Fresh chanterelles picked on Denman Island.
Since this has been a mixed-bag of a summer, with lots of rain interspersed with heat, chanterelle mushrooms are popping up all over, except in our area (some years we get some, and other years, nothing). Our friends Jane and Matzuki have the "motherlode" of chanterelle patches and, fortunately for us, pick more than they can use! They share lots of their bounty with us! (I saw them for sale online for $25 a lb.!) I use them in risotto and sautes, and I slice mounds of them and cook them in oil in a hot oven in a large baking pan to freeze for later use. But one of our favorite uses for chanterelle mushrooms is in classic Mushroom and Barley Soup, which we had last night for dinner, and again for lunch today.
Adapted from my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".
This is a very rich-tasting soup, very comforting. It’s one of my absolute favorites. This version is a typical Eastern European variety, but you can add a few cooked beans or slivered tofu for extra protein, if you like. I have streamlined this recipe from the book a little.
Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water to cover for 1/2 an hour. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot and saute the onion, celery, 2 T. of the parsley, carrots, garlic, and fresh mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Slowly add the broth.
Strain the dried mushrooms and reserve the water. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot along with the reserved water, barley, and yeast extract or miso. Add optional the beans or tofu, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Taste for salt and pepper.
If the soup is too thick for your liking (it thickens up when cooled), just add some more broth.
Nutrition (per serving): 147.9 calories; 24% calories from fat; 4.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 80.6mg sodium; 463.2mg potassium; 24.1g carbohydrates; 5.8g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 18.3g net carbs; 5.7g protein; 2.5 points.
Fresh green beans braised with browned onions, sauteed mushrooms and mushroom broth; fresh corn on the cob (or "corn on the nob" as my 3 yr-old grandson says!); and a rice and black bean salad I threw together with leftovers.
rice salad; rosemary roasted potatoes; and roasted beets with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parsley.
I had to make some finger food for a fundraising event I organized last week and I didn't want to just make the usual things. I have been wanting to try this kibbeh/kibbi recipe for a long time, so I made two pans of it, and it was so superior to any other vegetarian kibbeh I have ever tried. We loved it, and everything I brought sold out, even though most people had no idea what it was! It's the large amount of onions, cooked in the olive oil, that makes it so tasty and moist, I'm positive!
I often serve this recipe at big family gatherings and everyone loves it-- even if they don't know what it is!
The Arabic word kubbeh means a ball. The name has been widely borrowed, with various spelling variations: in English, the spellings kibbe and kibbeh are both common; also kubbah and kibbi. In Brazil, it is called quibe or kibe; elsewhere in Latin America, kipe or quipe. In Turkey, it is called içli köfte. In Armenian, it is called kufteh.
PRONUNCIATION: There is a little hesitation between the two b’s, and the second syllable is pronounced with a short e. It should look like this: kib’beh.
Kibbeh is defined as a dish of minced meat with bulgur and spices with many variants, both raw and cooked. However, there are several popular vegetarian versions (Lenten versions for Christians, usually) made with potato, pumpkin, sweet potato, etc, with plenty of onions for flavor. Many chefs are experimenting with stuffed vegetarian kibbi, utilizing greens, pomegranate molasses, nuts, herbs., etc.
It is a popular dish in the Levant, sometimes considered the national dish of Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, and Iraq. It is also a common food in North Africa, Turkey, the Arabian Peninsula, and parts of the Caucasus, such as Armenia and Georgia. Like hummus, everyone’s mom does it best.
In its most common form, it consists of minced meat mixed with bulgur and spices, stuffed inside a bulgur crust. The shape, size and ingredients vary between different types of kibbeh and between the recipes traditional in different areas. Recipes can include pine nuts, and green herbs, among other things. It can be baked, fried, boiled, stuffed, or served raw. The mix of spices changes as does the composition of the crust. Kubbat Halab is an Iraqi version made with a rice crust, though apparently not originating in the Syrian city of Halab (Aleppo) as its name suggests. Kubbat Mosul is another Iraqi version originally from Mosul where a bulgur crust is used, but the shape is flat and round, like a disc. Finally, Kubbat Shorwa is an Assyrian-Iraqi version where kibbeh is mixed in a stew, usually cooked with tomato sauce and spices.
It is traditionally served with a tahina dip which is made with sesame seed paste.
Besides being found in the Middle East and in Middle Eastern restaurants world-wide, it has also become a popular dish in South America, where it was introduced by Lebanese and Palestinian immigrants.
This is adapted from a recipe in the excellent book "Lebanese Cuisine" by Madelain Farah.
