Hearty Russian Cabbage Soup with Buckwheat Pilaf

Last week, I made Heidi Swanson’s Lime & Peanut Coleslaw.  The other half of the cabbage I bought has been waiting in the refrigerator ever since, along with some carrots and a couple of potatoes…together forming the inspiration for this evening’s meal: cabbage soup and buckwheat kasha.  I know, I know – it sounds a…

Easy Paleo Tomatillo Enchiladas

I found a bottle of home-canned garlic tomatillo salsa at the market a couple of weeks ago.  It was in a quart-sized Mason jar with a raffia bow and a simple hang-tag for a label.  I knew what I’d use it for when I bought it; I’ve just been waiting for the craving.  And tonight,…

Spicy Pumpkin Tomato Soup

Finding fresh produce in the dead of a rural, Moldovan winter is almost impossible. Almost. When I served in the Peace Corps many moons ago, the one winter vegetable – aside from onions and garlic – I came to rely most upon was pumpkin. It was readily available, sweet, and delicious. And I bought one…

Beet Walnut Soup with a Hint of Apples

When I was a 15-year-old exchange student living in Venezuela, I would often walk by a night club called La Remolacha.  It struck me as a fabulous word, and I made it part of my working vocabulary.  It is the Venezuelan word for “beet” and is pronounced “ray-mo-lah-chah”.  It kind of sounds like a dance…