Spinach, Potato, and Zucchini Soup

A few weeks ago, I used my last Barnes and Noble Christmas Gift Card to buy Anna Thomas's Love Soup (Fab Ebert-penned interview on the awesomeness that is Anna Thomas here).  I've been reading Love Soup on and off over the past few weeks for inspiration, but this is the first recipe I have more or less test piloted.  Just as I do in all my recipes ganked from cookbooks, I basically tailored this dish to whatever I had lying around.  Where I used frozen spinach, Anna used fresh basil, where I used garlic broth, Anna used light vegetable broth, and, finally, I admit I used cilantro for her parsley.

1 large potato, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 pint of potato peel broth
2 heaping tablespoons of pesto (I like Classico's jarred version, it has a good deal of olive oil and garlic)
10 oz of frozen spinach or 1 package (I find frozen spinach is less stringy when it cooks down in soup)
cilantro, lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste

Defrost the frozen spinach.  Pour potato peel broth into your soup pot and slowly bring to a boil.  Add the chopped potato, and simmer until it gets tender.  Then add the zucchini and frozen spinach.  Stir in the pesto and then add your cilantro, lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste.

Spring Picnic Sandwiches

My blogging activities have been temporarily pushed aside by a social life, however the fast pace and lack of time to cook during said social life got me to thinking.  I've been cooking, and posting, a lot of heavy, wintery type food lately.  I want it to be spring.  You know what people do in the spring?  They go on picnics and eat sandwiches.

Here are three of my favorite sandwiches.  Mayo free, so you won't get poisoned from your picnic.

The TBM

"TBM" stands for "tomato, basil, mozzarella", and is basically exactly what it sounds like: a slightly exotic vegetarian answer to the BLT.  

2 thick carved slices of mozzarella

several leaves of carefully washed basil, or a spoonful of pesto used as spread

1/2 tomato

wheat bread

Assembly should be self evident.  Grills superbly. 

Havarti and Tomato on a French Roll

The beauty of this baby is the texture: somehow the Havarti combines with the French roll to create a blissful, smooth compliment to the tomatoes. Possibly my favorite sandwich in the world. 

1 crusty French roll

2-4 tomatoes, cut into thin slices

1/4th pound sliced Havarti cheese

Cut the French Roll open and stuff it with cheese and tomatoes until it looks like it's going to explode.  

Serve with iced tea, and pickles, if you like them.  

Another variation on this theme is Brie and Tomato, which is also good.  Brie is quite buttery in taste, so if you're not a fan of butter you should stick with Havarti or cheddar.  

Mushroom Cap Burger

1 portobello mushroom, cleaned and skinned

1 tsp olive oil

1-2 garlic cloves

hamburger buns

Various Fixin's:  brown mustard, soy sauce, black bean paste, chili paste, cheddar cheese, pesto sauce

Fry the mushroom in a skillet until brown and wilted.  Make sure you repeatedly press down on the mushroom with the flat of the spatula so that all the water in the mushroom is forced out.  

Serve on hamburger bun with your choice of fixin's.*  Potato chips are good with this dish.  

Can be served either hot or cold.  

*Does anyone else think of Niles Crane when they hear the word "fixin's"? Hee.