According to the traditional Chinese calendar, this is the year 4710.

As a child growing up in New York City where a few of my relatives from our village in Toy Shan ( a rural town in Guangdong Province) lived, the new year meant endless days of dinners and visits with relatives. Our laundry home was extra clean for the occasion. Plates or bowls of either oranges or tangerines were placed throughout our humble but spotless home . Tangerines are symbolic of good luck, and oranges represent wealth.

On New Year’s Eve my mom made a huge dinner—fish, chicken, seaweed soup, squid, abalone, roasted pig, vermicelli noodles, tofu, various vegetables, and of course rice. The meal had at least 12 to 15 dishes. Each dish was symbolic of the good wishes for the new year. The chicken had to be complete with head, neck, and feet to symbolize completeness. A form of noodles was server to symbolize long life. A whole fish was symbolic of never lacking, you’ll always have since the pronunciation for the word fish in Chinese sounds similar to the pronunciation of the word to have. Enough food was made for the new year’s eve dinner to make sure there would be leftovers, a symbol that you had an abundance of food.

One of the favorite foods for my sister and brothers was a sesame ball my mom and dad made during Chinese New Year. In my Cantonese dialect, Toy Shan, they are called  tee doy. Mom made these for the family and took them to the relatives during our new year’s visits.

I can remember my mom starting the process after the dinner dishes were washed the day before new year’s eve. She liked to make them undisturbed through the night. I can still remember the aroma of hot sweet potato and brown sugar wafting through the cold laundry air as she stirred the mixture over a two burner stove as we slept.

In the morning, we’d awaken to the smell of hot oil and the gentle sizzle of the tee doys cooking, our alarm clock. We were eager to taste these once a year treats.

Mom’s recipe changed through the years. When were children, the filling was crushed peanuts, sweetened shredded coconut, Chinese dried dates, and chunks of pork fat. Our job was to crush the peanuts with a glass bottle that served as our rolling pin. Eventually pork fat was given up for a healthier filling—freshly ground organic Valencia peanut butter and lotus seed paste.

The outer skin, made of glutinous rice flour and Chinese brown sugar, varied with the addition of sweet potato or no sweet potato depending upon its availability. Today I use as much sweet potato as the dough will allow me to increase the nutrition and fiber to these sweet golden jewels. When these are made right, the skin is crispy, thin on the outside and chewy on the inside. The filling is creamy and flavors the neutral glutinous rice flour skin. If crunchy peanut butter is used, there is an added surprise crunch as you chew.

To enhance your enjoyment of the Chinese New Year, may I suggest you complement the celebration with the viewing of my painting, Still Life with Tangerine, Ceramic Pot, and Grape.

新年快乐！(xin nian kuai le) Happy New Year!

Copyright 2009-2010 by Nurturing Wisdom

I’ve been pondering about the source of creativity and what enhances its growth.

Creativity often feels like a river welling up within me. I only know the realness of this power when I’m practicing my craft, painting; but even more so when I haven’t painted for a while, when I’ve been without. I can’t go for too long without holding the implements of my craft. Just putting my brush to paint allows the flow of this spirited river. Some of my artists friends have felt this same energy when they cook a special meal, compose a song, write poem, paint a painting, perform a dance, play an instrument, or create a design. They too, have felt out of sorts and are about to burst, when they haven’t practiced their craft for a while.

I have had the tremendous honor of repeating this creative process over and over again as a painter. The times when I’ve been satisfied with what I’ve painted, I step back from my painting, look at it from different angles and say to myself, This is good.

I feel an intimate relationship with chefs, composers, writers, poets, painters, dancers, musicians, and designers who have shared their talents with me and others by allowing this river to flow through them. Whether I view a museum painting, experience fine dining, read a poem, examine the intricate details of a design, or listen to a symphony; I sometimes say to myself, This is good.  The art has taken my breath away. It has touched my spirit and lingers in my mind. I can’t forget it. I want to go back and experience it again and again. The art resonates within me, and I’m willing to purchase it. It lingers in my mind so much that I’m willing to pay a price for it. I say to myself, This is good.

