Week 11 Newsletter August 26, 2010

Summer Time - when the livin’ is easy, cooking should be easy, too! This deliciously nourishing recipe is filled with heart-healthy, immune-boosting greens. Cook up a mess of fresh greens with gusto and ease!

Simple Braised Green with Garlic

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 bunches fresh summer greens, about 8 cups, washed and coarsely chopped. This is your mixture of Asian greens, or mustard, collards, turnip greens, beet greens, kale.

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/8 cup water or vegetable broth

Salt to taste

Optional flavorings: Sesame oil, plum vinegar, tamari

Optional toppings: sesame seeds, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add greens and garlic, stirring to coat with oil. Stir occasionally until greens are barely wilted, just a few minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth or water and stir, allowing greens to steam until barely tender. Salt to taste.

3. Add flavorings and toppings as desired and serve.

Serves 4.

Simple Cream of Broccoli Soup

* 1 tablespoons butter

* ½ onion, chopped

* 1 stalk celery, chopped

* 1 ½ cups chicken broth

* 4 cups broccoli florets

* 1 ½ tablespoons butter

* 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 1 cup milk

* ground black pepper to taste

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium sized stock pot, and saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot.

3. In small saucepan, over medium-heat melt remaining butter, stir in flour and add milk. Stir until thick and bubbly, and add to soup. Season with pepper and serve.

Inside your basket this week:

· Green Beans

· Cucumbers

· Broccoli

· Kale

· Zucchini

· Summer Squash

· Candy Sweet Onion

· Tomatoes

· Carrot

· Mesclun Mix

· Beets

· Braising Greens

· Garlic

· Cilantro

· Basil

· Ask for other herbs!