I went shopping last week at my favorite Mexican grocery store. They always have great produce and low prices. As I was checking out I noticed the woman ahead of me. She was a tall slender girl with a cute little baby in her cart. The thing that struck me most about seeing her was the items that she had purchased. Almost everything that was in her cart was a whole food. She had just about every fruit and vegetable that the store offered in that cart. Also bags of rice, spices, tortillas and beans. I also saw two whole chickens. She had no junk food or soda. When she went to pay I noticed that she had a food stamp card. She sure put that card to good use. The whole episode left me feeling happy for her and her family. I was trying to figure out what she would make with all of those vegetables and came up with this wonderful recipe to share.
Ingredients:
6 Cloves Garlic, chopped 2 Ounces Olive Oil
2 Carrots 1 Yellow Squash 1 Poblano Pepper 1 Red Pepper 1 Zucchini 1 Onion 2 Ears Corn 5 Red Potatoes, small
Ingredients:
8 Cups Stock, vegatable, chicken or water 2 Cups Crushed Tomatoes, canned or fresh 1 Tbs. Cumin, ground 2 Tbs. Chili Powder 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp. Oregano, dry
1 Bunch Swiss Chard, or other green 1 Can Kidney Beans, red, 15 oz. 4 Tbs. Lime Juice
Wash and dry the vegetables.
Cut carrots, peppers, zucchini, and squash into very large, chunky pieces about two inches across.
Peel corn and chop into large circles.
Cut potatoes in half.
Cut onion into large pieces.
Place a very large pot onto the stove.
Add oil and garlic.
Cook and stir over high heat for a minute or so, just until garlic begins to sizzle.
Add all of the chopped vegetables to the pot.
Cook and stir for just a few seconds.
Add stock, tomatoes and spices to the pot.
Mix everything together.
Bring liquid to a boil.
Turn heat down to a simmer.
Simmer vegetables for 30 minutes.
While vegetables are simmering:
Clean and wash one bunch of Swiss Chard.
Drain and wash one can of kidney beans.
Squeeze limes to make 4 tablespoons of juice.
After the first 30 minutes of simmering:
Add Swiss chard, kidney beans & lime juice to the pot.
Mix ingredients together: simmer another 15 minutes.
You may need to stir from time to time as chard wilts into the soup.
Make sure soup is ready by removing a carrot or potato and testing for doneness.