My ponderings on the source of creativity have taken me back to the beginning:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth… and God saw that it was good… . God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them… . God saw all that He had made, and  behold, it was very good… . (Genesis 1: 1, 25, 26, 31 NASB)

These verses show me a creative and intelligent God who has created me. Since I have been created in His image; I too, have this creativity. He is the source of my creativity. It’s really all His. I’ve also noticed the words used to describe God’s observation of His creation each time He completed a part of it, and God saw it was good; and the words of His final observation that punctuates His satisfaction and contentment, God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good when He completed His entire creation. I too, have found myself saying and thinking similar words about my art or the art of others, This is good.

My ponderings on the beginning from Genesis have led me to conclude that ever since the beginning, God hasn’t been able to take His eyes off of His creation, me… us. He lingers and stays with me… us. He just can’t take His eyes off of me… us; in fact, when Adam and Eve disobey God, He offered mankind redemption in His Son, Jesus. God as a loving, compassionate God who offers His Son as a substitute for our misdeeds—a pardon, freedom:

All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:6 NASB)

When I align myself to God and submit to His plan, I’ve found the source of my creativity and the power that will enhance its grow.

God can’t take His eyes off of what He has created, you… and me. We linger in His mind so much that He was willing to pay a very high price for you… and me. In the same way a patron may pay for my art, God has paid for us, His masterpiece. We… I linger in His mind, and He was willing to pay a very high price for you… me, God saw all that He had made, and  behold, it was very good… . 

I wish you the most joyful holiday season and a healthful 2012!

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Colossians 1:19-20)

 

It’s a joyous season for gatherings with family and friends to share the season’s bounty of autumn fruits, squashes, and vegetables. It’s a time for cooking together and sharing as the sun sets. I love passing by my neighbors’ houses and enjoying quick glances into their windows as I make my way home each evening!

One of my favorite fruits during this season is freshly picked apples.

Apples are picked in the autumn and may be stored quite awhile before they’re sold, so to make sure you’re selecting the freshest apples, check the bottom of the apple (the opposite end of the stem-where the apple blossom used to be). Look for light green instead of a yellow to brown color.

When buying apples, make sure you buy organic. Apples are sprayed heavily with chemicals that penetrate its skin. Since apples are in season, it is easier to find organic ones on sale. If you buy from a local orchard, make sure to ask whether or not the apples have been sprayed. Buying local doesn’t mean organic.

For weeks we have been enjoying an apple cobbler that’s made with no added sweetener in its apple filling and no grain in its topping. The filling’s sweetness comes directly from the sweetness of the apples. The almond flour topping gets its sweetness from the sweetness of the freshly ground almonds and coconut crystals. For added sweetness, this apple cobbler must be served hot to melt the dollop of vanilla ice cream. No, I’m just kidding!! You can add the dollop of ice cream for festive occasions, but serving this cobbler hot will make it taste sweeter. I recently served it cool and it tasted like a totally different dessert. Please serve this apple cobbler hot!

 Hot Apple Cobbler

Serves 9

Preheat oven 350°

8×8 inch baking dish

Ingredients for apple filling:

1. four to six organic sweet apples-Delicious or Gala or  sweet apples of your choice

2. one teaspoon of cinnamon

3.one teaspoon of vanilla

4. pinch of salt

5. one eighth cup of filtered water

6. one half cup of (soaked and dehydrated) walnuts-optional

Ingredients for topping:

1. two cups of almonds (soaked, skin removed, and dehydrated)

2. one teaspoon of vanilla

3. pinch of salt

4. one teaspoon of baking soda

5. four Tablespoons of coconut oil

6. two Tablespoons of coconut crystals

Directions for filling:

1. Core and slice apples into six wedges lengthwise. Slice each wedge into 1/8 to 1/4 inches pieces. Try to cut each piece approximately the same size for uniform cooking. Place in a pot.

(You may want to place all the apple pieces into your baking dish to make sure there are enough apple pieces. If not enough, add more apple pieces.)

2. Add cinnamon.

3. Add vanilla.

4. Add pinch of salt.

5. Add water.

6. Toss in pot.

7. Cover and cook until desired softness. While the apples are cooking, make the topping.

8. Add walnut (optional)

Directions for Topping:

1. Grind almonds in food processor or blender. Place in a large bowl.

2. Add vanilla

3. Add salt.

4. Add baking soda.

5. Add coconut crystals.

6. Add coconut oil.

7. Mix.

8. Add cooked apples into baking dish.

9. Spoon liquidy topping onto apples. Spread each spoonful with spatula for an even thickness. Leave a slight space between each spoonful to prevent the liquid from overflowing from the sides as it bakes.

