sessions to preserve the cherished memories and first milestones.

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farm day, angelic organics

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we took a trip to the farm a couple weeks ago.

      such a beautiful place.
           it was so good to see where our vegetables are grown.

there is a perfect little garden where the kids can pick flowers. gorgeous marigolds & zinnias.
     fragrant herbs, sage (for our beet greens), oregano, dill, green beans, peppers.

it's just the perfect little garden. they loved it.

    

and then there is the Learning Center, where we marveled at the day-old calf, visited with the chickens & goats, bought the most beautiful rare breed eggs I'd ever seen . . . and the most delicious by far.

     and the honey . . . oh! the honey!
 

Incidentally, if you've never tried a farm fresh egg, it's high time.
     the flavor is incomparable.
          they are worth every penny.

Anyway, we were so happy to be there, and we can't wait to go back.


     such a beautiful place.

kellyallison photography specializes in creating inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

 

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glen ellyn family photography: park at the lake

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warm sunshine, a cool morning breeze.

     swings
         slides
            a few fish & some flowers.


 ah, summer.

kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

sara's party perfect

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our little garden party just got some fun press.
   this site is fantastic for party inspiration across generations.
   the end-all-be-all for party throwers.


check it out!

http://www.saraspartyperfect.com/2011/07/garden-party-2/

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glen ellyn family photography: just to remember

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it's not a major holiday. no one is having a birthday. there's nothing specific to celebrate,
     and christmas cards are a long way off.

but time moves quickly, and the everyday moments we'll want to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

if capturing our lives, our love, the personalities of our children can help us slow time,
     even if just a little,


 then get out your cameras.

 

 

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kellyallison photography is a chicago area photo studio, specializing in modern family portraits, and narrative portraiture of children, babies and newborns. 

beet greens in sage brown butter

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as promised, some veggie box inspiration.

yummy. fast. easy. and did I say fast?
   no kidding.

dinner on the table, under 30 minutes, and two monkeys pulling at my legs.

beet greens with crispy sage and brown butter
   recipe was adapted liberally from the l.a. times
     based on what I had in my kitchen, and not a single extra minute for homemade ravioli


     1   bunch beet greens, washed & rough chopped
     2   large scallions, chopped in 1/2" bias
          generous handful of sage leaves, torn into large bits
     3   Tbs. high quality butter
     2   Tbs. olive oil
          salt & pepper to taste
          lemon wedges for garnish
          goat cheese
          pasta, polenta, or whatever else seems a good idea for pairing


melt butter over medium heat in heavy skillet until fragrant & beginning to brown. add sage leaves and cook until crispy, 2 - 3 minutes. remove sage leaves to a paper towel with slotted spoon retaining as much browned butter as possible. reduce heat to medium low, add olive oil & scallions. give a quick stir then add beet greens. cook until tender, 5 - 10 minutes. season with salt & pepper to taste.

warm goat cheese in a small sauce pan (or in the microwave) until creamy. serve beet greens atop pasta of choice, polenta, chicken, fish, potatoes, or whatever else you have on hand that seems delicious. top beet greens with a dollop of warmed goat cheese and crispy sage leaves. serve with lemon wedges.

enjoy!

kellyallison photography specializes in creating inspired food images that capture the power and passion at the heart of food creation.

 

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