Leek and Potato Soup recipe

Aromatic Leek and Potato Soup
from Almost Vegetarian by Diana Shaw

4 large boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 large leeks, cut in half, cleaned, and sliced into long, thin strips
4 cups (1 quart) water
1 cup buttermilk, or 1 cup low fat or nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until light and thin

Garnish:
S & P to taste
1 cup minced fresh herbs: parsley, chives, cilantro, chervil, dill, or a mixture

In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, leeks, and water. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, cover, and turn the heat down to med-low. Simmer until the potatoes are tender enough to cut with a spoon, and the leeks are equally soft. This should take about 40 minutes. In a blender or food processor ), puree the vegetables in the cooking water, doing this in batches if necessary, then return to the saucepan if you're not using an immersion blender. Add the buttermilk or yogurt, and heat hte soup slowly over low heat, uncovered, until just warmed through. Season with S & P, and serve warm, sprinkled with the fresh herbs. Or, chill the soup, covered, and serve it cold. Serves 4

Important Announcement (Veggie List below)

We have been working hard to keep prices down, but are finding it more difficult to do so as our expenses have been steadily increasing. We do not want to sacrifice the quality or quantity, so starting in January a regular share will be $52 and the fruit share will be $23. Special order items will stay the same.

We also thought you would like to know how we are using some of the membership fee money. The cost of honey has been increasing, but in order to keep the price of honey the same for our members, we are investing in the equipment needed to purchase a large drum. By buying in larger bulk, we are able to keep the cost down. (That is also the reason that the larger groups are able to get a little more in their shares!)

Thank you for telling your friends about us and helping us to grow. We would love to hear your stories about how this co-op has helped your family. Please email us your testimonials and/or feedback at healthyhabitsproduce@gmail.com. We would like to post some of these on our web site. Together we can make a difference and help the community to develop healthy habits at a savings!

At Your Service,

Cyndi and Martha (Merry Christmas and God's blessings to all!)

Final Order for Friday, December 19

Regular Share
broccoli
cauliflower
baby bok choy
carrots
shallots
leeks (Redlands gets green onions)
green leaf lettuce
red romaine lettuce (Redlands only)
green butter lettuce (Coral Gables & Cutler Bay)
mushrooms
Yukon gold potatoes (Redlands gets sweet potatoes)
avocados
Fuji apples
bananas
tangelos
blackberries

Fruit Share
Asian pears
kiwi
pineapple
grapefruit
persimmon (Redlands & Coral Gables) these must be FULLY ripened to be enjoyable -- wait until they are VERY soft

Cilantro Mousse

2 bunches cilantro (leaves only)
1/4 onion
1 clove garlic
1 pint Hellman's mayonnaise (I use up to half plain yogurt)
1 TB chicken broth powder (bouillon) dissolved in 1/4 c. hot water
(you could try leaving this out, or use vegetable broth powder)
2 pkg. Knox unflavored gelatin, dissolved in 1/4 c. COLD water
3 fresh jalapenos (remove seeds according to desired heat!)

Blend all in blender except gelatin. Just before adding gelatin, melt it in microwave 25 sec. Blend once more, then pour into mold. When set, turn out on to platter and serve with tortilla chips.

Raw Kale Toss

Kale, strip leaf from inner stem and rip into bite size pieces
Braggs Liquid Aminos
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed in mortar & pestle (or thru a press)
Olive Oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

Wash and blot the kale.  Place in a large mixing bowl.  Smash the garlic and add to kale.  Give a liberal squirt of the Braggs.  Repeat with a liberal drizzle of olive oil.  Squeeze the lemon directly into the bowl.  Toss together and let sit for 10 minutes to marinate.  Enjoy!

Final Order for Friday, December 5th

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! Good news: almonds have arrived. You should check with your host if you ordered these. Each location has a few extra pounds so if you were not able to order, you may purchase them with your host. Thank you, Shelah, for organizing this and making it possible! We have also added organic coconut cream and oils to our special order items. Please see below for details.

Several months ago I shared how when traveling to visit family, I went to a produce store in the Philadelphia area. I purchased about what we would get in a regular share (one full box) with a mix of greens, veggies and fruit, and spent over $65. All of this was NOT organic. I came to really appreciate what a wonderful resource we have through this co-op! We've even had members join with us to get the great deals, and later were happily surprised to find out that it was organic!

Martha and I have been working hard to keep prices down, but are finding it more difficult to do so as our expenses have been steadily increasing. We do not want to sacrifice the quality or quantity, so starting in January a regular share will be $52 and the fruit share will be $23. Special order items will stay the same.

I also thought you would like to know how we are using some of the membership fee money. The cost of honey has been increasing, but in order to keep the price of honey the same for our members, we are investing in the equipment needed to purchase a large drum. By buying in larger bulk, we are able to keep the cost down. (That is also the reason that the larger groups are able to get a little more in their shares!)

Thank you for telling your friends about us and helping us to grow. We would love to hear your stories about how this co-op has helped your family. Please email us your testimonials and feedback at healthyhabitsproduce@gmail.com. We would like to post some of these on our web site. Together we can make a difference and help the community to develop healthy habits at a savings!

At Your Service,

Cyndi

Regular/Mixed Veggies

Green beans

Cucumbers

Carrots

Kale

Red leaf lettuce (all groups)

Red butter lettuce (except Doral)

Mushrooms – Cremini (except Doral)

Yellow onions

Tomatoes

Cilantro

Zucchini

Fuji Apples

Bananas

Ruby Grapefruit

Mandarin Satsuma

Fruit Share

Valencia oranges

Kiwi (Cutler Bay and Coral Gables only)

Blackberries (Redlands only, plus as a replacement item for Cutler Bay and Coral Gables)

Bosc Pears

Pineapple

If you have already gotten a chance to try out our veggies but haven't made a commitment to join, we ask that you please pay the membership fee of $20 and prepay for your items if you wish to continue. This gives us stability as a group and allows us to use our resources responsibly. Speak to your host if you have any questions about this or send an email to healthyhabitsproduce@gmail.com.

Please bring any clean plastic bags that you can donate for our use and return your blue tote bag. We look forward to seeing you on Friday!

Now Available!!!

Special Orders: Please talk to your host if interested.

Certified Organic Eggs from Free Roaming Hens ($3.50 a dozen)

Organic Olive Oil First Cold Pressed from Turkey ($14 for 17 oz)

Raw Local Honey ($15 a half gallon, $6 for pint jar) – Available at Redlands and Coral Gables

Fish pate – no preservatives – choice of white fish, salmon, and Mahi-mahi

($10 a pound) – (Available for sale at Redlands, Cutler Bay and Coral Gables)

Raw organic almonds - $5 lb (limited time only)

Coconut oil, gallon size (Expeller Pressed $40, Extra Virgin $60)

Coconut Cream ($17 for 32 oz)