Creamy Garden Cucumber Soup - Serve ChilledRaw Vegan, And Gluten Free

Raw almonds make this chilled cucumber soup creamy.

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Busy Week
Sorry it's taken me so long to post this month but we've been busy harvesting 3.7 tons of organic Pinot Noir grapes in our vineyard here in Sebastopol, California. Sudden hot weather caused the sugar in the grapes to quickly spike and we had to scramble to get the grapes harvested. The sugar level dictates the percent alcohol in the wine and since we like our Pinot to be around 14% alcohol or under, we pick our grapes when they are around 24% sugar (Brix) or less. 

Friends, family, and workers came to our rescue and we got it all done in three days. My brother and his wife happened to be visiting (thinking that they were here for a relaxing vacation) only to find themselves out in the field picking grapes. They enjoyed the experience and now have a story to tell back in Charleston, South Carolina.

Check out last year's post on how we make Pinot Noir.

My brother Peter, harvesting grapes.

My sister-in-law Dianne busy at work.

Back to Cucumber Soup
Before we roped Peter and Dianne into harvesting, we did some fun things. It was Sonoma Wine Country Weekend and we took them to a fabulous wine event at Fred MacMurry's Estate that featured 200 wineries and 60 local chefs. 

One of the chefs made a delicious chilled cucumber soup. Since it was creamy I assumed it was made with dairy. (I always have to ask since I'm allergic.) But to my surprise, the cucumbers were blended with almonds (my favorite source of vitamin E). I didn't get the recipe but I have attempted to recreate the dish, especially since my garden is packed with cucumbers right now. My version is a bit thicker and instead of drizzling olive oil over the soup, I use cold-pressed hemp oil since it has more omega-3. 

Cucumbers in my garden

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Creamy Garden Cucumber Soup
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes about 2 1/4 cups - 4 small servings]
Requires a high-speed blender such as a Vitamix 

3 cups diced, peeled cucumbers with large seeds removed
1/4 cups raw almonds, soaked over night
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill plus some for garnish
1 1/4 teaspoon cold-pressed hemp oil

To prepare the cucumbers, peel and quarter lengthwise. If you have large seeds, remove them. Dice and measure 3 cups and place them in a high-speed blender.

Add the soaked almonds, lemon peel, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and dill and blend until smooth. If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of water or non-dairy milk and blend until mixed. Chill until ready to serve. 

To serve, place the soup in 4 small teacups or bowls and drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of hemp or olive oil over each bowl. Take a demitasse spoon or a toothpick and stir the oil into the soup. Garnish with a small piece of dill and serve.

Per serving: 77 calories, 6 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 170 mg omega-3 and 1,749 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 3 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 293 mg sodium.

Making Dolmades With Fresh Grape Leaves

Have access to fresh grape leaves? Make dolmades!

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is available on Amazon and iTunes.

Grape Leaves
I live in wine country and have a small vineyard with access to literally millions of grape leaves right outside my door. But for some reason I have never used them for cooking. I always go down to the Greek deli near our local post office when I have a craving for dolmades. So I finally took the plunge and tried making dolmades from scratch while the grape leaves are still young and tender. It was a snap!

The trick is to pick the leaves in late spring or early summer, before they toughen (and before my husband hedges the top of the vines). Pick grape leaves that are big enough to hold a filling and roll up and are as close to the top of the vine as possible. Usually that means the 3rd and 4th leaves. Only use organic grape leaves that have not been sprayed with pesticides.

I used grape leaves from my organic Sauvignon Blanc
plants but you can use leaves from any grape plant.

A single grape leaf contains
826 IU of Vitamin A and
26 mg of omega-3 fatty acid!

Pine Nuts
I gave up eating pine nuts a few years ago after getting pine mouth. This is a condition which causes everything you eat to taste like metal and originates from eating Chinese sourced pine nuts. So I'm going to try using Mediterranean pine nuts that I bought from Nuts.com. They are pricey but it's worth not getting pine mouth. 

These mediterranean pine nuts from Nuts.com
are grown in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

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Dolmades with Fresh Grape Leaves
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 36 pieces]
Requires 9"x13" casserole dish, a 5-quart Dutch oven or pot with lid, and a shallow, wide pan.

2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 large Rapunzel vegan bouillon cube*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
1 1/2 cups finely diced onion
Grated lemon zest from 1 organic lemon
1 cup white basmati rice
1/3 cup Mediterranean pine nuts
36 to 40 fresh grape leaves**
2 tablespoons fresh dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

* you can substitute broth for the water and bouillon cube
** you can substitute canned or jarred grape leaves

Dissolve the bouillon cube in a pyrex with 2 1/2 cups of boiling water. Or use 2 1/2 cups of ready-made broth. Set aside.

