maple street co-op

Recipes
From "Maple Street Co-op News", June/July 2007

Creme of Green Soup
By Sue Verstraten

A wide range of vegetables can be used in this delicious soup, including zucchini, broccoli, celery, asparagus, peas (a bag of frozen peas work well), or any combination you like. If you're organised, making your own base chicken or vegie stock will increase the nutition and flavour - make a big batch and freeze for your next soup.

Ingredients
(organic where possible)
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic
2 dutch cream potatoes, diced into small 1/2 cm cubes
3 cups chicken or vegie stock, bought or homemade
700 g zucchini, thinly sliced
stick of celery
head of broccoli
1/3 cup cream (optional but good)
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of chilli or paprika

Pesto:
1 cup basil
2 tbspn toasted pine nuts (dry fry but watch closely)
3 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
(the Co-op also sells a very good fresh pesto)

Method
Fry onion in oil in heavy-based saucepan on medium heat for 4 minutes, or until onion is soft with a little colour. Add the potato and continue to cook 4 minutes. Add stock, celery and zucchini, bring to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes or until potato is soft, then add broccoli and cook till tender. Blend soup - a hand blender is great, no messy food processor to clean up. Stir in cream. Add 3 tbspn pesto. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the pesto: Blend the basil, nuts, parmesan and garlic until it becomes a coarse paste. Slowly add oil and blend until combined and smooth. Store in a jar or bowl to serve.
Serve soup in bowls drizzled with pesto and a sprinkle of chilli or paprika. Toast some Ciabatta or Pugliese bread and dinner is ready!

[From "Maple Street Co-op News", June/July 2007; published by The Maple Street Co-operative Society Ltd, 37 Maple Street, Maleny, Qld 4552, Australia, tel (07) 5494 2088, email maplest.co-op@serv.net.au,
website http://www.maplestreetco-op.com.au]