My teeth have been through a lot.  Many cavities, 3 years of braces, several extractions, and all four wisdom teeth removed.  I loathe going to the dentist, because I am always afraid of getting more fillings.  Recently I bought the book “Cure Tooth Decay” by Rami Nagel.  After reading this excellence resource, I feel hope for my teeth!  One of Rami’s dietary recommendations is to “consume dark leafy green vegetables, and carrots, cooked, along with bone broths made from beef, chicken or fish stock.” It just so happens that I love to make soups!   In honor of the wisdom  presented in “Cure Tooth Decay”, here is a great recipe for an easy summer soup to strengthen teeth and satisfy taste buds, which is also perfect for those of us on the Liberation Diet.

Garden Green Soup

Try this summer soup hot or cool!  This soup uses ingredients found readily in farmers’ markets at this time of year; including kale, parsley, dill, courgettes, and scallions.  A great start for any menu.

ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into medallions
• 1 large celery stalk, finely diced
• 5 cups chicken or beef stock
• 12 ounces fresh kale, stems removed, chopped
• 2 cups grated courgette
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
• 2 bunches scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon good quality curry powder or garam masala
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, or as needed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery and saute over medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the kale, lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, dill, scallions, and curry powder or garam masala. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes more, then remove from the heat. Allow the soup to cool to room temperature.

Stir in the buttermilk – which optimally should be cultured from raw milk – to achieve a slightly thick consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate the soup for an hour or so before serving.

Jamie Busch is the Chef/Owner of Let’spoon – Seasonal Foods from Scratch.

Through his prepared food business, Jamie is bringing Real Foods to people through personal chef services, event catering, prepared meals, and Farmer’s Market participation. He is a ServSafe certified Chef, and a member of Slow Food USA and The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Sniffles and a sore throat in July?  I usually don’t associate summertime with getting a cold/flu.  Yet, last week I developed had all the symptoms of a classic cold.  And the one thing I craved most: Chicken Soup.  Even in 105′ heat, I craved a steaming bowl of Chicken Soup.  For the scientist in all of us – and for those that love the show “mythbusters” – here’s a evidence-based reason to make bone broth a regular part of our diet.  Francis Pottenger- the doctor famous for his research on the diets of cats – also helped to highlight the benefits of gelatin in digestion.  Here are some statements he made:

“Cooked foods interfere with the ability to absorb digestive juices. Hydrophilic colloid (gelatin) brings about conditions in the stomach during digestion which approach those resulting from the consumption of foods in their natural state. So if you eat cooked foods, hydrophilic colloids can help with digestion and the assimilation of food.”

“If man did not cook his food, there would be no need for the addition of any hydrophilic colloid to his diet. Uncooked foods contain sufficient hydrophilic colloid to keep his gastric mucosa in excellent condition.”

“Hydrophilic colloids lesson gastric irritation by absorbing the digestive secretions of the stomach so that digestion takes place within a mass of food.”

“It has a wide range of usefulness in gastro-intestinal ailments…ranging from heartburn and indigestion to spastic colitis and more.”

So people, what did we learn from today’s lesson: if we cook, we need gelatin.  What is the easiest way to get gelatin into your diet?  Make slow-simmered, homemade bone broth.  And once you have your gelatinous broth, here is a delicious summer recipe for all to savor.  It’s got the extra enzymatic punch of pineapple, a little spicy kick and is served chilled.

Pinata Gazpacho

Ingredients:

3 cups homemade chicken stock
5-6 medium tomatoes
2 large cucumbers
1/2 of a fresh pineapple, cored and chopped
1/2 large red onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper (optional)
1 bunch cilantro
Olive oil
Freshly squeezed lemon or lime
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Avocado (optional)

1. Chicken broth should be ready in the refrigerator

2. Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and cut into large chunks. The best way to peel tomatoes: fill a medium saucepan halfway with water (enough to cover your tomatoes), bring to a boil, place the tomatoes in and boil for one minute — set aside to cool and peel). Add to the a bowl, or the bowl of your food processor. (I do it in my food processor.)

3. Peel the cucumbers, scrape out the seeds, and cut into large pieces. Add to bowl.

4. Remove the skin from the pineapple, core and chop 1/2 for recipe. Add to bowl.

5. Peel the onion and cut it up, crush the garlic and add to bowl.

6. Rinse the cilantro, chop, and add to bowl.

7. If using the food processor, pulse a few times for chunkier gazpacho. Blend longer for smoother gazpacho.

8. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the chicken stock. Add a glug of olive oil and a glug of vinegar. If using lemon or lime juice, squeeze a little in. Stir.

9. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly grated black pepper.

10. Taste and add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until it is to your liking.

11. Serve with chunks of avocado.

With lovely greens showing up in the markets I like to make this salad that can easily stand as a full meal.  It combines the freshness of grilled tuna steak with salty olives, creamy dressing and green veggies.

Nicoise Salad

makes 4 servings

ingredients:

• 4 wild caught tuna steaks – rubbed with olive oil, sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup of kalamata or nicoise olives, pits removed and chopped
• 1 lb of fresh green beans (haricot verts preferrably), ends removed
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 head of romaine lettuce, rinsed and chopped
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 handful of fresh, chopped marjoram and basil
• creamy dressing: 1 egg yolk, 1 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup creme fraiche, 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tsp. mustard, 2 anchovies, sea salt, fresh ground pepper
• avocado sliced to serve

Preparation:

• Heat up 2 quarts of salted water on the stove top, for the green beans.  While waiting to boil, prepare the tuna steaks.
• Heat up a cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or the actual grill outside.  When hot, sear the tuna steaks on each side for 2 minutes – until browned, but still pink in the center.  Put the tuna steaks on a plate and allow to cool.
• When water is boiling, toss in the green beans.  Cook for a couple minutes, then drain and immerse in cold water to stop cooking.
• Add a splash of olive oil to the skillet that the tuna steaks were cooked in, and turn on to medium heat.  Then add chopped tomatoes, red onion, olives, green beans, and herbs.  Sautee for 1 minute, then take off heat, allow to cool slightly.
• Emulsify the dressing ingredients together with a blender, food processor, stick blender or whisk.  Season to taste
• Cut the tuna steaks into 1/2 slices
• Add lettuce and arugula to a big serving bowl, top with the green beans mixture, add sliced tuna, and then toss with dressing. Serve with avocado slices and lemon wedges.

Bon Appetit!