10. Bake for 35 minutes 0r until topping is golden.

11. Serve hot!

Suggestions and Accommodations:

1. To enhance your eating pleasure of this delicious hot apple cobbler, may I suggest that you pair it with the viewing of my painting, Apples.

2.. I’ve used soaked hazelnuts in place of almonds for the topping. The cobbler will have a richer taste, a delicious alternative.

3.. For protein types, top with yogurt or add walnuts to the filling.

4. For a festive occasion, add some ice cream or some whipped cream.

5. This is a quick and easy dessert. It doesn’t have to have the exact measurements for each ingredient. Since there aren’t any eggs in this recipe, you can taste-test as you make changes to the amount of each ingredient. Try some adding some nutmeg or allspice.

6. This is a great recipe for baking with children. Taste and experiment as you adjust the ingredients to your taste—a good lesson in creating with your palate instead of following a set recipe. Allow children to participate in adding the ingredients and tasting to adjust the amount of ingredients while they’re cold. Take extra care when the ingredients are hot.

]]> http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/hot-apple-cobbler/feed/ 0 nurturingwisdom Autumn Leaves IMG_7573 Root Vegetables Pumpkins Apples IMG_7662 IMG_7667 IMG_7524 IMG_7527 IMG_7674 IMG_7668 IMG_7672 IMG_7679 IMG_7677 http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/peach-cobbler/ http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/peach-cobbler/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 04:14:13 +0000 MeeLi Lee http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/?p=3302 ]]>
One of my favorite desserts is peach cobbler. I know. I know. We should eat what’s in season—like apple cobbler (that’s my next recipe). I just had this yen, and it wouldn’t go away. I had to get it out of my system…I mean into my system.

This is a healthier version. That’s gluten-free with some added protein from the almond topping; vegan; and sweetened with coconut crystals, a low glycemic sugar alternative.

It got rave reviews from my husband. John said, “This tastes like a peach cobbler should taste.”

Peach Cobbler

Serves 6 to 8

Preheat oven 375°

7×7 inch square Pyrex dish

Ingredients:

1. two bags of frozen organic sliced peaches (10 oz. each), thawed—save liquid

2. ten dried pitted dates (four added to peaches and six added to topping)

3. pinch of salt

4. one teaspoon of cinnamon

5. two cups of soaked almonds

6. two Tablespoons of coconut crystals

7. one teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder

8. four Tablespoons of coconut oil

9. one teaspoon of vanilla

Peach Filling

In a pot:

1. Add the thawed peaches and all the liquid.

2. Add cinnamon.

3. Slice four pitted dates into pieces—lengthwise, crosswise. Add to pot.

4. Simmer until soft.

Filling should be thick, a bit thinner than honey. Taste to adjust sweetness. Add more dates or some coconut crystal. Four dates was sweet enough for me!

Topping

Mix in a bowl:

1. two cups of almond flour—grind in blender or food processor.

2.  Slice six pitted dates into pieces—lengthwise, crosswise. Add to bowl.

3. Add two Tablespoons of coconut crystals (try one tablespoon, add more if needed)

4. Add one teaspoon of aluminum-free baking powder,

5. Add four Tablespoons of coconut oil (straight from the jar)

6. Add one teaspoon of vanilla.

7. Mix and squeeze with hands.

Place the peaches in Pyrex dish. Spoon topping onto filling. Bake until slightly golden—about 35 minutes.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

1. Use Deglet Noor Dates if possible.

2. Top with fresh whipped cream (grass-fed cream) to slow down the sugars.

3. To enhance your dining pleasure, may I suggest that you pair this peach cobbler with the viewing of my painting, Peaches and Cream.

A few of us in the group ordered avocado soup as our appetizer. As soon as a spoonful of this soup touched our lips, we knew we wanted the recipe. It was refreshing and light, yet full-bodied. It’s savoriness was actually sweet from all the inherent flavor of each vegetable. It was crunchy, yet smooth at the same time. We asked for the recipe but was only given a list of ingredients—no proportions. Each of us looked at the list and remarked, “The secret ingredient is missing. There’s more to this soup.”

