“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six hours sharpening my axe.” ~ Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (1809 – 1865)

Here it is, the week before the unofficial end of summer, and the heat just keeps on coming. Drastic measures are called for, but we’re having too much fun outdoors to make anything that keeps us in the kitchen for too long. Enter the cold soup.

Gazpacho is a Spanish classic that was made to wake up the senses on a hot day. Traditionally prepared with tomatoes, bread, and cucumber, we’ve taken the liberty to make it our own and slightly alter the way these ingredients are applied. Inspired by the habit one of the Mosaic Kids has of adding dill pickle juice to her Bloody Mary drinks, we replaced the fresh cucumber with minced dill pickles, and we put the bread on top in the form of croutons that will provide a textural contrast.

The Mrs. Dash seasoning blend contains dried onions, garlic, spices, and herbs to save us time chopping and measuring. Since this soup needs to sit for at least a couple of hours, the ingredients have plenty of time to soften and spread their flavors while we’re off having more fun.

Everyday Gazpacho

Serves 4
Time: 5 minutes active + at least 2 hours refrigeration

1 (15-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1 large pablano chile pepper, minced
½ large dill pickle, finely minced
½ cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Original salt-free seasoning

½ cup toasted croutons to garnish (see recipe on page 109 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook if you wish to make them yourself)

In a food processor or blender, process the tomatoes and chile pepper until they are mostly smooth but not totally pureed. Stir in the dill pickles, vegetable broth, and Mrs. Dash. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or as long as a day before serving to allow the flavors to blend.

Garnish with croutons and serve cold.

“Love doesn’t grow on trees like apples in Eden – it’s something you have to make. And you must use your imagination too.” ~ Joyce Cary, Anglo-Irish novelist and artist (1888 – 1957)

Using the imagination in the kitchen is the best way to keep healthy foods from becoming boring. Sure, a salad of lettuce, cucumber, and tomato is easy and quick to prepare, but it doesn’t take long before it becomes apparent that this combination lacks inspiration. Even a rabbit would be grateful for the addition of an occasional apple.

Since apples are never more fresh than they are at this time of the year, we thought it would be nice to use one to liven up our Meatless Monday lunch. Toasting the apple slices brings out the natural sugars, adds a little color, and the warmth provides a pleasant contrast to the cold lettuce. We combined ours with pecans and some dried cranberries, but other dried fruits and nuts could have been equally as tasty. If we’d had any canned mandarin oranges in the pantry, they might have gone into the bowl, too.

Toasted Apple Salad

Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes

1 large apple
4 cups torn lettuce leaves
¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans
¼ cup dried cranberries or raisins
¼ cup ginger flavored salad dressing (we used the Creamy Ginger Dressing recipe from page 117 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook)
 

Peel the apple and slice it into thin wedges. Place them in a single layer in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned, then turn over to brown the other side. Stir in the pecans and dried fruit to warm slightly.

Divide the lettuce between two plates, then top with the hot apple mixture. Serve immediately with your favorite ginger flavored salad dressing.

While eating my salad at lunch today, I came across a delightful story from NPR that fits perfectly with the Meatless Monday theme. It is about a German cow named Yvonne who has gained local fame and a devoted Internet following by escaping a slaughterhouse and all attempts at capture over the last 100 days: Freedom for Yvonne.

“It’s not that easy bein’ green;
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves.
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold, or something much more colorful like that…”
~ From the Sesame Street song “Bein’ Green”, written for Kermit the Frog by Joe Raposo in 1970

When we’re working hard to be healthy, snacks seem to be the biggest obstacle to balance. It is difficult to achieve moderation with all the salt, sugars, fats, and mysterious chemicals that are added to nearly every option, so we try to at least make most of our treats at home from simple ingredients.

Like hummus, which is made from chickpeas, bean dips and salsas make a snack that is so good for us – full of protein and fiber – that given the appropriate dipper, they could actually make an unapologetic meal. When made at home, bean dips also leave room for a lot of creativity and are a fraction of the cost of store bought.

We’re going up into the mountains to enjoy some cycling and watching a few of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge stages this week, so we thought a spicy bean dip would be a perfect tote-along that won’t spoil easily. It will also stand up to veggie dippers if we happen upon a farmer’s veggie stand along the way.

