Cream of Rice Soup with Curry, Mushrooms, and Roasted Red Pepper Puree

You may substitute any fresh herb for a Parsley Sauce. Other dried mushrooms can also be used, but none will give the intensity of porcini. You will simply have a milder flavored soup.

When buying mushrooms leveled "cepes" or "porcini", let your nose lead you. The mushrooms should have a rich, woodsy character with overtones of leather. Dried ceps or porcini are very easy to use. Just pop them into a long-cooking stew and let them cast their magic. Or cover the mushrooms with water, bring to boil, simmer them, and watch the liquid become black with richness. Use that liquid as the base of a soup or sauce. This will  make the liquid much more flavorful. Remember, the magic is in the liquid, not the reconstituted mushroom.

The recipe from A Cook's Book of Mushrooms



Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed well
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini or any other mushrooms you prefer
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 cups milk
• 3 Tbsp Red Pepper Puree

For the Red Pepper Puree:

• 1 large red bell pepper
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

For the Parsley Sauce:

• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp vinegar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Vietnamese fish sauce (available in Asian markets) to taste

Directions:

Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the rice while stirring, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, place 2 cups of water in a small saucepan. Add mushrooms, salt, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, curry powder, and paprika. Bring to boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

To make the Pepper Puree: preheat the broiler. Place the pepper in a pan and put in broiler. Broil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skin shrivel and begin to blacken. Place in a paper bag and let cool. Peel the skin entirely from the pepper, then slit it open and remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Place the roaster pepper in a food processor and add the lemon juice, sugar, and salt. Blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.

To make the Parsley Sauce: in a food processor, combine the parsley, 2 tablespoons water, and the vinegar until pureed. Pour into a medium saucepan and add the cream. Bring to a simmer and add fish sauce to taste. Keep warm.

Combine the cooked rice with its liquid, the mushroom mixture with its liquid, and the milk in a blender. Blend until smooth, adding more milk if necessary and adjusting for salt. Stir in the red pepper puree.

Put into bowls and swirl a teaspoon of herb sauce in each.

Minty Sweet Pea and Zucchini Soup with Garlic Shrimp

MINT Symbol of Hospitality from The Spice Cookbook, 1964

"One of Ovid's tales of godsend goddesses, written years ago, was inspired by mint-symbol of hospitality. Philemon and Baucis, man and wife, were living in Phrygia, a country in Asia Minor. The land was so poor, this couple had scarcely sufficient food to keep them alive. One day two strangers knocked at their door, asking to be fed. Despite their poverty, Philemon and Baucis were delighted to have guests, and prepared the best meal possible from their meager supplies. Wanting to fill their humble home with an inviting fragrance, they rubbed their table with mint leaves. At that point their anxieties were past - the guests proved to be Zeus and Hermes, incognito. The hovel was soon transformed into temple, and priests ministered to all the needs of Philemon and Baucis for duration of their lives.



Mint, plant historians claim, came originally from the Mediterranean shores. Mythology offers a far more romantic story: mint was once the nymph Mentha, unfortunate to have attracted the eye of Pluto. Persephone, his jealous wife, pursued Mentha, and trod her ferociously underfoot. Pluto, unable to control his wife's fury, changed Mentha into a delightful herb, ever after sacred to this god of the underworld.



Mint was well known and highly esteemed in the ancient world. We read in Bible that the Pharisees paid tithes of mint, anise, and cumin. In Greece, crushed mint leaves where used as perfume for the arms and to scent the bath".



Fresh sweet peas and garlic shrimp make a simple, but delicious combination of flavors. The aroma of mint is ideal complement to the sweetness of cooked vegetables. You may serve this soup hot or cold. If you've never served a chilled soup before, this is the one to try. Fresh and light, it's perfect way to celebrate summer.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cup sweet peas, if you don't have fresh ones, use frozen
• 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 4-5 scallions, rinsed well and chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
• 4 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 tsp finely minced garlic
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard seeds

Directions:

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine the sweet peas, zucchini, potato, chopped scallions and broth or water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 15 minutes. Add mint. Stir in the cream. Working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. Heat the soup, stirring occasionally for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the shrimp and garlic to the pan and season with some of the salt, pepper and ground mustard seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp turn pink and are opaque throughout, about 2-3 minutes. Season the shrimp with more of the salt and pepper mixture.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, add cooked shrimp, garnish with the mint and serve.

Eye of Round Roasted with Herbs

From A Dissertation Upon Roast Pig by Charles Lamb (1775-1834)
"Mankind," says a Chinese manuscript, "for the first seventy-thousand ages ate their meat row, clawing or biting it from the living animal just as they do in Abyssinia to this day."

From those early challenging days when raw meat was devoured to today's Steak au Poivre, Veal Scallopine, and Rosemary Shish Kebabs, almost everyone has relished the taste of meat. Correctly cooked and imaginatively seasoned, it has great appeal.



Ingredients:

• 1 eye of round beef roast, 3-4 lb.
• 1 1/2 cups beef stock
• 5-6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ground mustard seeds
• 3 or 4 fresh rosemary sprigs, chopped
• 1/4 cup cognac
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix together the seasonings with cognac and set them aside.

Take out the roast, rinse it and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the seasonings all over the roast, and let it sit out on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes. This allows the roast to reach room temperature, plus it lets the seasonings settle onto the roast.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Place a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, 7 to 8 minutes total. Then add the beef stock and roast, uncovered, until the meat is evenly browned on top, about 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F, cover and continue to roast for 1 hour more.

Transfer the meat to a cutting board. Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite vegetables.

Mango and Strawberry Popsicles

The summer is here. Can you feel it, can you taste it? I am sure you can. I love summer food, so many colors, so many wonderful flavors. Summer days are so hot so we are doing different popsicles every day. I have never made popsicles before, and I really don't know why. I have seen many variations of these so I figured I try my own, after all, summer weather is here so these are just perfect for the hot days.You don't need a special recipe for it, just put in your blender any fruits or berries you have and freeze it.



We love mango popsicles and mango with strawberries. I have a few ideas for you what to make, but anything will do, honestly!



This year we started our first little herb garden: lemon mint, rosemary, carry leaves, lemon thyme, fennel and parsley. Also we have peaches and red currant.  I can not wait to make some jam and syrup using my herbs. Try to make strawberry syrup with basil and chocolate mint, the best with pancakes and waffles, it's amazing.



Love to know what is in your garden and what are you cooking with your herbs.



Mango popsicles

Makes 6
Ingredients:

• 3 mangos
• 1 tsp honey
• lime juice from half of lime
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into your ice pop moulds, stick a paddle pop stick in and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until set.



Mango and Strawberry popsicles

Makes 6
Ingredients:

• 1 mango
• juice from one orange
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 cups strawberries
• juice from one grapefruit
• 1 tsp honey

Directions:

Place all ingredients for mango layer in a blender and puree until smooth. Do the same with strawberries. Spoon a layer of mango puree into the ice pop moulds, about a half full, and then add a layer of strawberry puree. Insert a paddle pop stick into each mould and freeze for a minimum of 5 hours.