After making this soup about four times, I was able to figure out the secret ingredient!

Avocado Soup

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. two organic Haas Avocados

2. one organic cucumber

3. one half cup of plain yogurt (fat-free or whole )

4. one and a half cups of range-free chicken stock (ingredient list called for vegetable stock)

5. four Tablespoons fresh dill

6. two cloves garlic, chopped

7. salt (Celtic Salt or your preference)

8. black pepper

9.  five shrimp  (or your choice of protein) per person (wild caught)

Instructions:

1. Shell, de-vein, wash, and dry the shrimp. Boil one half cup of filtered water. Add shrimp. Cook until pink. Reserve the liquid. Save the shells for soup stock or when you use pre-cooked shrimp. This liquid is the secret ingredient!

2. Dice one half cucumber.Remove seeds if they look too mature (hard to chew). Divide evenly and place the pieces in each soup bowl.

3. Cut the other half of cucumber and place in the blender/food processor.

4. Cut avocados in half, remove seed, slice into cubes and place in blender/ food processor.

5. Add one half cup of yogurt

6. Add one and a half cup of chicken broth (vegetable stock)

7. Add two Tablespoons of fresh dill.

8. Add two cloves of garlic, chop.

9. Blend until liquid.

10. Add reserved liquid (from shrimp)

11. Add salt and pepper to taste.

12. Blend

13. Pour into soup bowls over cucumber pieces.

14. Garnish with shrimp.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

1. The ingredient list originally listed vegetable broth. I used range -free chicken broth, because I only had chicken broth on hand. Many store bought vegetable broths have tomatoes as an ingredient. The avocado soup did not have a tomato taste. Perhaps a homemade vegetable broth without tomatoes can be used.

2. Other proteins can be used, such as chicken, fish, beef, etc. Remember to reserve the juices as your secret ingredient!

3. Vegans may want to use seitan or a marinated tofu. If seitan is used, the liquid would be perfect as the secret ingredient, but make sure you’re not allergic to wheat or have a gluten sensitivity. Seitan is wheat gluten!

4. You may want to chill the soup, but I served it at room temperature—right out of the blender.

The meals I’ve been preparing have been light and fresh— plenty of cold soups, salads, fresh fruits, and some protein. A light dessert, such as a slice of raw cherry pie is the perfect complement to a light lunch or dinner on a hot day.

The best thing about this dessert is that there’s almost no cooking involved!

There are no added sweeteners, just the sweetness from the cherries and the dates in the crust.

Since this pie is made with cherries, it is high in the phytonutrient—anthocyanidins. These phytonutrients help hold our skin together—meaning less wrinkles! George Mateljan’s article, “Can You Tell Me Which Foods Promote Collagen?” lists the berries that contain anthocyanidins and its effects on collagen:

The anthocyanidins found in deep-colored, red-blue berries and fruits (including cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) have been shown to work in a somewhat different way. These phytonutrients help the collagen fibers link together in a way that strengthens the connective tissue matrix.

He also states in “Boosting Your Polyphenols” that cherries and other berries are high in polyphenols, a nutrient that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer health benefits:

In the fruit group, dark plums, cherries, dark grapes, and apples were found to be the most concentrated sources of polyphenols followed by berries. (Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cranberries were included in the group of berries that were analyzed.) Among the vegetables, rhubarb and red cabbage were standouts for total polyphenol content.

Another bonus to this cherry pie is the nutrient-dense crust made with walnuts, dates, and shredded coconut.

A bit of prep work is needed to make raw cherry pie. The cherries I used were the ones I had pitted and froze a few weeks earlier when there was a sale  on organic cherries. To determine how many cherries to defrost, I placed enough frozen cherries to fill my 9″ pie plate. Then I first defrosted the cherries and saved the juice in a measuring cup. To the juices from the defrosted cherries, I added enough filtered water to make one cup of liquid. I didn’t want to use juice because of the additional sugar, fructose. At times I’ve used juice when there was no juice from the fruit I was making the pie with, such as blueberries. On other occasions, I’ve soaked 5 dates in one cup of water to get a sweetened liquid as a substitute for added juice.

To this cold liquid, add one tablespoon of agar. Let the agar soak until the pie crust is completed.

