Chilled Cucumber Lime Avocado Soup

This quick, easy and refreshing soup is perfect for a quick summer lunch, or as the opening course to an al fresco feast. Try topping it with fresh cilantro for extra cooling and flavor.

Prep time: 10m | Total time: 10m | Serves 4

Ingredients:

approx. 1 lb. cucumbers, cut in half lengthwise, then chopped into 1/2” pieces
1 large avocado or 2 smaller avocados
Juice of 2-3 limes
3/4 c. coconut water or filtered water
1 t. salt
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Place all ingredients in blender, and process until smooth. Add additional coconut water/filtered water if needed. Adjust salt and cayenne as desired.

Chill 1-2 hours in the refrigerator prior to serving.

A Quick Illustrated Guide to Cleaning Leeks

The leeks at the farmer’s market today were gorgeous.

Unfortunately, sometimes even the prettiest leeks are not so pretty inside once you get them home and begin chopping them. Because of the way leeks grow, they tend to accumulate soil in between their many concentric layers. Here’s a quick way to wash your leeks from the inside out.

1) This is a leek (I know, this may be obvious, but I have heard several people call something a leek that was in fact not a leek). Place your leek on a cutting board.

2) Chop off the top leaves, which are brittle, fibrous, and lacking much flavor. (You don't have to compost them; put them in the freezer with other veggie scraps and use them for your next batch of broth.)

3) Slice the leek in half, cutting down its vertical axis. Start at the end that was previously attached to the leaves and stop just before you reach the root end.

4) You now can fan the leaves with your thumb, like flipping the pages of a book. If your leek is super grungy, fan each side a few times to shake loose any dirt. (The leek I used for these photos was pretty immaculate, and hence you don’t see any dirt. But, you don’t always get this lucky.)

5) Finally, take the leek to the tap and fan the leaves a few times on each side under running water to wash away any remaining dirt.

6) Et voila! You now have a squeaky clean leek, ready to be chopped and incorporated into your next culinary masterpiece.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

This simple soup is a great way to enjoy one of spring’s finest veggies. Jasmine rice gives this soup a rich, creamy texture without any dairy products, and a wonderful aroma as well! For the best asparagus, look for bunches that have tips that are more closed than open, and stems that are bright green.

Ingredients:

2 t. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 bunches of asparagus (approx. 2 lbs), chopped into 1" pieces
3/4 cup white jasmine rice
6-8 cups veggie broth or water (use more for a creamier soup, less for a thicker soup)
12-15 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
1.5 t. salt

In a medium size stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat, then cook onion until translucent. Add asparagus and rice, and cook 1-2 minutes stirring often. Add veggie broth and thyme and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, cover and cook (stirring occasionally) until rice is cooked through and asparagus is soft. Turn off heat, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup (or transfer it in batches to a blender and puree). Once pureed, add salt and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Heartwarmer Tea

This simple tea warms the heart and spirit. Keep the ingredients on hand during the winter for a quick treat at any time. This tea is great to serve to guests who come to visit on a chilly day.

Prep time: 15m | Total time: 15m | Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 nutmeg seed
3 T. pau d’arco*
3 slices dried blood orange*
4 c. water

Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Strain tea, and serve.

* Pau d’arco is an herb taken from the inner bark of a tree found in Latin America. It is reported to be an immune system booster, amongst other benefits. It can be found online if your local health food store/herb shop does not carry it.

I recommend buying extra blood oranges in the winter when they are readily available and dehydrating a stash for use year-round. If you miss the window of availability, or can’t find them in your area, they can be ordered online. Here’s one place to find them.