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1 Poblano pepper –de-seeded, blistered, skinned

2 oz Cheddar, sharp — small-cubed
2 oz Mozzarella, fresh — small-cubed

2 handfuls Baby spinach leaves — chopped
1 small Onion — diced
2 strips fake Bacon–toasted, broken up
2 cloves garlic, minced

Chop the poblano after removing skin

Saute together: garlic, onion, poblano bits; throw in bacon and 1/2 spinach at very end

Spread saute over rolled-out dough
Top with cheeses and raw spinach

That’s the vow I made to myself after my first arrest, and I broke the vow 60 years later, at another time that I was stupid.  Arrests are always a result of stupidity, raw and gritty stupidity.  Like, you gotta be dumb.  But you never know when it’s gonna sneak up on you, that ole’ dumbness.  Hard, too, to watch out for that, because you can act dumb sometimes, without being just generally dumb.

But being arrested is the pits.  Because it rubs you right up against the terribly stupid and useless mistake you just made == makes you feel real bad.

My first arrest, that was traumatic.  Second, not so bad: just super emarassing, and expensive.  But the really traumatic one, the arrest on the beach, that one with the officers pointing guns at you from under at towel so it wouldn’t look so bad to the ‘kids’ on the beach — that one, while tripping — that was a life-changing trauma.

Now, I’m much wiser.  HA!

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks white and light green parts only, cleaned and sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium russet potato peeld and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves washed and dried
4 ounces Gruyere cheese shredded, plus more for garnish if desired
1/2 cup heavy cream plus more for garnish
Rustic bread for serving, optional

Instructions

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks and cook until beginning to soften and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minutes.
Stir in the chopped potato and add the vegetable broth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes.
Add the spinach, cover, and cook just until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender or stand blender to puree the soup until smooth. Stir in the gruyere cheese a handful at a time until melted and smooth, returning to heat briefly if needed to blend. Stir in the heavy cream. Transfer to individual serving bowls, top with a little extra cream and/or cheese if desired, and serve immediately.

from The New York Times

Ingredients

• 2 jalapeños
• 2 limes, halved
• Kosher salt and black pepper
• Large pinch of granulated sugar or a drop of honey
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large Spanish or white onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon chili powder, plus more for garnish
• 2 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 2 cups grated Cheddar (8 ounces), plus more for garnish
• 1 cup half-and-half, or use 1/2 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
• Chopped cilantro, for serving

Preparation

1. Thinly slice the jalapeños, discarding the seeds if you like. Put slices in a bowl and squeeze in enough lime juice to cover them. Add a pinch each of salt and sugar. Let sit at room temperature while you make the soup. (The jalapeños can be prepared up to 5 days ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator; they get softer and more pickle-y as they sit.)
2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and a large pinch of salt, and sauté until lightly golden and soft, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and chili powder and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute.
3. Add potatoes, broth and 2 teaspoons salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Using an immersion blender or transferring the soup to a regular blender in batches, purée the soup, adding some water as needed to thin it out. (The soup can be as thick or brothy as you like.)
5. Return the soup to the pot if you removed it and reduce heat to medium-low. Add cheese and half-and-half, and cook at a very gentle simmer, stirring, until the cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
6. Top each bowl with pickled jalapeños, plus a drizzle of their pickling liquid and a pinch of chili powder, along with scallions, cilantro and more Cheddar.

from Taste Of Home (revised)

Ingredients

• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup minced fresh basil
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• White pepper to taste
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Pozole Verde

2 poblano peppers
1 small jalapeño
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion (about 4 ounces), sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1 (14-ounce) can tomatillos, drained
3 cups water, plus more as needed
1 (25-ounce) can hominy, drained
Kosher salt, to taste
Shredded cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro sprigs and lime wedges, for garnish and serving

wear gloves while handling peppers

Char the peppers
transfer them to a paper bag and fold it up tight
Peel and seed the peppers, then roughly chop them.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until it shimmers. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro and chopped charred peppers and cook until the onion appears translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatillos and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the water and cumin, lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Using a stick blender, puree until smooth. (If using a standing blender, puree in batches as needed to avoid overflow.) Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the drained hominy. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then adjust the consistency with more water, if desired, and taste and season with salt, if desired. Serve in bowls and top with shredded cabbage, diced avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.

Tofu Bites, baked

From It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1 In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.

2 Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.

3 In a greased cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.