As the temperatures climbed into the 90’s today it was clear what would be on the table for dinner; some form of cold soup. Cold soups are so very easy and extremely fresh and healthy. It is a simple thing to take a walk through your local farmers market and find the produce that will yield a of a wide variety of cold soups. Tomatoes are plentiful this time of year and throughout the summer. Tomatoes are a fruit that is rich in lycopene. Solanum lycopersicum is a member of the nightshade family and originated in South America, most likely Peru. This versatile fruit was hailed as an aphrodisiac by the natives of South America. When the fruit was brought back to Europe the French seemed to feel the same way as the peoples of South America and they named this new fruit “pomme d’amore”, love apple. There is some... Read the Rest →
Walking to our local farmers’ market is one of my favorite Saturday morning chores during the spring and summer. It is a joy to meet our local growers and purchase their produce. Even when I don’t need too much produce I still go. I can’t resist and at times I almost take it for granted that each week there will be a plethora of fruits and vegetables available. Today I am reminded to be grateful for the luxury of the farmers’ market. On May 11, 1934 a massive storm swept through America sending over 350 million tons of soil into the air. Over two days high level winds blew topsoil from the Great Plains to the east coast. The dust storm did not just happen out of the blue. Since the pioneers began settling the Great Plains farmers cleared the land that was once covered in prairie grass which served... Read the Rest →
Walking to our local farmers’ market is one of my favorite Saturday morning chores during the spring and summer. It is a joy to meet our local growers and purchase their produce. Even when I don’t need too much produce I still go. I can’t resist and at times I almost take it for granted that each week there will be a plethora of fruits and vegetables available. Today I am reminded to be grateful for the luxury of the farmers’ market. On May 11, 1934 a massive storm swept through America sending over 350 million tons of soil into the air. Over two days high level winds blew topsoil from the Great Plains to the east coast. The dust storm did not just happen out of the blue. Since the pioneers began settling the Great Plains farmers cleared the land that was once covered in prairie grass which served... Read the Rest →
MSG is one of those things that people hear about, know it is in Chinese food and that it either makes them feel sick after consuming or it does not. Very few people have any idea what MSG is or from where it comes. I was one of those people. I was recently discussing, with a coworker, how I could not eat certain foods with MSG because they give me a headache. She balked. She said there was nothing wrong with MSG being added to food. I mistakenly guessed that she knew details regarding MSG. “What is MSG?” I asked “Monosodium glutamate, “says my coworker. “What is monosodium glutamate?” My coworker then says, “I don’t know. They put it in food.” Uh, huh. I realized I must research this mysterious food additive since I know I ‘m not the only one who gets headaches because of it and it is... Read the Rest →
MSG is one of those things that people hear about, know it is in Chinese food and that it either makes them feel sick after consuming or it does not. Very few people have any idea what MSG is or from where it comes. I was one of those people. I was recently discussing, with a coworker, how I could not eat certain foods with MSG because they give me a headache. She balked. She said there was nothing wrong with MSG being added to food. I mistakenly guessed that she knew details regarding MSG. “What is MSG?” I asked “Monosodium glutamate, “says my coworker. “What is monosodium glutamate?” My coworker then says, “I don’t know. They put it in food.” Uh, huh. I realized I must research this mysterious food additive since I know I ‘m not the only one who gets headaches because of it and it is... Read the Rest →
Belarus, once under the government of the USSR, gained its independence in 1991. Currently bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, The Republic of Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. Belarus is among 15 countries that were once a part of the USSR and are now a Newly Independent States (NIS). However, Belarus has maintained a close relation with Russia unlike any of the other countries formerly a part of the USSR. Belarus shares a long and rich history with the many other countries in Eastern Europe. Inhabited since prehistoric times the first record of permanent settlements dates back to the 6th century AD. Ruled by the princes of Kiev, Mongols, Lithuanians, Poles and Muscovites, Belarus finally came under Russian control under the rule of Catherine the Great in 1772. It wasn’t until the dissolution of the Soviet Union that Belarus finally became independent. Alexander Lukashenko has... Read the Rest →
