Wild Leek Soup... Yummy!
Wild Leek, Herb, & Local Veggie Soup
Simple and took me about 20 minutes to make, including the cleaning time for the wild leeks.
Early in the day I put out to thaw about 1 1/2 cups of each of these frozen veggies from my winter veggie CSA :
- broccoli
- red, orange, and yellow pepper pieces
- orange cherry tomatoes
I brought 4 1/2 to 5 cups to a boil and poured into my Vita Mix blender.
Add the white parts, set green leafy tops aside for later, of 15 or so wild leeks and blend into a puree.
To the Vita Mix liquid add:
handful of fresh rosemary sprigs from the window sill herb pot
handfuls of sage & oregano and the leaves off a long sprig (5-6 inches) of thyme - all herbs in the garden that are up and ready for use
Blend all this green stuff into the wild leek liquid.
Pour green liquid back into pot on the stove. Do not turn on heat again
Add in the completely thawed veggies and 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt.
Cover pot and leave until dinner time. I made it about 1 1/2 hours before dinner so the flavors could meld together for a short while.
Tomorrow night I will add a can of organic chickpeas to the leftovers to change it just a little bit.
Optional add ins:
- fresh chives scattered across the top after you ladle into the soup bowls.
- garlic chives blended into the broth.
- any fresh herbs you have in the garden. I have parsley but I did not want to disturb the small patch this early in the season.
- fresh, tender dandelion greens.
- wild violet leaves from the yard?
- harvest wild violet flowers just before serving and sprinkle across the top with the chopped chives. Violets add in some awesome, local Vitamin C for spring rejuvenation!
- I would have added frozen sweet corn kernels and cauliflower pieces but I seemed to have used all of those frozen CSA goodies.
Serve with whole grain bread, butter, & cheese. If you are lucky, and we were, serve up a local baby green salad. Spring pleasure food!
Grab what you have on hand and create a simple spring soup to enjoy in this untimely hot weather! Share what you threw together and tell us if it was yummy!
Weeds, To Eat or Not To Eat!
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Paula M. Youmell, RN, MS, CHC
Holistic Health, Nutrition & Fitness Counselor
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"Just lift the corner of the clouds and the sun is
ALWAYS shining!" Eli Schechter
Spring Nettles poking out of my home garden plot, Spring 2014
Weeds to one person are another person's medicine!
I love spring for the wonderful green plants shooting out of the earth around my home, in the woods and fields. These plants remind me of the ever changing and newness of life, the bounty of good food right outside our doors, and the nutritional value and healing properties of what many people consider weeds. I personally await the spring's wild leeks, dandelion greens, first nettle shoots, plantain leaves, rhubarb shoots, and so many more spring edibles.
These spring edibles awaken our taste buds, livers, digestive tracts, and each and every body cell. The incredible amount of nutrients in the plants adds to our nutritional stores and cleans our winter blood, liver, and digestive tracts.
What a relief to move away from my beloved winter root veggies (beets!) and begin incorporating our natural spring foods.
For more thoughts on the whole food-ness of herbs (weeds) click here.
Dandelion greens and flowers; good for liver health!
Fun Food Focus
Spring Greens Soup
I gather several kinds of spring greens: dandelion, plantain, lambs quarters, nettles, mustard greens, sorrel, violets... the list goes on. (Learn to identify them, pick and enjoy!)
I gently wash them, throw them in my blender with some raw goat's milk and wild leek shoots and leaves. Blend into a puree and warm gently.
You can also saute' the wild leek, ever so gently, then toss in the green and saute' for 1-2 minutes before blending.
Easy greens to start with are dandelion, plantain, nettles and violets.
Another idea: mix them in a salad with local, mixed baby greens - they should be available soon! Dress with raw - apple cider vinegar, organic - extra virgin olive oil and a few dried spices. Yummy!
This picture taken today, 5-16-14. The nettles are getting larger!
Bonus information: Check out Martin's Farm Stand website, you can pre-order your fresh, local, seasonal produce, on-line! Cutting edge - local food access!