Creamy Potato & Spinach Chowder

“The less people know, the more stubbornly they know it.”

— Rajneesh

I think it might almost be officially fall here in Alaska. And yes, in case you're wondering, fall in the Last Frontier starts in July. Prompt and decidedly unapologetic. I judge it's early arrival by the daybreak. It's been exceptionally cold here in the mornings, which is always the first telling.

Steam breathes up from the dirt road as soon the sun peeks above the mountain tops in the dawn. I start to see Bailey's breath on our morning walks as he quietly pads down our driveway and branches are softly nudged from a gentle, crisp breeze, encouraging little yellow leaves to float to the earth. And there's the rain. Everlasting rain. The kind of wearisome drizzle you think might never end until it turns out one evening to spontaneously decide to be snow. 

It's not all bad though. Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. I love snuggling up in cozy sweaters and blankets and my special teacup deploys each evening for tea or cocoa. Coffee consumption surges as my wakings get a little colder, and a little darker with each passing sleep. 

I'll miss the light the most though. 

Last night, a lonely, bleak, and dreary evening indeed, beckoned for a chowder. A potato and spinach chowder. To be frank, any chowder would have sufficed, but I happened to have a bag of mixed baby fingerling potatoes and a lovely bundle of fresh spinach on hand and so it was. 

I'm not really sure what exactly constitutes a chowder and for fear of being incorrect on a technicality, I decided against Googling it. This is a chowder, dammit. A chunky and hot chowder promising couch snuggle-time while watching The Borgias on Netflix. That show is amazing by the way. 

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Creamy Potato & Spinach Chowder

by Katie @ Produce on Parade July-29-2014

This is a rich, luxurious and chunky soup laden with tender baby potatoes and fresh, silky spinach. Note: Peel the potatoes if you must, but I definitely recommend keeping the peels on. Kombu is a type of seaweed that helps with digestion and is a good source of natural iodine. It’s often used in broths. I get mine off Amazon, but it is optional for this soup.

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. (about 6 cups) mixed baby fingerling potatoes, whole
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 12 oz. non-dairy milk (I used hazelnut)
• 1 small strip of kombu (optional)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 bunch (10 oz.) fresh spinach leaves, washed and torn
• 1/2 diced avocado, for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds, for garnish (optional)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Scrub the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to boil for about 10-15 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain and set aside to cool slightly.Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the onions become fragrant and begin to brown. Stir in the flour. Then, stir in the remaining ingredients excluding the spinach and garnishes. Stir often, until the soup begins to thicken. Turn to low and add the spinach leaves. Mash 2 cups of boiled potatoes and add them to the soup. Dice the remaining potatoes and add to the soup as well. Stir to combine. Add more broth or milk for a thinner soup, if desired. The kombu can be removed and discarded once softened, or diced up and added back to the soup.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 6-8

German Word of The Day

Chowder --> dicke Suppe (dick-eh Zup-eh) - dick means thick in German!

Good Deed of The Day

Ariana Grande thinks bacon is "beyond horrifying :( shocking disgusting and heartbreaking" and so do I. Here's a link to a 60 second video on how bacon is made, which is pretty pertinent information if you eat it! Apathy and ignorance doesn't do good for anyone.

Miso Kale & Black Bean Quesadilla

“I’ve always just loved animals, and you just start making the connection between what you’re eating and what happens to these poor animals. And once you start making those connections and realizing the truth behind what you’re eating, it just, there wasn’t any other option for me. ”

— Tony Kannal, Bassist for the rock band, No Doubt

Hi everyone! 

I hope your weekend was fabulous, I know mine was. Today I'd like to share a guest post I did for Abbie over at Needs Salt. 

For Needs Salt, I created a Miso Kale & Black Bean Quesadilla that's simply amazing. Sometimes regular quesadillas can be a bit boring and in addition, they're usually not the healthiest of choices one can make. Bummer. But never fear! That’s where this quesadilla comes in to save your day (or at least your meal). OMG, more miso too! I swear this is the end of it for a while. Pinky promise.

Bold, tart flavors emerge from the miso while nutrient-packed kale lends a chewy texture. Mashed, creamy black beans combine with vegan mozzarella cheese for a luxurious feel, all while super delicious and super nutritious. Black beans and kale?! I mean, come on!

Check out the recipe over at Needs Salt!

Bean & Kale Miso Dip

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”

— Edward Everett Hale

When my blogging buddy over at The Roasted Root, Julia Mueller, asked if I wanted to review her new book, "Let Them Eat Kale!"...I'm not going to lie, I was a little hesitant. Don't get me wrong, Julia is an immensely talented writer and recipe developer, her site is gorgeous and there are few blogs I enjoy reading more than hers. She has a clever, sarcastic, and downright hilarious voice that always has me laughing. I feel as though Julia's down to earth vibe and realistic approach to food and life itself are similar to my own. 

