So I've made so many wonderful meals the past 2 months in the forms of mainly soups and smoothies, but now that I can eat pureed food, I really wanted to have a meal. That is to say a plate of different food, with different flavors. Granted I'm not yet ready to venture into the different textures realm, really, but at least for tonight I wanted different flavors. So I made a delicious mushy dinner. The components were: pureed sweet potatoes with ginger; white wine and rosemary sauteed zucchini; and leek and cauliflower puree with hints of jalapeno and white truffle oil. It was all really good, but I have to say the pureed cauliflower was really, really good. It's definitely a mashed potato substitute keeper!
Yesterday I made a really delicious white bean and kale soup. I cooked onion, garlic, carrot, a potato, farmer's market kale, white beans, some fresh parsley, and then added a few heaping tablespoons of the amazing pesto sent to me by my good friend Ventura. I then used an immersion blender to turn it sufficiently mushy for me to eat, and I was extremely pleased with the results. Hey- do yourself a favor and add pesto to your soup. You won't be disappointed!
So now that my food doesn't necessarily have to be through a straw, I'm trying to branch out into the mushy food realm. But I have to say, it's been a little rough, since I've gotten so used to "straw" eating. The act of chewing makes me a little uncomfortable, especially since my teeth don't 'fit' together anymore, and any sort of chewing makes my mouth sore. But if there is one early summer combo that I can't resist it's strawberry and rhubarb, and while it might be tasty in a smoothie, or even in a juicer (hey- I might try that later this week!), nothing beats it hot and bubbling from the oven, with some sort of dough or crisp on top. My grandparents used to grow both strawberries and rhubarb, and man grandma Dahlin's strawberry rhubarb pie was not to be missed! This past weekend I made a strawberry rhubarb crisp that was pretty darn good. I cut up a bunch of strawberries and rhubarb, and mixed the fruit with some sugar, cornstarch, and orange zest and juice. (Please never slice your fingernail on a rasp- not nice!). For the 'crisp' I mushed together earth balance (vegan butter) with oatmeal, ginger powder, brown sugar and some flour. Then I put the fruit in a greased dish, and the crisp on top and baked it extra long to be sure it got sufficiently mushy for me to eat (about 50 mins. at 350). It was extremely tasty, I have to say. I miss grandma Dahlin's pie though...
(pardon the photo- I didn't have my camera, only my cell phone) And I felt obliged to of course have a little wine too, being that I was at a wine bar and all... As an added bonus, all of this was outside, which was particularly nice given the beautiful weather.
And now, finally, I'm ready to discuss today. Today I'm making a flageolet bean and leek soup from Deborah Madison's really wonderful cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (thanks, Molly!). Flageloet beans can be hard to come by in the U.S., so try and remember to pick some up the next time you are in Canada. They have a nice mellow flavor, and the most beautiful light green color. A friend gave these to me, and I got the leeks from yesterday's farmer's market. I also made homemade basic veggie stock using the method in Madison's book. The soup is still simmering, so I can't tell you how it tastes yet, but it sure smells awfully good.
Yesterday's weather in DC was so fantastic, after doing some biking I just couldn't help but sit outside and have a glass of wine in the sun, and read my book club book (which is really good, by the way!). Then a couple of my awesome girlfriends showed up, and low and behold we had a little more wine... It was a lovely afternoon.
