Spicy Carrot & Ginger Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth

• 1 cup all-natural unsweetened carrot juice

• 1 cup light coconut water

• 3 bags lemon ginger tea

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices

• 2 dried chiles, halved

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 5 medium carrots, roughly chopped

• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, washed and roughly chopped

• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped

• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 cup silken tofu

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded and toasted, for garnish

PREPARATION:

1. In a small pot combine broth, juice and coconut water and bring to a boil. Add tea bags, ginger and chiles. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer for at least 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a medium-size pot to medium. Add oil, then carrots, leek, onion and celery. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until onion is translucent, about 7 minutes.

3. Strain broth mixture into pot with vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow soup to simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. In 2 batches, purée soup in blender with half of tofu per batch, until soup is silky smooth. Return puréed soup to pot on medium heat, just to reheat. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Garnish each bowl of soup with coconut just before serving.

Potato, Celery Root & Pear Gratin

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive oil cooking spray

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 12-oz can evaporated milk

• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

• 1 celery root (about 1 1/2 lb), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

• 2 yellow-fleshed potatoes (about 1/2 lb each), peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick

• 2 firm ripe pears (about 1/2 lb each), peeled, cored, and sliced crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Mist an 8 x 10-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium saucepan on medium, heat oil; add leeks and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in milk, thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil (still on medium). Remove from heat.

3. Reserving most of milk mixture, line base of dish with leeks using a slotted spoon. Arrange alternating slices of celery root, potatoes and pears, starting with edges of dish then filling center with slices to fit.

4. Pour milk mixture evenly over top. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover, sprinkle with cheese and continue baking until tender and golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Leeks in Vinaigrette with Walnuts and Tarragon

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

• 6 large leeks, tough outer layer removed

• 1 garlic clove, finely grated

• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped tarragon

• Freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a small bowl and toss with oil; season with salt.

2. Trim root ends of leeks and 1" from the dark green tops. Cut leeks into 1/2"-thick rounds (the dark green parts won’t be rounds, but that’s okay). Rinse well.

3. Cook leeks in a large pot of boiling salted water until meltingly tender, 12–15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and pat dry.

4. Whisk garlic, vinegar, and Dijon and whole grain mustards in a small bowl; season vinaigrette with salt.

5. Arrange leeks on a platter; drizzle with vinaigrette and let sit at least 10 minutes (the longer, the better).

6. Just before serving, scatter walnut mixture over leeks and top with tarragon and lots of pepper.

Do Ahead: Leeks (without walnut mixture and tarragon) can be marinated 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.