Green Options

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The calendar says May, but where I live in San Francisco, it’s been feeling like the dead of summer lately. My thermometer says 85, which is unseasonably hot for my otherwise moderate city. Usually, my lunchtime staple is soup, however a warm bowl full of chili may be great in November, but none too appealing today.

I decided instead to concoct a cooling summertime soup. I’m a sucker for Gazpacho, but I wanted something a little lighter today. I also needed to use up all the dill from my herb garden that’s been withering away in the heat.

Here’s my recipe for Cucumber Dill Soup that as refreshing as it is delicious (and not to mention, healthy and quick to prepare!)

One year, my father got my daughter a subscription to Your Big Backyard, published by the National Wildlife Federation. Unfortunately, this was at the height of her girly princess stage, and she barely gave the magazine any notice. The other day she found an old copy in the car, and she was very interested in it. Perhaps this newfound interest is from her ability to read or perhaps it is simply maturity, but she was excited to find a recipe in Your Big Backyard. She read me the entire recipe in the car, and Eco Dad made it on the weekend. It was very good corn chowder and easy to make. As always, we used organically grown ingredients.

Organic, Vegetarian Corn Chowder

Melt in a medium saucepan:

• 2 Tablespoons butter (use oil for a vegan version)

Add and cook until softened (about five minutes)

• 1 chopped large onion
• 1 chopped bell pepper
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

Add and cook for another five minutes:

• 4 cups fresh or frozen corn
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

Lovin’ Fresh is a series of recipes
designed to showcase produce gathered
from local farms or grown in my own garden. 

I know that my timing might seem a little off for writing a post about soup in April when most folks are soup-happy in November.  But the way I see it, there are still plenty of reasons to talk about soup right now.  For starters, spring colds are common, at least at my house.   There are still some root vegetables languishing away, desperate to be used up before the onslaught of spring veggies.  However, that onslaught hasn’t come just yet so there’s all the more reason to use up the winter stores.   And finally, as the garden gets churning away again in the new season, it’s good to have soup at the back of your mind; I find it’s a good way to use up the bounty to freeze for winter. 

So, all that being said, let’s talk about the basic principles behind soup making.  I’ll be so bold as to call this a “blueprint” and promise you that you’ll be able to make just about any soup your little heart desires without so much as a recipe clipping or blog post print-out (excpet this one, of course; you’ll need this one).

No matter what the weather, my family eats soup. I find soup to be an easy way to get my children to eat their veggies. This potato leek soup is a favorite of my kids, and a great way to use up leeks from the garden. It is adapted from the Horn of the Moon cookbook, and of course, organic ingredients are a must!

Vegetarian Potato Leek Soup

Boil in large pot

• 6 cups of water or vegetarian stock

Add

• 6 cups diced potatoes (leave the skins on for optimal nutrition)

Cover and cook for 25 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat, then puree 3/4 of the potatoes and stock in a blender. Add the pureed potatoes back to the pot.

It’s Monday, and in the Green Options office that can only mean one thing: Soup Day!

Every Sunday evening I cook up a great big pot of veggie soup for our small team in San Francisco, and others bring bread or drinks. Not only does it add a little spice to an otherwise not-so-fun day of the week, but it also has some environmental benefits.

How so? Simple: less waste from take-out.

When you’re busy running a startup, it can be tough even for the greenest among us to bring lunch from home every day. So we end up consuming a lot of takeout. Even with more restaurants greening their packaging, you still tend to end up with way more napkins than you need, extra utensils, and more. Wouldn’t it be better to simply not worry about packaging at all?

I can bring in a big tupperware container of soup, and use the dishes and silverware in our kitchen, rather than disposables. Beyond that, when I cook from home, I know where every ingredient comes from. I try to use organic when possible, and everything that comes out of my kitchen is vegan-friendly.

So why not try some communal lunches in your office? Even if you work with a much larger group, start up a lunch club, where colleagues can alternate bringing in home-cooked meals. I’d love to hear about other ways you’re eating better in the workplace!

And of course, I’d be a tease to go on and on about soup without offering up a recipe. Without further adieu, here’s this week’s soup:

When the weather turns cold, I want soup; however, my children are not big soup fans. There is one recipe they always eat heartily, and it resembles chicken soup. This recipe is very easy to follow and adapt to whatever vegetables you have on hand. My personal favorites to add to the pot are kale, peas, and carrots. This simple, vegan kid-friendly soup is also a great way to use up leftover rice, and it is quick to make. Of course, organic ingredients are a must!

Simple, Vegan Kid-Friendly Soup:

Saute 1 onion in 3 Tablespoons of oil (you can use butter for added flavor if you aren’t vegan). Add to the cooked onion:

• 5 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. celery seed
• 1/4 cup dried TVP
• 1 tsp. soy sauce (I prefer Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
• Vegetables of your choice (kale, carrots, and peas)