Heirloom Golden Beet Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Organic golden Beets (6 small) remove greens save for later, clean and rinse
• 1 Tablespoon good quality Organic Olive Oil
• 1 pinch Fleur de Sel
• Fresh ground pepper
• 3 organic Carrots thinly sliced
• ½ bunch celery with leaves thinly sliced
• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
• 2 teaspoons – 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 32 ounces organic Chicken Stock or Vegetable stock
• Sea salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1 cup lowfat butter milk
• 1 cup shredded Ricotta Salata
• 1 Tablespoon good quality Olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon mixed chopped favorite herbs of choice
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix the cheese, olive oil, herbs salt and pepper. Scoop into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Use as a garnish for the Golden Beet soup.

Pre heat the oven to 450. Place the beets in a shallow one layer glass or stainless baking dish, place in oven and bake for 45 – 60 minutes or until tender. Remove and cool. Place a medium stock pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil, carrots, celery and onion, coat with the olive oil add sea salt and pepper, sweat until limp 5 or so minutes, turn down to medium. Add the beets and stock of your choice. Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Bring heat back to a simmer and stir for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, puree’. Add the buttermilk and mix. Garnish with the baked Herb encrusted Ricotta Salata.

Lemon Polenta Cookies with Olive Oil

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• ½ cup organic unsalted Butter
• ½ cup organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 cup organic Powdered Sugar
• 1 organic farm fresh Egg
• ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• 1 teaspoon organic Lemon Extract
• Zest of 3 organic Lemons
• 2 ½ cups organic Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
• 5 tablespoons coarse Polenta

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer, whisk or wooden spoon to cream together the butter, oil, sugar, egg, and salt, blending well. Add lemon extract and zest. In a sifter or strainer, combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar; sift into a second bowl, then add the polenta mix well. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just enough to combine well. Using a spoon or a #50 scoop, portion and roll the dough into balls, place them on a cookie sheet, and flatten them gently. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven, and with a spatula transfer the cookies to a brown paper bag or a rack to cool.

Eco-ista tip: “Life in balance is a cookie in each hand.”

When we indulge, why not indulge in the best? …ingredients, that is. We use Arizona-grown lemons that are typically available through the end of April. Look for organically-grown lemons from your local farmer’s market. We also love to use McEvoy Organic cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. The varieties of olives in this oil, harvested and pressed by hand, are Frontoio, Leccio, Pendolino, Maurino, Coratina, and Leccio del Corno. We also suggest that you use a great sea salt when baking—we recommend a fine grey sea salt or “Sel Gris-Fine”.

Organic Sprouted Wheat Pappardelle with Fines Herbes

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon organic Butter
• ½ cup organic whole-milk Ricotta Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped Chives
• 1 Tablespoon chopped Tarragon or Basil
• 2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf Parsley (Italian Parsley)
• 3 Tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
• Pinch or two of Sea Salt, preferably Fleur de Sel
• 8 ounces Organic Sprouted Wheat Pappardelle
• Freshly ground Black Pepper

Instructions:

This is an easy summer supper that won’t heat the kitchen up too much!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Put the butter in a medium stainless mixing bowl and prop it on top of the boiling water. When the butter has melted, remove the bowl to the counter and whisk in the ricotta and parmesan cheeses, herbs and salt, until mixture is fairly smooth. Now boil the pappardelle according to the package directions minus a minute or two, making sure the pasta is still slightly firm. Scoop out about 1/2 cup of the cooking water from the pot, then strain the noodles. Add the noodles to the prepared sauce and, using tongs, gently toss, adding as much of the reserved pasta water as it takes to create a creamy sauce. Taste and finish with some fresh pepper and a bit more salt if needed.

Serve immediately and watch them gobble this one up. Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a full course.

Eco-ista Tip: Pappardelle are a wider version of Fettuccine. Get creative with fresh herbs from your garden! While the classic French “Fines Herbes” usually include parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil, any combination of fresh herbs will work fine for a year-round healthy “Fettuccine Fix”.

Rustic Organic Greens with Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 7 ounces mixed Baby Greens (micro Arugula is my favorite)
• 2 ½ ounces Pomegranate seeds
• 1 bunch I’toi onions, white part only, finely chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Pomegranate Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons organic Olive Oil
• Pinch Fleur de Sel
• Fresh ground aromatic-blend Pepper

Instructions:

In a large serving bowl place the greens, pomegranate seeds and onions. Drizzle the greens with the vinegar and the olive oil. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Gently toss, making sure the greens are fully coated. Divide into 4-6 servings and enjoy!

Sautéed Sea Scallops with a Pea Tendril Broth

Ingredients:

• 32 ounces organic Chicken broth
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 2 large Scallions
• Shucked Pea litter
• 1 Tablespoon Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
• 8 Large wild Sea Scallops
• 1 cup fresh Peas
• Sea Salt
• fresh milled white Pepper
• drizzle of Pumpkin Seed oil
• dollop of Pea Pesto
• zest of one Lemon

Instructions:

In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add the olive oil and the shallots. Sauté until tender. Add the pea litter and add the broth. Bring to a boil adjust the salt, remove from heat. When ready to serve, filter the both into a pitcher.

In a sauté pan add the olive oil, place over a medium heat add the peas and sauté for 1 minute next, in the same pan add the sea scallops, season and sear, turn and repeat the seasoning.

Meanwhile have the rest of your ingredients ready to assemble for the finished broth. Place 2 scallops in a shallow bowl, drizzle with the pumpkin seed oil, then place a dollop of pesto over the sea scallops and a pinch of the zest. Now, pour the broth around the sides of the scallops until about 1/4 full.

Adjust the salt and pepper.

Viola, Pea-lish!

White Bean and Escarole Soup

There’s nothing better than a homemade pot of soup! We hope this easy, healthy recipe will become a favorite.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 small yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely minced
• 2 Carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 ribs Celery with greens, thinly sliced
• 1 pound Escarole, washed and shredded
• Splash of White Wine
• Sea Salt and White Pepper to taste
• 1 Quart organic Chicken Broth
• 2 10-ounce cans Cannellini Beans (do not drain)
• Additional splash of EV Olive Oil
• 4 Tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, grated

Instructions:

Place a large stock or soup pot over medium-low heat and add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and a pinch of white pepper, and sauté until onion and garlic are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots and celery and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 3-4 minutes. Add the escarole to the pot and continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Stirring after each addition, add the splash of white wine, the beans with their liquid, and the chicken broth. Turn up the heat and bring soup to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer briefly until you’re ready to serve.

Before serving, taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Note that if the chicken broth contains salt, you might not need to add any salt to the soup, but it may need another pinch of pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish each with a light drizzle of olive oil and some grated cheese. A nice accompaniment to this soup is a rosemary crostini cracker available at Trader Joe’s.

Serves 4-6