It was a beautiful summer day, very pleasant in our Bay Area microclimate, and I had just received a huge basket of garden fresh tomatoes from my neighbor Jim, and here I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa on TV with a recipe for fresh tomato soup, I couldn’t believe it! The timing couldn’t have been more appropriate, it was the perfect time to make tomato soup with my newly delivered stash of garden tomatoes.
Continue reading Fresh Tomato Carrot Soup
Tag Archives: herbs
Creamy Broccoli Vegetable Soup
A delicious creamy vegetable soup with lots of vegetables, this soup will take care of more than just one serving of veggies for the day. With 1lb of broccoli, two cups of carrots, bell peppers and a potato for that creamy texture, this soup is filling as it is delicious. If you so desire add a bit of cream or milk or keep it vegan and dairy-free, either way this is a delicious veggie soup 😋. Continue reading Creamy Broccoli Vegetable Soup
Wild Mushrooms & Leeks with Melted Brie
Wild mushrooms and leeks with melted Brie is an appetizer that my daughter Rani and I made for our Thanksgiving appetizer and what a spectacular appetizer this dish turned out to be. Delicious, cheesy, flavorful, and beautiful – melted Brie with mushrooms and leeks is one showstopper of an appetizer! Continue reading Wild Mushrooms & Leeks with Melted Brie
Root Vegetable Broth
When my daughter Anjali and I made roasted root vegetables for our Thanksgiving dinner we were admiring the beautiful vegetables being cut for this dish. Honestly, Anjali took forever to cut the vegetables 😀 as she kept stopping to appreciate each vegetable and take some photos of them 😀.
Roasted Root Vegetables on Bed of Greens
“Can you guess what vegetables are roasted in this dish?” That was the question presented to the kids by Oliver when we went over to Jo and Oliver’s place for dinner a while back. It’s not fair to ask that question of you as you had to smell the aroma of these roasted veggies to guess. Absolutely delicious these veggies were! Continue reading Roasted Root Vegetables on Bed of Greens
Herbed Greek Yogurt with Crunchy Fruit & Granola
Our family loves Greek yogurt with berries and granola. It’s our go-to breakfast and many times we even have it as an afternoon snack too. With fall upon us and crunchy fruits like apples and persimmons in abundance let me share another variation of Greek yogurt parfait. This version perks up Greek yogurt with fresh herbs from the garden. Sweet herbs like mint and basil add a fresh unexpected surprise to the Greek yogurt when combined with crunchy fall fruits like apples, Asian pears, and persimmons. Then add a few raisins and fresh grated ginger, all topped with a dirzzle of honey. This will make a delicious fall-inspired crunchy Greek yogurt parfait. Continue reading Herbed Greek Yogurt with Crunchy Fruit & Granola
Oreccheitti Pasta with Dried Herbs & Vegetables
Pasta with fragrant dried herbs and a variety of vegetables is perfect comfort food on a cool fall-afternoon. Fresh herbs from my garden are what I reach for when making pasta but on this Sunday afternoon it was my daughter Sri who was making lunch and rather than take the few extra steps into the garden for fresh herbs she just reached into my pantry for my homegrown dried herbs. I have to say I was surprised how different dried herbs taste from fresh herbs. I would even say that dried herbs have a stronger flavor profile giving pasta a real kick of herb fragrance. In this oreccheitti pasta Sri used veggies that I had at hand which happened to be asparagus, mushrooms, and tomatoes. With a pinch of chili flakes and lots of garlic, this pasta tastes amazing with fragrant dried herbs and fresh vegetables 😋. Continue reading Oreccheitti Pasta with Dried Herbs & Vegetables
Chanterelle Wild Mushroom Risotto
Last week I went shopping for produce at Costco and came across these gorgeous looking wild mushrooms called chanterelles. Usually I find wild mushrooms to be pricey at the grocery stores and even at the Famer’s Market, but at Costco for a large carton of about 4-5 cups of chanterelle mushrooms it was just more affordable and they looked so fresh too. I picked up a carton and decided to make wild mushroom risotto that same night. Gorgeous golden colored chanterelles look and taste amazing in a creamy risotto. Continue reading Chanterelle Wild Mushroom Risotto
Royal Rice. A fusion of Mexican and Indian flavors.
An issue of Food and Wine magazine arrived in the mail and I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was completely dedicated to the cuisine of Mexico. In this issue the two recipes that got me intrigued were vegetarian dishes that combined Mexican and Indian flavors. One of the recipes was for a dish called royal rice and the other one was for Indian pakoras made with chickpea flour, Mexican herbs, and Mexican lager beer. The rice dish is really interesting because it is a blend of Indian and Mexican flavors all mashed up into one main dish that can be had with yogurt raita or as a side with fish or chicken. Continue reading Royal Rice. A fusion of Mexican and Indian flavors.
Homegrown Dried Herbs 🌿
When I visited my sister Banu in Philadelphia a while back I saw her use this amazing selection of dried herbs for a vegetarian chili she was making. The herb bottles were beautifully labeled and the herbs dried to perfection. My other sister Shobha and I looked at these beautiful herbs in awe; they looked like Banu had bought them from a specialty food shop, only to find out that Banu dried them all herself at home. Continue reading Homegrown Dried Herbs 🌿