In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add onions and grated lemon zest and cook until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. 

Add the rice and pine nuts and stir until coated. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of broth and simmer, tightly covered, until the moisture is absorbed but not over 15 minutes. Set aside the remaining 1 cup of broth.

While the rice is cooking, bring a wide, shallow pan of water to a boil. Submerge the grape leaves in the boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Submerged grape leaves.

When rice is cooked, add fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Let cool.

You can substitute a smaller amount of dried dill in this recipe
but fresh dill is far superior.

Taste the filling and adjust seasoning.

To assemble the dolmades, lay a blanched and dried grape leaf on a flat surface, shiny side down. Place 1 tablespoon of filling near the stem end of the leaf. 

Fold the stem end of the leaf over the filling.

Then fold in both sides towards the filling.

Then roll up completely.

Place dolmades seam-side down in a 9"x13" casserole dish. Repeat until you fill the pan. You may have left over filling. 

Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of lemon juice to the pyrex with the remaining cup of broth. Stir well and pour over the dolmades. 

Tightly cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until the grape leaves can be easily pierced with a fork.

Remove from the oven and let cool with the foil remaining on the casserole dish.

Serve at room temperature or store in the refrigerator, covered, until needed.

Per serving: 42 calories, 2 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 34 mg omega-3 and 505 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 6 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, and 89 mg sodium (using a large Rapunzel bouillon cube and 1/2 teaspoons added salt). 

Artichokes With Creamy Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce - Low Calorie, High Fiber, Vegan and Gluten Free

Dip steamed artichokes in this delicious, creamy dill sauce.
Serve as an appetizer or in place of the salad course.

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Artichokes
I treasure the artichoke. Had I not grown up eating them, I probably would have no idea what to do with this thorny vegetable. But thankfully, artichokes have been a part of my life since I had enough teeth in my mouth to bite the delicious meat off of each succulent leaf. 

They are not only delicious but they are a very healthy food. One medium artichoke is only 64 calories yet has a whopping 10 grams of fiber! Artichokes have been shown to reduce cholesterol and stimulate the production of bile which helps in the digestion of fats. This wonderful vegetable also contains the flavonoid silymarin which protects the liver (and is also great for hangovers). Artichoke leaves also contain the phynutrients rutin, quercetin and gallic acid which all have powerful antioxidant properties.

Dill Weed
Fresh dill pairs perfectly with garlic, lemon and black pepper in this flavorful dip. By using a silken or soft tofu as a base, this creamy dill sauce is dairy and gluten free.

Fresh dill weed

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Artichokes with Garlic Lemon-Pepper Dill Sauce

Vegan, Gluten Free

[makes 4 servings]

4 medium artichokes

14 oz package silken or soft organic tofu

2 teaspoons chopped garlic, (2 small cloves)

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, dill weed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Prepare the artichokes. Pull off any small leaves near the base of the artichoke. 

With a sharp knife, cut off the tops (about an inch or so). 

With a pair of scissors, cut off the thorny tips of the leaves. 

Trim thorny tips of leaves.

If the artichokes are really big, (they seem to be growing them larger and larger lately) you can cut them in half, vertically. Most artichokes can be left whole.

Trim the bottom of the stem or remove it, peel it, and cook it with the artichokes.

Clean the artichokes by rinsing them under cold water.

Place artichokes in a large pot with about 2 to 3 inches of water and a steamer basket.  Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the outer leaves are tender and easy to remove. Add more hot water to the pot as needed as the cooking time could be as long as 45 minutes to an hour.  Start testing outer leaves after 30 minutes.

While the artichokes are cooking, prepare the dipping sauce.

Place the remaining ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

This also makes a great salad dressing if you add a touch of extra virgin olive oil or cold pressed hempseed oil or, for a low fat dressing, use as is.

Divide the sauce into 4 ramekins. Place each ramekin on a plate with one cooked artichoke and serve.

For another presentation idea, remove all the cooked leaves and place them in a circle. Clean the artichoke bottom and place in the bottom of the ramekin. Place the ramekin in the center of the plate.

Place the sauce over the artichoke bottom in the ramekin. When you are finished dipping the leaves, eat the bottom (which I consider the BEST part of the artichoke).

A presentation idea

Per serving: 128 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 288 mg omega-3 and 1,930 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 10 g protein, 17 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber and 371 mg sodium.