Category: Vegetarian

Last weekend, I ventured out to a local institution called Baugher’s. Initially a 60 acre farm, now Baugher’s has morphed into a restaurant, market, and nursery.  Because of all the chain stores and restaurants that have popped up in our area, this 100-year-old establishment is struggling.

I was there to buy a pie, which are also famous in these parts, and ended up with a bunch of very ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes.  Since my tomato plants are only just now in flower, it will be many weeks before I’ll be able to eat my own.

The one’s from Baugher’s must have come up from Florida, and usually, I don’t take a risk with store-bought tomatoes, which generally have no taste.  Not these.  They packed tons of flavor, and I was glad I bought them.  Since they were so ripe, I needed to do something with them quickly, so used up some other veggies I had on hand, and the result was this soup.  Enjoy 🙂

I saw a version of this recipe the other day, and set off this morning for my first visit to the local farmer’s market intending to pick up some key ingredients.

Farmer’s Markets are a great place to get local produce, and although the pickings were a bit slim today, I was able to get rhubarb and spinach.  I’ve never been a big fan of rhubarb, probably because I never had it prepared properly.  It has a fruity and slightly tangy taste, which complements the Indian spices used in this stew.  I was glad to try it out in something new.

To have a more complete meal, you can ladle the stew over cooked whole grains, such as quinoa or brown rice.

I recently had the chance to visit the beautiful new home of one of my friends.  After a tour, we sat down for bowls of this delicious and filling soup.  Colleen took the basic recipe found on the bean and barley package and enhanced it by adding her own ingredients.  The results were terrific, and we kept going back for more. I bet you’ll do the same.

Colleen’s 17 Bean & Barley Soup

Serves 8

1 bag Trader Joe’s 17 Bean and Barley Mix (16 oz.)

2 32 oz Trader Joe’s low sodium vegetable broth

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, thickly cut

1 cup carrot, thickly cut

1 cup bell pepper, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

¾ cup southwest style frozen vegetables

1 clove garlic, crushed

4 tsp olive oil

1 tb paprika

1 tb steak seasoning

1 tb Italian seasoning

3 bay leaves

1 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes

1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

¾ cup dry red wine

3 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume in cold water.  Bring to a boil; then lower heat and cook uncovered beans over moderate heat for two minutes. Remove pan from heat and soak beans for one hour.

As beans are soaking, heat olive oil on medium heart in sauté pan. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.  Add frozen vegetable mix and heat through.

Rinse soaked beans and place in large soup pot. Add vegetable mixture, broth, along with remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, covered for one hour.  Remove bay leaves, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy 🙂

Growing up, I don’t remember ever eating a sweet potato.  I’m not sure why, but it was only recently that I started integrating them into my diet.  Sweet Potatoes are a great source of nutrition.  High in fiber, they are loaded with vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.  I hope you’ll give this soup a try, even if you’ve never had sweet potatoes before 🙂

Don’t be afraid of the peanut butter.  It adds a great depth to this soup, which originated in Africa.