Savory Corn and Chard Porridge

Try this flavorful dish for a unique way to sneak vegetables into your breakfast. Use mustard greens or spinach if chard is not available where you live. Serves 4.

• 4 large ears of corn

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1/2 cup water

• 1/2 cup whole or reduced fat milk

• 1-1/2 cups chard, chopped

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

To Prepare:

Using a cheese grater, coarsely grate the kernels off of 2 ears of corn into a large bowl to create a pulp. Using a knife, remove the kernels off of the other 2 ears and add to the bowl with grated corn.

In a large pot, sauté onion in oil on medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the corn mixture and water to the pot and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk, chard, salt, and white pepper, and cook until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve hot, topped with red pepper flakes and black pepper.

Classic, Beety, Borscht

The dark red beetroot soup in this photo is complemented by radish flours, yogurt, and fennel fronds.

What better way to celebrate Earth Day than with the the beloved and ubiquitous beetroot soup of Eastern Europe? There are many ways to make borscht, from hot and hearty to cold and demure. Although hot borscht with chunks of beetroot and beef broth is comforting on a wintry day, this cold puréed version might be just what you're looking for as spring moves into summer and appetites are better pleased with brighter, lighter flavors. Serves 6-8.

“I’ve always been tempted to make borscht using golden beets, but as they tend to oxidize and turn black more easily, it always makes me nervous - if you ever do it, let me know! ”

• 1 pound red beets (about 3 medium), scrubbed cleaned

• 1 medium onion (about 1 cup), chopped

• 1.5-2.5 cups chicken broth (if not homemade, then low sodium)

• About 1 teaspoon salt

• Juice from 1/2 lemon

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup yogurt or sour cream

• Chopped dill or fennel fronds, for garnish

• Radish flowers, for garnish (optional)

The beet moves on.

Steam beets in a medium-large pot over about 2 inches of simmering water (about 2.5 cups). Cook beets for 20 minutes, add onions to water simmering below beets, and continue cooking until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, about another 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit until beets are cool enough to touch.

Peel beets by sliding off skin under cold running water, dice, and add to the oniony water. Add 1.5 cups chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth, adding more broth and salt as needed. Blend in lemon juice once desired texture has been reached.

Allow soup to come to room temperature then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve with black pepper, a dollop of yogurt or sour cream, and fennel fronds. 

Borscht is great paired with avocado rye toast dusted with smoked paprika.

Bouillabaisse with wild fennel

My mother wasn't a typical Martha Stewart-like homemaker (sorry, mom), but she did have a few tricks up her sleeve and one of them was bouillabaisse (another was making things magical, but we're not going there right now). I grew up in a fish-loving area of Northern California and, even with a limited budget, we were able to get good, super fresh, seafood regularly. Bouillabaisse was one of those dishes that we requested for birthdays, made for special occasions, and always got excited about because it meant "special". As time moved on, we grew up and had more disposable income, which allow for a crab leg here, better fish there, and even an infamous (gasp) lobster tail on one occasion. These variations taught me about the adaptability of bouillabaisse, which I take with me when I prepare it now, adding shellfish and fin fish as available. The version below also includes a dash of Pastis, the anise-flavored liquor favorite from the south of France. Serves 4-6, preferably with crusty french bread or toasted crostini to mop it up.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• A few wild fennel stocks and fronds (can substitute store-bought bulb/fronds)

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 2 cups fish stock

• 1.5 cups dry white wine

• 1 pound rock cod or other firm white fish

• 1 pound medium to large shrimp (I prefer with the peel)

• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

• 1 pound fresh clams

• 2 tablespoon pastis, such as Ricard

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• Chopped parsley for garnish

Dice the fennel stalks to yield ~1/4-1/2 cups. Pluck fronds and set aside for later use.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the fennel stalk, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the fish stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the rock cod, shrimp, and tomatoes and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.

Add the clams and cook, covered, until the cod and shrimp are cooked through and the clams have opened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the pastis, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with the parsley and garnish with fennel fronds before serving.

Celeriac Soup with Truffle Oil and Chives

As was demonstrated with celeriac chips, celery root can produce foods you would not expect from it's rugged exterior. Instead of a delicately crispy chip, this time celeriac is transformed into a silky, rich, and elegant soup. There are a lot of directions you can take a blended root vegetable soup, such as the addition of bacon or blending with apples, but I think this combination of nutmeg, chive, and truffle oil is ethereal and satisfying. Serves 4.

