Kashmiri Collards

Kashmiri Collards
Modified from a Madhur Jaffrey recipe

Wash a bunch of collards.
Slice the stems (ribs) from the leaves. Discard the stalk if it was harvested.

Finely chop the stems (ribs).
In a very large pot, 
add 3 TBSP of vegetable oil,
2 chopped cayenne peppers,
3 TBSP minced garlic.
Cook about a minute then add the chopped stems.
Stir to mix well.
Cook just a minute or two more to allow the garlic to cook, but not burn.
Then add just enough water to cover the stems.
Cook about 15-20 minutes, allowing the stems to change from bright green to dark green.
Add 2-3 vegetarian bouillon cubes. Knorr works great for me.

Next- the leaves.
Gather bunches of leaves and roll like a cigar.
Slice through the roll thinly. 
When all the leaves are thinly sliced, add to the pot and add water an inch or two higher than the leaves.
Cook down 2 or 3 hours.

Allow the water to boil off leaving the seasoned greens behind. This is a very salty dish, so fewer bouillon cubes means less salt. If you've ever had Allen's Brand seasoned collards or mustard greens, you'll recognize the intense flavor.

Barley Vegetable Soup

An overabundance of tomatoes and green beans at the end of last year brought about the creation of this soup. With or without the barley, it is a hearty soup, packed with veggies.

BARLEY VEGETABLE SOUP

One large soup pot

Water : You want to add just enough water to cover the ingredients as you go. At the end when the tomatoes are added, this should be just enough liquid to cook the barley.

Saute

1 minced onion, medium or large- I prefer sweet onions
4 tsp minced garlic

in 3 TBSP margarine or butter

Chop 3 stalks of celery, leaves included

Add celery to onion mixture and cook down

Peel and slice 3-4 carrots

Add carrots to the pot with just enough water to cover the mix.

Cook at least 5 minutes before adding the next ingredients.

Dice into 1/2" cubes 4 medium idaho potatoes. Add to soup.

**No brown potatoes??- Red potatoes will cook down a little too much, so care should be taken.

Add 1-2 cups of fresh green beans and 1 cup of fresh peas now or

if using canned, let the potatoes cook about 5 minutes first,

then add 1 cup frozen peas and 1QTY 15-16 ounce can of drained green beans (not french cut).

Cook another 3 minutes or just long enough for the potatoes and fresh beans to cook through but not break down.

When I originally created this recipe I had over a dozen smallish tomatoes from the end of the season. I blanched the tomatoes to remove the skin. Then I pureed them in a food processor.

This year, I have 25cent canned tomatoes and they have worked great. Honestly, paste, diced, or any tomatoes work just fine. Use about* 4 cups of whatever you have.

Puree 2QTY 14-16 OZ cans of whole tomatoes and add to the soup

along with

3QTY veggie bouillon cubes,

3 TBSP of fresh parsley,

and 3/4 cup quick cook barley.

At this point the instructions on the barley box will be your guide. If you've added a minimal amount of water as you've added ingredients, then the tomato puree should have added enough liquid to cook the barley. Use your judgement. Remember that barley will thicken the soup as it cooks. Add a little water at a time if it gets too thick for you. The box will have a recommended cooking time.

Finish by adding 1 TSP salt and 1/2 TSP ground pepper.

TOP IT OFF:

My husband loves adding hot sauce to his soup.

Squash Casserole

Another southern tradition is squash casserole. Making it today I realized I don't have a "measure it out" recipe. Rather, I use whatever amount I have and feel my way through. Growing up I ate squash casserole because I had to. My grandmother made it for every holiday and regularly during the summer. However, it wasn't a casserole I particularly liked.

One problem I have with most squash casseroles is the raw onion. Onion has a tendency to overpower other flavors. In addition the chunks of onion seemed to be too big, often undercooked, and inconsistent with the texture of the rest of the casserole. When I started experimenting I decided to saute' minced onion, cooking it thoroughly. This gave the dish that flavor of onion while letting the squash flavor shine.

In addition, I never like a thick casserole rather one large yet thin enough to be well cooked. This, of course, is a personal preference easily remedied with a 13" casserole pan and what I call the second baking. Ever notice how the squash casserole is sometimes too watery leaving a bit of liquid on the bottom of the pan? A second round in the oven after the first serving seems to solve the wateriness issue.

So without a standard measured recipe, here's my "feel your way through" recipe for squash casserole.

All measurements are a general guideline, though each of the ingredients should be included.

SQUASH CASSEROLE

Oven 350 degrees

Saute'

1/2 -3/4 a minced sweet onion

in 1/4 -1/2 stick of margarine until well cooked.

Grate large

4 medium crookneck squash

4-6 oz of extra sharp cheddar (Cheese lovers use 6oz)

I use a 3/8" hole grater. This gives the squash a chance to really show the flavor.

Beat well 3 large eggs

with 1/2 to 3/4 cup whole milk.

Start with 1/2 cup of the milk, then after the squash is added, if you feel you want to make a less firm casserole, add the rest of the milk.

Add onion with margarine, grated squash and grated cheddar to the milk and egg mix.

Toss in 1/2 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs, a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Mix well and put in a greased (cooking spray) casserole dish. Top off with a good sprinkling of Italian seasoned bread crumbs. Cover it completely just not too thick.

If you like the thinner, drier casserole use a longer dish, a 13" rectangular dish. For a thicker casserole go as small as an 8" square. Glass or ceramic dishes work best.

The cooking time will vary based on the size of the casserole dish. Usually it takes at least 45 minutes. Start checking after 30 minutes. Ready when the middle is firm. A T shape cut into the middle near the end helps cook the middle.

Twice cooked- After that first serving or two from the casserole, I toss the pan back in the 350 degree oven and usually cook at least another 15 minutes. This seems to dry out the casserole a bit, but not so much it's dry. This is a personal preference that I found took me from merely eating what was served to a dish I enjoy and crave when the squash is in season.

As with any recipe, experiment and determine what you like. Change what you want and it'll become your own recipe and quickly, it will become a favorite.

UNBELIEVABLE BUT TRUE:

Ever had a squash casserole sandwich?

I like my casserole about 1/2" thick and after the second bake it makes a great leftover sandwich. Slice a sandwich size portion from the leftovers. Warm about 45 seconds in the microwave. Be sure the center is warm. Serve between two slices of bread. True southern eating!

Cabbage Potato Soup

I found a recipe online for cabbage potato soup that I used as a base, made a few changes and turned it vegetarian.

CABBAGE POTATO SOUP

Saute
2 TBSP margarine
1/2 medium sweet onion/minced
4 cloves fresh garlic/minced
2 stalks celery with leaves/chopped

Add
2 -3 cups of cabbage/sliced and chopped
4 cups of water
2 Knorr vegetarian bouillon cubes
Dice (1/4inch) 3-4 potatoes
Add enough potatoes to fill without having to add extra water.

Cook until potatoes and cabbage are done.

In a food processor combine
1/2 cup whole milk
1 tbsp flour
1 cup full fat sour cream

Drain off 2 cups veggies from the soup and add to food processor. Puree and add to soup.

Add
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes