Instant Pot Vegan Potato Leek Soup is smooth and velvety without using any milk or butter. Seasoned with herbes de Provence, it’s easy to make this comforting dish in just 30 minutes. 

Prep Time 10minutes mins

Cook Time20minutes mins

Equipment: Instant Pot, Immersion Blender or High speed blender

Ingredients

• ½ Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cups leeks cleaned well and roughly chopped (white and light green part only)
• 2 ½ cups gold potatoes peeled and diced (about 2 large potatoes)
• 1 ½ cups vegetable broth or Magic Mineral Broth
• ½ bay leaf
• ½ Tablespoon herb bouquet
• ¼ cup raw cashews
• ¼ cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• green onions or chives sliced, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Using the Saute function, heat the olive oil, then saute the leeks until they are very soft, stirring often.
• Cancel the Saute function and add the potatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaf, and herbs to the Instant Pot. Give the ingredients a stir, then close and lock the lid.
• Set the Pressure Cooker function on high for 4 minutes.
• While the soup cooks, place the cashews and water in a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as necessary. Set aside.
• After the 4 minutes on the Instant Pot are up, quick release the pressure.
• Once the pressure is fully released, remove the lid and carefully discard the bay leaf.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until completely smooth. 
• Slowly stir in the blended cashew mixture. Season the soup with salt and pepper, to taste. 
• Garnish the bowls of soup with sliced green onions or chives, if desired, and enjoy.

Notes

If you don’t have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in hot water for 3o minutes or longer to soften before blending.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a regular blender in batches, being sure to vent the lid so the steam can escape.

This recipe serves 4 people. If you want to double the recipe, the 4 minute cooking time will remain the same. However, it will take longer for the Instant Pot to come up to pressure.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days and reheated on the stove or in a microwave.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound French green beans
• 1 pound sugar snap peas or snow peas
• 1/2 cup un-skinned hazelnuts
• 3/4 oz (3-5) chives, roughly chopped
• 1 orange, zested
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3 T olive oil
• 2 T hazelnut oil (or walnut oil)
• coarse sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Cool enough to handle, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove most of the skin. Chop nuts roughly, leaving some whole, set aside.
2. While the hazelnuts are roasting, prepare the green beans by trimming off the ends with kitchen shears or a sharp knife. Snap peas require no prep, if using snow peas trim and remove stringy spines.
3. Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil, large enough to accommodate each type of bean separately. Before adding the beans prepare a large bowl of ice-cold water and set nearby. Have a large slotted spoon on hand.
4. Blanch the beans and peas separately. Start with the peas for 1 minute, remove promptly with the slotted spoon, add immediately to the ice bath, when completely cold, drain and set aside to dry. Repeat the process with the beans but blanch for 4 minutes, shock in the ice water, drain and dry, add them to the green beans.
5. Using a citrus zester remove the zest from the orange in strips, avoiding the pith.
6. Assemble the dish by mixing all ingredients together in a large bowl, toss gently. Adjust seasoning and serve at room temperature.

High up on the list of powerful ingredients to incorporate into your diet on a regular basis are members of the Brassica family including broccoli and kale. Two ingredients that are stars of the show during these cooler spring months – so here’s a couple of recipe to get those powerhouse nutrients into your diets. Here’s a great inspiring website with other kale recipes too!

Kale with Dates and Caramelized onion

by Deborah Katz

One cup of kale is packed with 90 percent of all the vitamin C you need in a day; and one study showed loading up on these kinds of antioxidants reduced cognitive impairment in an elderly population. 

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 red onion, cut into quarter moons

Sea salt

1 clove garlic, minced

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 TBS chopped dates

1 bunch Kale, stemmed and chopped into bite-size pieces

Freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 TBS pomegranate seeds (sub slivers of pear or other seasonal fruit)

In a large, deep sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Sauce for 3 to 5 minutes. Decrease the heat to low and cook slowly until the onions are just caramelized, about 5 minutes more. Add the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds, just until aromatic. Add the red pepper flakes and dates, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add 2 TBS of water to the pan to deglaze it, scraping with a spoon to loosen all the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pan. Add as many greens as will fit to the pan, along with a pinch of salt. The water that adheres to the greens will be enough liquid to wilt them; when they’ve wilted down enough, add the rest of the greens, if any haven’t made it Into the pan yet. Taste the greens, add an additional tablespoon of water if needed, cover the pan, and cook until the greens are tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and taste again, adding a pinch of salt or another spritz of lemon juice, if necessary. Arrange the greens on plates and sprinkle the fruit on top. Serve hot.