• 1 tablespoon butter (can substitute olive oil if a vegan soup is desired)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 large leek, trimmed of rugged dark green leaves and thinly sliced

• 1/4 teaspon sea salt, plus more to season as needed

• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

• One large celery root (about 1.5-pounds), peeled and chopped into cubes

• 2 cups chicken stock (can substitute water or vegetable stock if a vegan soup is desired)

• 2-3 cups water

• 1.5 teaspoons freshly-ground white pepper

• Fresh nutmeg, to grind over top

• Truffle oil, to drizzle

• About 2 tablespoons diced fresh chives (a little less than most bunches)

In a large pot, melt butter with olive oil on medium low heat.

Add the leeks and garlic and cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt and continue to cook until the leeks and garlic are soft and translucent, about another 5 minutes. If the pot begins to brown too much on the bottom as they cook, add more butter or olive oil.

Add the celery root, stock, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a strong simmer. Cook, with the lid to the pot ajar on top, until the celery root pieces are soft and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 30-45 minutes.

Add white pepper then purée using an immersion blender, or let the soup cool to room temperature and purée in a food processor until smooth. Taste season with additional salt and pepper if desired. If the soup is too thick, it can be thinned with remaining part of cup of water to desired consistency.

Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil, a few gratings of nutmeg, and a scatter of chives.

Caldo Verde Verde

Caldo verde is a traditional Portuguese soup made from potato, chorizo, garlic, and a bunch of leafy greens, such as kale or chard (there’s no reason why you couldn’t use all or partial amount wild greens here either). In this spin, I include even more greens to the recipe by way of parsley and cilantro to give it just a bit more brightness, complexity, and of course, to make it even greener. March is a great time to get into green!

A few friends and I have been doing what we call "#craftsoup" nights where the host prepares soup and everyone crafts as they eat. The purpose of soup is a meal that's easy for the host and easy to eat while you're crafting. I'm always on the lookout for soups to prepare for these nights that are simple, quick, crowd-pleasing, and a complete meal in themselves (one of the rules of #craftsoup night is the host doesn't make anything beyond soup, though I break that rule often). This meal definitely checks all of these boxes and any soup that includes a pound of green leafy vegetables while tasting rich and satisfying has my vote! Serves 4 as a main course, 6-8 as a side.

“The soup can be “veganized” by using sautéed mushrooms instead of the chorizo and replacing butter with olive oil. ”

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 3 garlic cloves, diced

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 4-5 ounces chorizo (I like to use Palacios brand purchased at Berkeley Bowl), sliced 1/4 inch thick

• 2 cups water

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 3-4 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1.25 pounds total) chopped

• 2 teaspoons white pepper (preferably freshly ground)

• Salt to taste

• 1 pound Red Russian kale (about 1 large bunch), stems discarded and leaves finely sliced - no reason why you couldn’t use wild greens such as dandelion or dock here.

• 1/2 cup combination of fresh parsley and cilantro, diced (cilantro can be replaced by parsley for the cilantro-haters out there)

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil and butter in a large pot on medium low. Add the garlic, onion and half of the chorizo and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 6 minutes.

Add the water, broth, and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

A great trick for chopping the greens into thin strips is to layer the leaves, roll up, and chop multiple leaves at the same time.

Using an immersion blender, purée the soup and add white pepper and salt to taste. Bring the soup to a boil. Add the kale and remaining chorizo (reserving a few pieces of chorizo for garnish) and simmer until the kale is wilted, about 3 minutes. Just before serving, stir in herbs, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with chorizo and herb sprig.

Serve with: Buttermilk cornbread

Chilled Cucumber and Avocado Soup with Grape Salsa

If you're not familiar with cold soups, this recipe is a great place to get started, as it's incredibly easy and contains crowd-pleasing ingredients. Also, most of us are used to eating cucumber and avocado cold, so it's not too out there to have them in soup form (as opposed to say, vichyssoise, a cold potato soup). The avocado brings a delicious silkiness that's balanced by the cucumber and grape salsa, leaving you satisfied and refreshed on a hot day. Serves 4.

“Soup can be made up to 24 hours in advance - a great way to compliment a dinner party without having to prepare everything last minute. ”

• 3 medium cucumbers, peeled

• 1 cup seedless grapes, halved

• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

• 1/4 cup diced parsley

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 medium avocado, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and diced

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Remove seeds and pulp from one cucumber. Dice all three cucumbers and set aside.

Toss grapes with onion, parsley, black pepper, and vinegar and refrigerate.

Blend cucumbers, avocado, garlic, yogurt, jalapeño, and salt in food processor or blender until smooth. Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving in chilled bowls topped with a spoonful of grape mixture and drizzle of olive oil. Serve cold.

Suggested pairings: Lamb meatballs and polenta squares, panzanella and grilled salmon