This blog serves up recipes collected from all over and some interesting food facts straight from the horse’s mouth.
Let’s start this week off with a strange food fact.
Some studies show that if you have an allergy to latex, you may also suffer from a kiwi fruit allergy…?
Now we all know that various allergies can criss-cross for example iodine and balsamic vinegar but latex and kiwi fruit that seems a bit too strange.
This strange food fact definitely gave me something to think about.
The weather this past week has been all over the show — one moment you’re hot, the next you are cold.
So for this week’s recipe I thought we’d serve up a soup that can be served both hot or chilled, whichever way the weather decides to go.
Zucchini (commonly known as baby marrow) and Avocado Soup:
Can be served either hot or cold.
Inspired by a recipe from Becoming Raw.
This soup keeps surprisingly well for 3-4 days after it’s been cooked.
What you’ll need:
1/4 cup cashew nuts, soaked in 1/2 cup water for one hour (do not drain)
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup peeled and chopped zucchini (any kind)
1 cup water
1 ripe avocado
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon miso paste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon fresh dill
What you need for presentation:
Fresh dill
Chopped cashew nuts
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil
Greek cow- or goat-milk yoghurt
Method:
Heat a medium-sized saucepan over a medium-low heat.
Sweat the onion, garlic and zucchini in a bit of olive oil for about ten minutes until the vegetables are soft (onions should be translucent).
Lower the heat if needed to make sure the vegetables don’t brown.
The zucchini will let quite a bit of water out, it’s ok, don’t throw it away, consider it as your vegetable stock base.
Add the water, turn up the heat, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Pour the soup base into a blender, then add all the other ingredients (soaked cashews, avocado, tahini, lemon juice, miso paste, salt, cayenne pepper and dill).
Puree until silky smooth.
The soup is ready to be enjoyed right away.
If you want to serve it cold, refrigerate for at least two hours.
Serve warm in bowls or cold in clear glasses with your choice of garnishes: fresh dill, chopped cashew nuts, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil or a dollop of Greek yoghurt.