Cook’s Notes: One trick to preparing hearty greens like kale or chard is to rip them off their tough spines. This makes them easier to eat and digest. Once you’ve stemmed your greens, cop them into bit-size pieces. When you add the greens to the pan they will seem mountainous, but as soon as they cook they will shrink into a small mound.

ROASTED BROCCOLI

1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets with 2 inched of trimmed stem

2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBS minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (optional)

1 TBS chopped fresh basil or parsley (optional)

freshly squeezed lemon juice

Position a rak in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 400. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl and toss until the broccoli is evenly coated. Transfer to a lined baking sheet and spread it in an even layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the broccoli begins to brown and is tender. Transfer to a bowl, add the lemon zest, parmesan and herbs and toss to combine. Add the spritz of lemon juice and serve immediately. 

Variation: Swap the Parm and herbs with toasted sesame seeds and toss with Lemon Tahini Dressing

Cook’s Note: Be sure to add the lemon juice and zest just before serving as the lemon will dull the color of the broccoli if it sits for more than a few minutes.

 INGREDIENTS:

1 pound brussels sprouts

1 large shallot, minced

3 tbsp butter, divided

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pecans, or almonds, or hazelnuts – roughly chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

1/4 sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dried raisins or cranberries

2 tbsp brown sugar

Salt to taste and pepper, to taste

 INSTRUCTIONS:

First, prepare candied nuts.  Mix nuts and seeds and roast in the oven at 285 degrees for 35 mins.  Or alternatively toast in a saute pan over medium-low heat until nuts are fragrant and lightly toasted.  Watch carefully!  Do not allow to burn. Add in the dried fruit (raisins, cranberries). Add 1 tablespoon butter, brown sugar and pinches of salt, tossing to coat nuts and cranberries.  Continue to toast until mixture is slightly caramelized.  Remove from heat and spread out on a plate to cool.  Set aside.

Using a paring knife, cut off the sprouts’ stem ends.  Then, using the knife, peel leaves from the stem end, working in a circular motion around the sprout, a few at a time.  There will be a small piece of stem left at the center that you can discard.

Next, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add remaining butter and oil.  Saute shallots for about 30 seconds, then add brussels sprout leaves.  Saute leaves until they are slightly caramelized and cooked through.  Do not overcook.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  The leaves should be sweet and softened, but still toothsome.  Add cooled candied nuts and cranberries, and toss to distribute thoroughly.  Serve immediately.

By Rebecca Katz, author Clean Soups

Makes 6 Quarts | Prep Time 10 min | Cook Time 2-4 Hours

Cancer-fighting, immune-boosting, sniffle-healing comfort in a cup.

Mothers say, My kid loves this broth!  Others tell me, All of a sudden I can sleep! (The magnesium is so calming). People who are sick or run down, mothers who have just had babies, all have healing stories to tell. Many have credited MMB with helping them survive cancer treatment and… thrive!

Chefs have purloined this recipe for their own soup stock (with my approval) because it is uniquely delicious.

This is my Rosetta stone of soup, a broth that transforms to meet numerous nutritional needs. It serves as everything from a delicious sipping tea to the powerful base for more hearty soups and stews. So no matter what a person’s appetite, it can provide a tremendous nutritional boost. Chemotherapy often saps strength due to dehydration, which pulls vital nutrients out of your system. This rejuvenating liquid, chock-full of magnesium, potassium, and sodium, allows the body to refresh and restore itself. I think of it as a tonic, designed to keep you in tip-top shape.

Ingredients

6 unpeeled carrots, cut into thirds

2 unpeeled yellow onions, cut into chunks

1 leek, white and green parts, cut into thirds

1 bunch celery, including the heart, cut into thirds

4 unpeeled red potatoes, quartered

2 unpeeled Japanese or regular sweet potatoes, quartered

1 unpeeled garnet yam, quartered

5 unpeeled cloves garlic, halved

1⁄2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 8-inch strip of kombu

a few black peppercorns

4 whole allspice or juniper berries

2 bay leaves

8 quarts cold, filtered water

1 teaspoon sea salt 

Instructions

Rinse all of the vegetables well, including the kombu. In a 12-quart or larger stockpot, combine the carrots, onions, leek, celery, potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam, garlic, parsley, kombu, peppercorns, allspice berries, and bay leaves. Fill the pot with the water to 2 inches below the rim, cover, and bring to a boil.

Remove the lid, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours. As the broth simmers, some of the water will evaporate; add more if the vegetables begin to peek out. Simmer until the full richness of the vegetables can be tasted.

Strain the broth through a large, coarse-mesh sieve (remember to use a heat-resistant container underneath), then add salt to taste. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.

