No-brainer Zucchini Soup

From the archives -- just in time to use up those zucchinis.

What else can I say? It seems almost silly to even call this a recipe. Simplicity aside, it's a fantastic way to get rid of the zucchini that's taking over your garden. (I actually have no experience with this -- having no garden in my small DC apartment -- but I hear the rumors.)

It's also the perfect antidote to a hot summer day: cook it at night -- it takes like 30 minutes, tops -- and store in the fridge for when you're too darn lazy to cook but want to taste summer.

Simple recipe, simple post. I'm officially free from the craze of work, but I'm also off to Alaska for vaca this coming Friday! Don't worry, though, I've stored a post or two to keep you entertained while I'm away, and if I have any luck, I'll post some good pictures and stories once I return.

No-Brainer Zucchini Soup

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cups water, divided 1/3 cup packed basil leaves

Equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/8-inch julienne attachment (I just used a knife and sliced carefully!)

Julienne skin (only) from half of zucchini with slicer; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quarts heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl (use liquid to thin soup if necessary).

Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top.

Easiest Broccoli Slaw (ever!)

Yes, yes, summer's almost over (eek! I won't say it again, I promise) -- but there's still plenty of time for you country folk to fire up your grill while we city folk peer jealously out our windows and inhale the aromas. Meanwhile, if you're an urbanite lucky enough to get invited over to said grill-equipped home, here's a great slaw to bring along with. I guarantee it'll win you some fans -- maybe even get you invited back. (You'll notice that I actually just brought it for lunch one day. I promise it tastes good both outdoors and in A/C.)

Easiest Broccoli Slaw

1 Package Broccoli Slaw or 2 heads broccoli, florets removed, ends discarded and stems grated 2 Apples (I like Fuji), quartered and thinly sliced 1/2 cup dried black currants or raisins 3/4 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds 1 carrot, grated (optional) several chives, chopped

Dressing: 1/3 cup apple cider, rice, or other sweet, light vinegar dash soy sauce dash lime juice 1 Tbsp. blue agave, maple syrup, or other sweetener, or 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar (not white sugar) salt and pepper olive oil (I like 1/4 cup, but most people prefer more)

You know the drill: mix ingredients in a bowl. Shake dressing ingredients in well-sealed container until well-emulsified. Combine and enjoy.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

Well hello dear readers! Nice of you to join me here, at this oft-neglected blog of mine. Work has taken a turn for the busier, and I've not been posting as much as I'd like. The craziness will likely continue through the end of the month, but then I'm home free and will post much more! Meanwhile, thanks for hangin' in there. And you'll be handsomely rewarded for your patience -- I have a couple of smashingly delicious recipes in the queue.

As you may have noticed, it's pretty smokin' hot these days. For those of us city folks without a porch, grilling isn't much of an option, but nonetheless, I try to minimize indoor cooking as much as possible during summer months. This orzo salad requires no oven time, and just around 20 minutes of stovetop cooking. It can also be tweaked in any number of ways; as usual, the recipe I provide here is entirely a function of what was in my fridge when I made it, and you should listen to your fridge's innards just as carefully.

The lovely thing about orzo salad -- how can I pick just one! -- is that it's the perfect picnic dish. Part side, part main, nutritious, tasty at room temperature, it really behaves itself on the gingham tablecloth. I served this a couple weeks ago for lunch alongside mini crustless mushroom quiches (delicious, though I've no pictures to prove it). However, it's just delightful on its own, as well.

Mediterranean Orzo Salad

• 2 1/2 cups orzo
• 1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes*
• 1 block feta cheese
• 1 can of cannellini beans
• 1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

*If sundried tomatoes are packed in oil, roughly chop them. If they are dry, soak them in a bit of warm water for 10-20 minutes to reconstitute.

Cook orzo according to package directions. Strain water, reserving just a bit to prevent clumping. Set aside.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat a few Tbsp. of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion, and cook slowly until it begins to caramelize, about 15 min. When the onion is translucent and has begun to turn golden, add chopped kale, some salt, and a splash of water, and cook for about 5 minutes until kale has wilted. Remove from the heat and add immediately to orzo, tossing to combine.

Add beans and sundried tomatoes; stir to incorporate. Chop feta into cubes, and add just before serving. Taste the salad; if it needs some acidity, add some red wine vinegar. I ended up adding about 1/4 cup. Add salt and pepper as needed, and finish with a scant drizzle of olive oil.

**Ideas for tweaking (and beyond): - spinach, feta, cherry tomatoes, basil - rainbow chard, pine nuts, goat cheese - cucumbers, red peppers, feta, mint - mushrooms, goat cheese, fresh thyme - pears, gorgonzola, walnuts

Chilled Leek and Pea Soup with Mint

Summer doesn't take its time in DC. Blink, and before you know it, it's dripping down your back, glowing on your face, sticking the jeans you shouldn't have worn today to the back of your legs. Yep, awesome. In prepping for Washington's summer-o-sweat, I've been reminding myself to breathe deeply and contemplating ways to limit stove and oven use. But you can only eat so many salads before the sheer sight of baby greens makes you scream. The solution? Make now, eat later, chill in-between.

In these early days of summer, when evenings are cool enough to mitigate the unyielding humidity, I make a big pot of soup, pack it into containers, and stick half in the fridge, half in the freezer. Then, on hot days, I can pop a bowl of chilled soup right out of the fridge and eat it immediately, for some much-needed respite from the sun without a painfully hot cooking process. Same goes for iced coffee, which I make at night and drink the next day at work. Needless to say, freezing half is a strategic move to set us up for July and August, when nary a flame shall burn in this unfortunately insulated apartment.

On the topic of summer treats, coffee ice cubes are a fantastic way to chill your latte without diluting it. If you need a recipe, yikes.

Here's a soup I've recently fallen in love with. It's been making its way around my neighborhood, and every cook has made her own changes. Shockingly, I'm no exception. I topped my bowl with a bit of lebne (or labaneh, a tangy cross between yogurt and sour cream) instead of creme fraiche, and garnished with mint instead of chives. I also adjusted the proportions a bit. Feel free to carry on the tradition, and change it to suit your preferences (or the contents of your fridge).

Chilled Leek and Pea Soup with Mint

• 3 leeks, white and light green parts only, chopped
• 1 yellow or white onion, chopped
• olive oil
• 16-oz. peas, fresh or frozen (not canned)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup fresh mint
• 1/8 Tbsp. nutmeg

1. In a stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute nutmeg, leeks and onions with a bit of salt until translucent, about 4 minutes. The goal here is to let them develop some flavor without turning too brown or burning. Stir regularly.
2. When leeks and onions have finished, add stock, and bring to a simmer. Then add peas, and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, until soft.
3. Remove the soup from the heat, and add mint. Stir to combine. If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup til smooth. Alternatively, transfer soup to food processor in small batches to puree; if you overfill the processor, it'll spray hot soup all over you -- my personal version of hell, summer or not!
4. After all the soup has been blended, transfer back into the pot, and chill. serve with a bit of creme fraiche, yogurt, sour cream, etc on top, and garnish with mint sprigs or chopped chives.