White Bean-Green Chili Dip

Makes 1 ½ cups
Time: 7 minutes

1 (15-ounce) can Great Northern or Cannellini Beans
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning Mix (for homemade, see page 110 in the Mosaic Meals cookbook)
½ cup canned or freshly roasted chopped green chilies

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor on high speed, stopping to stir down as needed, until very smooth.

To serve, garnish with chopped fresh cilantro, chives, or parsley, or surround with a ring of your favorite tomato salsa. Scoop up with some tortilla chips, fresh veggies, or pita bread, or use as a dairy-free, egg-free spread in your favorite sandwich instead of mayonnaise.

As for Bein’ Green… Muppets: The Green Album features an Andrew Bird rendition of this song that is truly wonderful and makes great listening with a young person in your life who could use a little encouragement to appreciate themselves for who they are.

“T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs
We’ve been having fun all summer long…” ~ from the Beach Boys song “All Summer Long” by Brian Wilson (1942 – )

We’re still having summer fun and that includes the fun of visiting as many farmers’ markets as we can. Summer squash, in its various forms, is a favorite pick and usually locally grown no matter which part of the country we’re in.

This past week, we were lucky enough to find some globe squash, which resembles a short, fat zucchini. Lucky, I say, because we love stuffed food and this one is perfect for a quick and easy dish that appears to be gourmet.

In the recipe below, we’ve provided the details for the stuffing we made, but keep in mind that the point of this is to use the globe squash with whichever stuffing ingredients you like. The eggplant, for instance, could easily have been mushrooms, and the orzo could have been rice.

Stuffed Globe Squash

Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes

1 cup orzo + water to cook
4 globe squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small eggplant
1 small red bell pepper
1 small yellow onion
1 medium carrot
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced sodium tamari or other soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 cup water

Begin cooking the orzo in water according to the package directions and draining well when fully cooked.

Meanwhile, cut the eggplant, bell pepper, onion, and carrot into ½ inch dice. Warm the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot and add the diced vegetables. Cook over medium heat until soft.

While the diced vegetables are cooking, cut off about 1 inch of the stem end of the globe squash. Scoop out the inside leaving ½ inch thickness around the sides to form a bowl. Chop the scooped out portion and all but the stem of the top portion. Add to the diced vegetables while they are still cooking.

Place the globe squash into the microwave oven, cut side down, and cook on high for 3 minutes. Turn so that the cut side is up and cook on high for 4-6 minutes, until tender crisp.

Mix the garlic, tamari or soy sauce, cornstarch, crushed red pepper, and water together until the cornstarch has dissolved.

Reduce the heat under the vegetables to low, then stir in the orzo. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue stirring until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame seeds.

Fill the globe squash with the vegetable-orzo mixture, spooning any extra onto the plate surrounding the squash. Serve while hot.

“Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.  I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.” ~ From the Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by T. S. Eliot, American poet (1888 – 1965)

August is peach season and there is no better time than this to eat them, as fresh from the tree as possible.

In honor of our real estate agent, Beline Obeid (pronounced ba-leen), we thought we would celebrate the closing of the sale of our house by toasting with Bellini cocktails. It especially made sense with all Palisade peaches available at every turn here in Colorado.

A Bellini cocktail is made from a sparkling white wine, usually Prosecco, and peach puree. Very tasty. With only two of us, however, we ended up with ½ a bottle of the Prosecco leftover, and sparkling wine doesn’t keep well. Our solution was to mix some additional peach puree and the wine together and stick it in the freezer to make another Italian treat, the Bellini Granita. Excellent results, worthy of opening a new bottle of wine to make if more servings are desired.

Note: The alcohol in the wine does not diminish with freezing, and therefore this recipe might not be appropriate for everyone.

Bellini Granita

Makes 2 cups
Time: 5 minutes + overnight in the freezer

1 ½ cups Prosecco or other white wine
1 ripe peach
Additional peach slices or berries to garnish (optional)

Peel and pit the peach, then puree it in the blender until smooth. Add the wine and mix on lowest speed just until completely combined. Pour into a freezer-safe container, cover tightly, and freeze overnight. Scrape the surface with an ice cream scoop as you spoon it into dishes. Serve immediately, garnished with additional peach slices or berries.

This light dessert is especially decadent when served with a few pieces of dark chocolate on the side.