COOK’S NOTE: Like fine wine, this broth gets better with age. The longer the simmer time, the better tasting and more nutrient dense the broth will be. You can also cut the recipe in half and make it in a slow cooker or a pressure cooker. Kombu is dark brown seaweed (kelp) that is dried and folded into sheets. It’s used in Japanese cooking to add depth and flavor to soups and stocks. It also adds a tremendous amount of valuable trace minerals to this broth. Look for kombu in the Asian section of many grocery stores, or online.

STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days or in the freezer for 4 months.M

Burdock root is a terrific garden vegetable full of vitamins and minerals amazing medicinal properties – it’s also delicious if you know how to cook it properly! It’s perfect when simply roasted in olive oil with salt and pepper – the flavor is nutty with a slight chew. Learn a few extra additions to make your roasted burdock root extra special and to get the most out of this fall and winter side dish.

Prep Time 5minutes minutes

Cook Time 25minutes minutes

Total Time 30minutes minutes

Servings 2

Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Ingredients

• 0.5 lb burdock root
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper
• 0.5-1 tsp soy sauce, Braggs, tamari optional for serving
• 0.5-1 tsp sesame optional for serving

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Wash the burdock roots well to remove any dirt and grit, then slice into one inch rounds. 
• Place the burdock rounds into a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
• Spread the roots out onto a sheet pan, cut sides down. Roast for 15 minutes or until golden on one side, then flip. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
• Add a splash or two of soy sauce and a sprinkle of seasme seeds when serving, if desired.

Here’s a koan that’ll get you thinking: “It all begins with the soil and yet it doesn’t stop there”. Science reveals the fact that billions upon billions of organisms are present in a spoonful of healthy soil. And that a similar quantity of organisms are present in a healthy body. The fractal nature of life, from the depths of the soil to the microscopic living membrane of our cells, forms networks that make up “soil” and “body”.

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” – Aristotle.

The farm is a perfect example of this famous quote in action. We arrived on this piece of land 16 years ago, starting from scratch a second time on virgin soil and began to cultivate, grow, plant and harvest. In those first few years we pined the loss of our old farm, with it’s flourishing life of bird song and frog croak, and by comparison the new farm was desolate until one day, several years later, all manner of birds started to appear, a toad was sighted, ravens and vultures circled and new generations of gophers became active. Now, 16 years later, it just got a layer or two deeper when we made the shift a year ago to “no till” farming – it’s proving itself to be a game changer. It turns out that optimum soil health is when you do very little to it to disturb the structure/network of soil organisms. Plant roots find their way through these networks exchanging sugars and nutrients with bacterias and fungi, lifting them into leaf and fruit for us to assimilate as food. Humans as hummus is perhaps the easiest way to explain the connection. It turns out we can’t lead healthy lives if we don’t have access to healthy food grown in healthy soil.

As we move to ownership of the land in June we are examining all of the ways in which this “entity”, the farm, is so important to the community and how we can make it more accessible. Two great projects are being launched this year to meet these goals. First, we are making a corner of the farm available as a “kid’s garden” for homeschooling students to learn and grow; and secondly, we will soon be accepting EBT from CalFresh customers – a program that helps individuals and families on fixed income and whom meet certain criteria. They will be soon be able to use their CalFresh dollars with Outer Aisle Farm Stand and Bakery.

It’s been ten years since we stepped through the doors of the Outer Aisle Venue. The cafeteria walls and inner corral were transformed with fresh paint and open space, the echo toned down and a new vibe installed. It has literally taken the full ten years to come into full fruition and we are so happy to continue our original endeavor of creating space for all of us to be nourished.

There were many times in those first five years we wished we had never been so bold and followed our intuition. And then something miraculous occurred in the eleventh hour and we saved ourselves from falling into the abyss. The thing that saved us was simplification and with that clarification – a form of realism lodged into our senses and got us back on track.

Today we are owners of the venue, thanks to our generous partners – once landlords now financiers, and committed to creating a dynamic and caring work space that mimics our most intimate settings. It’s our dream to have the place feel like home when you walk in full of thoughtful and meaningful interactions not to mention intoxicating smells. If you get this far in the story then you’re up for a real treat! As visions do, they come around and around until they come true. Our original inspiration that fueled the ten year stint was the very successful Cafe that we created in Douglas Flat. Some of you may remember that delicious foray that set the stage for opening up Outer Aisle in our new location. Well here it comes again and this time we are taking all of the lessons learnt and giving it another go! Stay tuned as we bring the vision into reality and open up once again to hosting lunch again at the venue. As a teaser Eric has prepared one of his favorite soups, New England Clam Chowder (GF). It’ll be served both hot (in ToGo cups) and cold to take home to heat on one of these stormy winter nights.