Return the cherries to the fridge to keep cool.

Raw Cherry Pie

Serves 6 to 8

9 inch pie crust

Ingredients:

1. one cup of soaked, dehydrated organic walnuts or unsoaked walnuts

2. one half cup of unsweetened, organic shredded coconut

3. one and one half cups of Medjool dates (and five extra dates for soaking to make a sweet liquid to substitute for fruit juice)

4. two teaspoons of vegetable oil (I use macadamia nut oil.)

You can use a food processor to chop and combine the walnut, shredded coconut, and dates. I did everything by hand:

1. Chop the walnuts until they ‘re fine.

2. Pit the dates

3. Slice the dates length-wise. Then cross-wise.

4. Place the chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, and dates into a bowl

5. Mix and knead until everything comes together into one mass

6. Oil a 9 inch pie plate.

7. Press the “dough” down until a thin layer covers the pie plate bottom and sides—1/8 inch thick.

8. If the pie crust needs patching, just pick up a piece from another part of the crust and patch the area.

9. Push the dough onto the lip of the dish. Pinch to create a fluted edge.

10. Refrigerate.

Filling

Ingredients:

1. Two cups of defrosted, pitted organic cherries (Depending upon the cherry size, add more cherries if needed. Reserve the cherry juice in a measuring cup.)

2. One Tablespoon of agar flakes.

3. filtered water—add as much water to juice as needed to make a one full cup

Directions:

1. Heat the agar containing liquid. Stirring until all the agar is dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and cool for a half hour.

3. Remove the cherries and crust from the fridge.

4. Add the cherries to the agar liquid.

5. Stir

6. Spoon the mixture (agar, liquid, and cherries) into the pie crust.

7. Place in the fridge, 2-6 hours.

8. Serve topped with whipped cream (optional)

Suggestions and Recommendations:

1. I prefer using Deglet Noor Dates. They only contain 2.6 grams of fructose per date, which means a small piece of this pie along with the berries will keep you close to the 25 grams of fructose that’s within the healthy limit. Unfortunately, I’ve only been able to find Medjool dates, which have 7.7 grams of fructose per date. This will mean a much smaller piece of pie to stay within a healthy limit per day. In addition to having less fructose, the Deglet Noor date is also more pliable.

2. Recently I’ve been using walnuts because of their omega 3 content, but I’ve used pecans in the past.

3. Keep the cherries and crust cold in the fridge. The agar containing liquid will gel faster if the cherries and crust are cold.

4. Add whipped cream made with grass-fed (pastured) heavy cream if your a protein-type.

5. Other berries can be used in place of cherries, such as blueberries for a raw blueberry pie.

Well, to this day one of my favorite fruits is oranges. I could envision my husband and daughter drinking the orange juice or eating the orange, or some orange zest, but the whole orange peel? No way!!!  To share my love for orange peel with my family, I had to think of a way to make an offer they couldn’t refuse—I sweetened the peel and dipped them in chocolate!!! Now how can anyone resist something sweet with chocolate. Dark chocolate!

Besides, I didn’t have the heart to throw out something organic!

I candied the peel with low glycemic coconut crystals and a bit of orange juice (from the same oranges I peeled). To further entice my family, I dipped each piece of orange peel in a mixture of coconut oil, raw cocoa, vanilla, and coconut crystals.

Unlike other candied citrus peel recipes, I didn’t blanch the peels three times. I candied them without blanching them to retain the nutrients and their full orange flavor.

Chocolate-Dipped Candied Orange Peel

Makes about 18 pieces

Ingredients:

for cooking orange peel—

1. peel of three organic oranges

2. one half cup of orange juice (add more as needed)

3. two teaspoon of coconut crystals (add more for sweeter orange peels)

for dark chocolate—

1. one Tablespoon coconut oil, melted

2. one half teaspoon vanilla

3. three Tablespoons of cacao powder

4. one teaspoon of coconut crystals

1. Wash oranges and dry.

2. Score orange peel into sixths or eighths and peel.

3. Mix orange juice and two teaspoons of coconut crystals until dissolved.

4. Heat juice mixture.

5. Add orange peel. Let cook. Keep watching it,

6. Toss. Keep watching it.

7. When all the peels are flat and there’s very little liquid left (will look syrupy), remove the orange peel.

8. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet / dish to cool.

