Summer Fun - New Recipes and Classes
With summer in full swing, I’ve been busy traveling and enjoying time outdoors. We have some raised beds and several large pots with herbs on our back deck, and we’re having fun experimenting with different vegetables. We even harvested a baby artichoke recently. We’re looking forward to lots of cherry tomatoes in the next few weeks. I do tend to spend less time in the kitchen during the summer, but I still prefer to make my own fresh meals when possible, and it’s so much fun to walk out the door and pick fresh ingredients.
On hot summer days, a cool, refreshing soup really hits the spot. I have fond memories of making Julia Child’s vichyssoise with my mom and snipping chives from our backyard to top it off. As a child, cold soup seemed so strange, like something upside down out of Alice in Wonderland.
RECIPES
This Creamy Cucumber Soup echos the flavors and creaminess of vichyssoise, but no dairy or cooking required! It packs a lot of nutrition into a bowl with plenty of fiber and antioxidants as well as some protein and healthy fat thanks to the tahini. Cucumbers are abundant at farmers markets this time of year, and I can’t wait to harvest some from my back deck soon!
Sticking with the “green” theme, another favorite of mine is matcha. I’ve been drinking matcha for a few years and may have a mild addiction, as I really miss my morning boost when I’m away. Matcha powder is made from ground up green tea leaves and to make the tea, the powder is dissolved in water, so the leaves are consumed and they create the vibrant, bright green color. Matcha contains the powerful antioxidant ECGC along with L-theanine, an amino acid associated with focus and relaxation. It also contains caffeine, but I don’t feel the same jittery effect that I get from coffee.
I make a blended Matcha Latte and drink it either warm or iced. My favorite brand is Pique Life - it’s an organic, ceremonial grade matcha from Japan. I put a teaspoon of powder in my blender and add 4 ounces of water heated to about 170 degrees - boiling water is too hot can burn the matcha and potentially reduce some of the nutrients. I blend it for a couple seconds and then add 12 ounces of fresh almond milk, 2 dates and 2 brazil nuts. I blend again until it’s frothy. If I want it warm, I just leave the blender going for a couple minutes. Otherwise, I pour it over ice. Matcha is somewhat bitter, so the dates add some needed sweetness. If you want to learn how to make fresh almond milk, check out my upcoming class on Moonlight.
NEW CLASSES
I’ve turned my kitchen into a classroom! Each time I host a class, it’s a bit of a scramble to clean up the clutter, but it’s so much fun hosting people at my house. I love to share my experience and help people see how easy it is to make healthy recipes using fresh, whole plant ingredients with deliciously tasty results.
One happy participant shared:
Who knew almond milk could taste this good?! Kerry made homemade plant-based dessert so delicious and approachable. My family loved what we made in class (smoothie, chia pudding, cheesecake) and everyone is looking forward to some home made almond milk!
Coming up first on July 24 is a new class - Easy, Healthy Summer Treats. I’ll demonstrate how to make the famous Chocolate Mousse Torte from Que SeRaw SeRaw, as well as a Fruit Cobbler that you can make with any kind of fresh summer fruit and some variations of Nice Cream.
Also on the schedule are new dates for the popular classes Almond Milk Basics and Beyond, and Make Mock Tuna Paté and Nori Rolls at Home. It’s easy to sign up on The Moonlight Collective, where you’ll find all kinds of interesting experiences. I recently attended a beautiful forest meditation and sound bath experience in the Russian Ridge Open Space with Shannon.
Later in August, I’d like to do a dehydrated foods class. If you’re interested, please send me a message to let me know and I’ll try to schedule this when those interested are available. I can also schedule private classes for your group.