Remember our recent post that discussed cooking down and pureeing a pumpkin for future use? If you haven’t had a chance to read it, please take a peek, then get that nearly frost bitten pumpkin that is sitting on your porch and get busy making your own pumpkin puree. You will need it for another of our recently posted recipes: pumpkin tartlets as well as this next pumpkin recipe that we’d like to share with you. This recipe will both surprise and delight you. It was given to us by a relative who declared that is would become a Thanksgiving tradition. And, as predicted, it has been ever present on our Thanksgiving table. We would never think of omitting this from our celebration, not that our families would let us, always asking on Thanksgiving morning, “Are you making that pumpkin soup?” Of course we are and so will you once... Read the Rest →
Remember our recent post that discussed cooking down and pureeing a pumpkin for future use? If you haven’t had a chance to read it, please take a peek, then get that nearly frost bitten pumpkin that is sitting on your porch and get busy making your own pumpkin puree. You will need it for another of our recently posted recipes: pumpkin tartlets as well as this next pumpkin recipe that we’d like to share with you. This recipe will both surprise and delight you. It was given to us by a relative who declared that is would become a Thanksgiving tradition. And, as predicted, it has been ever present on our Thanksgiving table. We would never think of omitting this from our celebration, not that our families would let us, always asking on Thanksgiving morning, “Are you making that pumpkin soup?” Of course we are and so will you once... Read the Rest →
They come from every walk of life. They represent a multitude of ethnicities. They are the men and women who don’t know what the words “I can’t” or “I quit” mean. They are called Jar Heads, Leatherneck and Devil Dogs. They are United States Marines. They have been described by many, but I think that Rear Admiral Stark’s assessment is about as accurate as they come: “Marines I see as two breeds; Rottweiler or Doberman, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean or skinny and mean. They’re aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They’ve got really short hair and they always go for the throat.” “America’s 911 Force”, The United States Marine Corps is who our nation turns to in times of need. Marines are America’s premier expeditionary force, mobilizing with speed on the ground, in the air and by sea. For 236 years Marines have... Read the Rest →
They come from every walk of life. They represent a multitude of ethnicities. They are the men and women who don’t know what the words “I can’t” or “I quit” mean. They are called Jar Heads, Leatherneck and Devil Dogs. They are United States Marines. They have been described by many, but I think that Rear Admiral Stark’s assessment is about as accurate as they come: “Marines I see as two breeds; Rottweiler or Doberman, because Marines come in two varieties, big and mean or skinny and mean. They’re aggressive on the attack and tenacious on defense. They’ve got really short hair and they always go for the throat.” “America’s 911 Force”, The United States Marine Corps is who our nation turns to in times of need. Marines are America’s premier expeditionary force, mobilizing with speed on the ground, in the air and by sea. For 236 years Marines have... Read the Rest →
It was uncommon for ancient people to have meat with every meal. Only the wealthy could afford such a luxury. Most meals consisted of some type of grain and/or bean. Florus, a Roman historian, gave a dinner at which he asked his guests what are meant by “salt and bean friends” as mentioned in a Greek proverb. The scholar Apollophanes answered, “The proverb refers to friends who are so close to us as to be content to dine with us on salt and a bean.” We think any friend would love the following soup, which is not at all plain. Vegetable and bean barley soup is a flavorful, hearty soup that will warm you on a chilly fall day. Eat the soup with good multigrain bread that can stand up to being dipped into the hot soup. The multigrain bread is a perfect complement to the rustic soup. It is... Read the Rest →
It was uncommon for ancient people to have meat with every meal. Only the wealthy could afford such a luxury. Most meals consisted of some type of grain and/or bean. Florus, a Roman historian, gave a dinner at which he asked his guests what are meant by “salt and bean friends” as mentioned in a Greek proverb. The scholar Apollophanes answered, “The proverb refers to friends who are so close to us as to be content to dine with us on salt and a bean.” We think any friend would love the following soup, which is not at all plain. Vegetable and bean barley soup is a flavorful, hearty soup that will warm you on a chilly fall day. Eat the soup with good multigrain bread that can stand up to being dipped into the hot soup. The multigrain bread is a perfect complement to the rustic soup. It is... Read the Rest →