9. After they are cooled, place them in the fridge.

10. Make dark chocolate.

11. Melt coconut oil.

12. Add coconut crystals. Stir.

13. Add cacao powder. Stir

14. Add vanilla. Stir.

15. Dip cooled candied orange peel into dark chocolate.

Suggestions and Recommendations:

1. Use organic oranges. The skin of non-organic oranges are heavily sprayed and colored with dyes.

2. Orange peel can be sliced into thinner pieces. I liked keeping the pieces larger for the color. Other recipes for candied orange peel suggests that the peel be thoroughly dried (a few days) before coating with sugar or dipping in chocolate. The candied orange peel in this recipe is not thoroughly dried. It is for immediate consumption. My recipe also calls for much less sweetener. They can be kept on the fridge for a few days. Perhaps for gift giving, the ones thoroughly dried would be wiser.

3. Adjust the sweetness level by adding or removing the amount of coconut crystals.

4. For an added kick, you might want to add some cayenne powder in the chocolate.

5. I garnished mine with fresh herbs-basil and cilantro. The cilantro and/or basil were delicious with the candied orange peel. You might want to try fresh mint leaves.

6. To enhance your eating pleasure, may I suggest you pair Chocolate-Dipped Candied Orange Peel with the viewing of my painting, Reflections: Still Life With Orange and Bottle.

]]> http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/chocolate-dipped-candied-orange-peel/feed/ 2 nurturingwisdom orange Candied Orange Peel Dipped in Chocolate http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/gazpacho-soup-2/ http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/2011/07/28/gazpacho-soup-2/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 05:31:38 +0000 MeeLi Lee http://nurturingwisdom.wordpress.com/?p=3062 ]]> I recently made this soup for a very special guest, my pastor during his visit with my husband and me. I wanted him to experience the full range of textures and flavors this wonderful cold soup provides from summer’s bounty.

I made one change in the ingredients. The recipe calls for red  or sweet onions, but this time, I used a white onion instead to give it an added punch. The soup already had two sweet fruits in it-a red bell pepper and tomatoes. To give the soup some contrast, I thought a stronger, more pungent onion would provide the added kick! I was right. My pastor liked the soup so much, he e-mailed me for the recipe!

To enhance your enjoyment of the delicious gazpacho, may I suggest you pair this soup with the viewing of my painting, White Onion.

From the land of sun drenched summers, where sunlight bathes every object and colors vibrate comes Gazpacho Soup.

Refreshing Gazpacho Soup

It was during one of my walks through the streets of Barcelona, Spain that I came upon this chilled soup at a local Spanish restaurant made with farm fresh vegetables. After my first spoonful, I knew I had to replicate this soup when I got home.

Today, each spoonful of this chilled, refreshing soup brings to mind the memory of the Iberian sun, the same unique summer sun that makes Sorolla paintings shimmer.

Gazpacho Soup is simple and economical to make. It is the perfect soup for summer when its ingredients are bountiful, and you’re yearning for something cool and refreshing. For an added boost in nutrition use organically grown vegetables from your local farmers’ market or from your own garden.

The vegetables for Gazpacho Soup only need to be roughly cut or sliced for the blended part of the soup. The blender or food processor does all the work! Well, except the red onions and garlic cloves. You’ll need to dice and chop a little more so that no one gets a chunk of onion or garlic in their soup.

If you’d like to add some texture to your gazpacho, reserve some of the red bell pepper, cucumber, celery, basil leaves, and cilantro. Set them aside for later. These need to be chopped a bit smaller.

I like to blend the vegetables that contain the most liquid first. The liquid makes it easier for the rest of the ingredients to liquify.

Blend four vine ripened tomatoes until liquidy. Add one half of a seeded cucumber and blend. Add celery, leaves included; half of a large sweet red pepper or one medium; two tablespoons of red onions; three cloves of garlic with shoots removed, diced. Blend.

Cut or torn basil leaves; and three tablespoons of cilantro. Blend.

Add the juice of one lime to the blended mixture. Blend.

In serving bowls combine diced red bell peppers, cucumber, and celery (reserved earlier).

Pour the blended mixture over the diced vegetables. Garnish with more diced vegetables, cilantro and basil.