However, her recipes aren't vegan or vegetarian. Gasp! Admittedly, I felt a bit squeamish promoting a book that had recipes with meat and dairy, but I'm not about "all or nothing" when it comes to others and consuming less animal products. As we always hear, it's about progress, not perfection. I know many of my readers aren't vegan or vegetarian, but may still want to be more plant-based.

So I agreed to review her book. Julia was so wonderful and she said if I wasn't comfortable doing it, I was under no obligation and that she totally understood. She's such a sweetie. However, I have loads of non-vegan cookbooks that I love and if you're vegan, you probably do too. We know how to substitute for meat and dairy, what works, what doesn't, what can be emulated and what you seriously should not (faux salmon, anyone?)!

"Let Them Eat Kale!" is a book where many of the non-vegan products can be heavily substituted. The recipes are majorly plant-based (hello, it's a book entirely about kale...come on) and while reading through, I kept making mental notes of recipes that I just had to try. Sweet Potato Veggie Burritos with Coconut Curry Sauce. Yes, please. Indian Chickpea Stew with Kale. Give it to me now. Superfood Stuffed Acorn Squash. Never met a squash I didn't like, especially a stuffed one. It was my Thanksgiving feast!  

If you're new to veganism or just not really sure how to substitute, below you'll find a handy list of what I like to use. Like I said, you could eat your way through half this book without making a single change, still keeping it vegan. However for the recipes that may need substitutions, here's a list of vegan superstars I used to replace animal-exploiting foods/products:

• chicken egg = (for baking) 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed and 2 Tbsp. water/ = (for scramble) firm tofu
• cow's milk = coconut, almond, soy, hazelnut, hemp, cashew milk...the list goes on and on..
• cow's cream = full-fat coconut milk
• cow's milk yogurt = soy or coconut yogurt
• cow's cheese = really depends on the type but I've used miso, Parmela, tofu, or just omitted completely
• chicken meat = usually tofu but I've used chicken alternatives such as Gardein
• cow's meat (steak or hamburger) =  really depends, but I enjoy the alternatives like seiten or just use veggies like eggplant
• fish meat = I will use tofu but fish is hard to replicate so I don't try to very often but there are veggie alternatives in the frozen food section
• chicken or beef broth = vegetable broth ( because why wouldn't you!?)
• honey = agave nectar or maple syrup

See how easy? What do you like to use as vegan substitutes? 

I especially enjoyed that the book has several pages in the beginning devoted to the knowledge of all things kale. It's nutritional content, differing varieties, and even how to grow it!

Yesterday, I picked up some stunning multi-colored kale at the grocery store. It was mostly purple with streaks of deep green and I knew I wanted to showcase the beauty. It had such a sweet smell to it and was so tender. This kale needed to be the star in a recipe, so I decided to make a variation of Julia's White Bean Kale Dip.

Instead of two cans of cannellini beans, I used one can, and then one can of chickpeas. I don't often use cannellini beans and I happened to only have one on hand. A big change I made was adding 4 tsp. of red miso to the dip in place of the salt. I thought it really gave the dip some dimension. I enjoy bold flavors and for some reason I'm going through a miso-fanatic craze right now, if you couldn't tell by yesterdays recipe. MISO FOREVER!

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Bean & Kale Miso Dip

by Katie @ Produce on Parade July-25-2014

A quick and healthy dip for crackers, veggies, or to spread on a sandwiches. Slightly adapted from Julia Mueller's cookbook, "Let Them Eat Kale!"

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 3 fresh sage leaves
• 2 cups packed kale leaves, de-stemmed, washed and torn
• 4 tsp. miso paste
• 2 garlic cloves, halved
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides often. Serve with crackers or a veggie tray, spread on sandwiches, or whatever you like!

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 6

I think this book would be a great addition to any kitchen that's trying to get in more veggies or lean towards a healthier, more plant-based diet. Or if you just really freaking love kale. Josh N., this books for you! Yes, there are some animal-based recipes, but the vast majority of cookbooks do and there are substitutions that can be made, just with any great recipe. 

I hope you check it out! I have several recipes already tabbed to try and many of them are vegan or vegetarian already! "Let Them Eat Kale" can be found on Amazon or in your local bookstore.

Bob likes to drink out of the bird bath (they don't use it anyway..). It was one rainy day! Look at my poor herbs!

German Word of The Day

Dip --> Soße (zoo-sehl)

Good Deed of The Day

Did you see this article on Tuesday from the Wall Street Journal about how meat prices well on the rise compared to vegetables? "It’s a good time to be a vegan. Meat prices are up 9.4% in June from a year earlier, and pork, fish and eggs are more expensive, too." Well, you heard it here first. It's a good time to be a vegan!