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Bean and Pasta Salad |
by Kimberly Karnes
Bean and Pasta Salad: Serves 6 as an appetizer
The tang of the vinegar and tomatoes are nicely balanced by the smoothness of the beans. Orzo is a tiny pasta that blends in well with the other ingredients, but any small pasta noodle would work.
Ingredients:
2/3 dried cup pasta
1 can navy beans
1 can chickpeas
A couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar (according to your tastes)
Salt, pepper, chopped fresh parsley to taste
Cook pasta until al dente, strain and rinse under cold water. Chill in fridge.
Drain and rinse both cans of beans. Halve cherry tomatoes. Toss pasta with olive oil. Mix with beans and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, and balsamic vinegar.
Editor's Note: My local grocery store is boycotting orzo because it pretends to be rice. It's a nice pasta; I hope they make up soon. I also spent ten minutes staring at cans of beans with no luck finding navy beans. So you may notice the recipe in the photo uses bowties and cannellini beans, and it turned out just as lovely.
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Summer Vegetable Soup |
by Kimberly Karnes
Summer Vegetable Soup: Serves 6-8
To make this a little heartier or stretch further, try serving it over some rice; this would keep the meal vegan. Another option is to serve the stew over a scoop of mashed potatoes, which might sound crazy but is actually delicious! This soup freezes well, so don't worry if you have leftovers.
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1/3 pounds fresh green beans, stemmed and snapped into bite-size pieces
1 small yellow squash, sliced
1 thin zucchini, sliced
1 large sweet onion, sliced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 small banana pepper, diced and seeded
1 large can diced tomatoes
Heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion; cook until soft. Add garlic, stirring frequently to avoid browning the garlic. Cook until fragrant. Add the other vegetables, plus a little extra olive oil if necessary. Cook just until the squash starts to sweat. Add the tomatoes, plus a can or so of water. Put on the lid and cook about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed.
Serve over rice or potatoes, or by itself with some good, crusty bread.
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Quick Crème Fraiche with berries |
by Kimberly Karnes
Quick Crème Fraiche with berries: Serves 4
While slightly different from traditional crème fraiche, this version is ready almost as soon as it is mixed, while the other version takes several hours to fully set up. Served in wine or martini glasses, this dessert looks like it took way longer to prepare. Garnish with a mint sprig if you want it to look extra fancy!
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon sugar
A combination of blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries
Beat whipping cream until it holds soft peaks. Fold in sour cream and sugar. Let sit for a half-hour or so; this can be prepared up to three days in advance and refrigerated. Divide among four glasses of berries; garnish with mint if desired.
Kimberly Karnes is a school librarian who spends as much time as possible cooking and crocheting. Her parents are the best sous-chefs and taste testers a girl could ask for. She often feels like she was born several decades later than she should’ve been.
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