Drizzle with extra virgin oil and hot sauce.

Salud!

Gazpacho Soup

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

Reserve some cucumber, celery, sweet red pepper, cilantro, and basil for added texture and garnishing.

4 organic tomatoes

1 medium, organic cucumber

2 stalks celery with leaves

1 medium organic red sweet pepper

2 tablespoons of organic red onion or sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

Cut or torn cilantro and basil

extra virgin olive oil

hot sauce (cayenne )

extra virgin olive oil

1. Reserve some cucumber, celery, sweet red pepper chunks with cilantro and basil. These need to be chopped finer.

The blended portion of the soup only needs to be roughly cut.

2. Place roughly cut tomatoes in blender or food processor. Blend.

3. Add cucumber. Blend.

4. Add celery stalks and leaves. Blend.

5. Add sweet red pepper. Blend.

6. Add onion, garlic, cilantro, and basil. Blend.

7. Drizzle with hot sauce (to taste) and extra virgin olive oil.

8. Add more vegetable chunks if desired.

Modifications and suggestions: Serve with a side of crusty bread and cheese; place slices of crusty toasted bread or shrimp in the center of the soup; for protein types, add shrimp or sausage to center of soup.

Chill soup before serving. To get it extra cold, add ice cubes.

This is an easy and fun soup to make. Add more or less of each vegetable. Keep tasting to adjust the proportions to your taste.

Copyright 2009 by Nurturing Wisdom

My husband, John recently purchase five bags of organic cherries on sale! Such a shopper  He also delivered an order to our friends, Rosemarie and Joe. As delicious as the cherries were, there was no way we could eat about five founds of cherries. I was thinking of washing the cherries, placing them in a container, and freezing them pit and all… until Rosemarie called. She advised me that the cherries should to be pitted before freezing otherwise the cherries would develop an almond flavor from the pits.  As I listened to her over the phone, a running monologue was going on in my head-pit them? That sounds like a lot of work! It’ll take hours with five bags of cherries. I envisioned myself cutting around each cherry pit to remove the cherries from their pits. Rosemarie must have been reading my mind. She said, “Joe has an easy way to pit them. Use the blunt end of a skewer.”

Well, three minds are definitely better than one. It turned out the skewer I was using was too thin and took a bit of maneuvering for the pits to release from the cherries. John tried the blunt end of a bamboo chopstick from the Chinese takeout restaurant. Voilà, the pit popped right out.

Pitting Cherries 101

Materials:

1. rubber gloves

2. one bamboo chopstick or a pair for s volunteer

3. newspaper or brown paper to cover backsplash

4. organic cherries

5. wax paper

6. one freezer plastic bag or storage container with lid

7. colander

8. cookie sheet or Pyrex dish

9. organic cherries

Instructions:

1. Wash and dry cherries-drain in colander.

2. Remove stem.

3. Turn cherry over to opposite end of where the stem was. You’ll see a dot.

4. Place the blunt end of a chopstick on the dot.

5. As you hold the cherry firmly with one hand, push the chopstick into the dot. You’ll feel the pit.

6. Continue pushing until you see the pit protrude from the spot where the stem was located.

7. Place the cherry onto a cookie sheet or Pyrex dish with space around each cherry.

8. Place the cookie sheet/ Pyrex dish in the freezer until the cherries are frozen-about 3 to 4 hours. Check by squeezing.

9. Place the frozen cherries into a wax paper-lined plastic bag or a container to store in freezer. If you plan to use a plastic bag, squeeze the air out of the bag before placing in the freezer. This will keep the cherries dry and prevent them from sticking together. Air might cause some condensation, which will result in wet cherries that will stick together. If the cherries are kept dry and separate, you can defrost the number of cherries you need instead of the entire bag that has frozen into one solid piece of cherry ice.

Suggestions:

1. I used a Pyrex dish to freeze the pitted cherries. A cookie sheet could not fit into my freezer-too narrow.

2. I used a plastic bag zip bag so I could store more cherries and so that I could remove the air by squeezing. (See above #9)

3. Make sure you see a pit pop out of each cherry. You don’t want to spoil someone’s dessert enjoyment chomping on a pit! Ouch!

4. Save some cherries for my raw cherry pie recipe!