I have tried other potato kibbi recipes, but this one is absolutely the best! Good hot or at room temperature, plain, or with vegan Taheena Sauce.
Rinse the dry bulgur in cold water, squeeze, sprinkle with salt and let stand for 20 minutes.
Place the sliced onions in the bottom of a 9" square baking pan (spray the sides with oil). Cover with 1/3 cup of the oil.
Place the potato mixture evenly on top of the onions, smooth down, and cut into diamond shapes about 1/2" deep. Pour the remaining oil on top and bake at 400° until golden brown - about 50-60 minutes.
Let cool until you can handle it and cut the diamond shapes all the way down.
Use above recipe omitting oil and sliced onions. Form the mixture into patties and fry in 1/2" of oil or place on a well-oiled pan and bake.
Nutrition (per serving): 315.8 calories; 51% calories from fat; 18.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 478.5mg sodium; 381.5mg potassium; 35.4g carbohydrates; 6.4g fiber; 2.3g sugar; 29.0g net carbs; 4.7g protein; 7.1 points.
Today, this story was making the headlines: "NEW YORK - So you thought that water in your Aquafina bottle came from some far-away spring bubbling deep in a glen? Try the same place as the water in your tap.
PepsiCo Inc. is the latest company to offer some clarity about the source of its top-selling bottled water as it announced on Friday it would change the label on Aquafina water bottles to spell out that the drink comes from the same source as tap water."
Want to know more about this important issue? Watch the video below, an interview with Brian C. Howard, author of the article "Message in a Bottle".
Here is the report mentioned in the video, by the Natural Resources Defense Council, "on the results of our four-year study of the bottled water industry, including its bacterial and chemical contamination problems. The petition and report find major gaps in bottled water regulation and conclude that bottled water is not necessarily safer than tap water."
We are being duped, something I've believed for a long time. This video shows the extreme to which this has gone.
Please remember that we in North America and Europe are blessed with an abundance of clean water. Let's be thankful that we are not in Baghdad, where some neighborhoods have been dry for a week, and those that have it risk illness if they drink it. The electricity grids are so strained that they can't be used for water purification! So, let's get some perspective.
...that globally, there are 6000 deaths daily, and 2.2 million annually - all due to the lack of clean drinking water?
...In the past 10 years, water related diseases have amounted to more deaths among children than the combination of all the deaths attributed to armed conflict since the Second World War.
Earth Water International is a bottled water company; a new type of corporation whose bottom line is to help save the lives of people in the most desperate of situations.
Earth Water works in support of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) by donating 100% of it's net profits to be used in water aid programmes in developing countries.
Unlike other corporations, Earth Water's shareholders are every man, woman and child living in the most desperate of situations. Earth Water makes all of its corporate decisions by considering how our policies will impact our world and the people around us.
...our profitability is gauged by how well our corporation is able to positivley impact the lives of citizens around the world and by maintaining sustainable economic practices."
"Access to water is a basic human right. Ensuring refugees have an adequate supply of clean fresh water is the UNHCR’s top priority. Water is brought immediately to refugee camps by using trucks. Over long periods of time, UNHCR sets up permanent, sustainable and cost-effective water supply systems.
The UNHCR cares for 20.8 million people in 117 countries.
5.8 million are stateless, refugees who have returned home but need assistance, asylum seekers, or are others of concern"
UN "Water for life" website and their "Kids' Corner" with lots of resouces for students. This site has information on all of the issues around water, including gender issues.
Check the Earth Water website for where you can find it all over the world. They have cooler systems, as well as bottles.
So, if we MUST use bottled water (and we all do from time to time-- on trips, etc.), let's make sure the profits are not going to a big soft drink conglomerate like Pepsi (sells "Aquafina") or CocaCola (sells "Dasani"), or HUGE big business like Nestle, which sells "Pure Life"! Let's make the profits work for those who have no access to clean water!
Of course, the ideal would be for everyone to have access to free, clean, safe tap water for drinking. Even non-profit bottled water is not the answer! The Natural Resources Defense Council (their report on bottled water is the subject of the video below) has an excellent page on water, and issues such as activism, fighting and preventing pollution, and water conservation and restoration. They have a page called "Consumer Guide to Water Filters: How to find the right water filter for your home". "NRDC is working toward the day when all Americans can drink and shower in tap water without worry, but if you have immediate concerns about the water in your home, an independently certified water filter can be a good temporary fix for your kitchen faucet. Some filters aim to produce clearer, better-tasting water, while others work to remove contaminants that could affect your health. This guide will help you determine what type of filter might be right for your home."
NOTE: My vegan Peruvian recipes are featured on a blog post at the wonderful blog Peru Food! It's a real honor to be featured there!