2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
4 cups water
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1 bay leaf
1 whole star anise
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream

Asian Beet & Cucumber Relish
1 1/2 beets, peeled and diced
5 cucumbers, peeled, diced and seeded
1/4 cup Little Rosie’s Filipino Salad Dressing
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes or until translucent. Add water, corn, bay leaf, star anise and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 25 minutes. Add heavy cream; simmer 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and star anise.

With center part of cover removed to let steam escape, puree soup in batches in blender on high speed until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the relish, toss together beets, cucumbers, cilantro and dressing.

Break Hills Own Crab Cake or Salmon Cake into bite-size pieces. Gently place in soup with a teaspoon of the relish to garnish.

from Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
 
2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 medium poblano or Anaheim peppers, seeded
1 large onion, quartered
12 cloves garlic
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach, washed and dried
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3/4 cup chicken stock
salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 package of Rossi Pasta Zucchini Linguine
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a baking pan. Place tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic on a single layer on the pan. Roast until soft and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Place the roasted vegetables, including the juices, in a blender or food processor along with the spinach, cilantro, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth, adding more stock if necessary to make a medium-bodied sauce. Reheat gently in a small saucepan and serve immediately or store, covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special 
 
1 TB. olive oil
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 canned chipotle pepper, diced
2 tomatillos, husked, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium zucchini, diced (about 1 cup)
1 TB. ground coriander
1 TB. ground cumin
1 teas. dried oregano
8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1/4 to 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 teas. adobo sauce from chipotle jar
1 TB. chopped fresh cilantro, or more to taste
3 cups fresh corn kernels
8 corn torillas (6 inch) cut into 1/2 x 2-inch strips
avocado cubes (optional)
grated Monterey Jack cheese (optional)
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a nonreactive soup pot, warm the oil and saute the onioins, jalapenos, chipotle, tomatillos, bell peppers, and zucchini for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the coriander, cumin and oregano and saute for about 3 more minutes. Stir in the stock, lime juice and adobo sauce and bring to a simmer. Add the cilantro and corn and continue to simmer gently for 10 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, bake the tortilla strips on an unoiled baking sheet fro 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. To serve, place the tortilla strips in individual serving bowls and ladle the soup on top. Garnish with avocado cubes and grated cheese, if desired.

The California Cookbook by Diane Rossen Worthington
 
Makes 2 1/2 cups
 
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 pound tomatillos, husked and quartered
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 TB. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 teas. ground cumin seed
1/2 teas. salt
1 TB. fresh lemon juice
 
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the chicken stock, add the onion, and simmer for about 5 minutes, covered. Add the tomatillos and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes. Pour the contents of the skillet into a food processor fitted with the  metal blade and process until coarsely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and taste for seasoning. Pour the salsa into a storage container and let it cool. Refrigerate until using.

 from Bon Appetit, January 2005

Vinaigrette:

1 TB. whole coriander seeds
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 TB. white balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1/2 teas. coarse kosher salt
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper

Pesto:

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 bunch fresh chives, coarsely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
1 TB. chopped seeded jalapeño chile
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 teas. (scant) coarse kosher salt
1/2 teas. freshly ground black pepper
3 TB. fresh lime juice

Beets:

2 lbs. 1-inch-diameter baby beets
1 TB. olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
6 cups assorted red baby lettuces

For vinaigrette:

Stir coriander in small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool. Coarsely grind coriander in mortar with pestle or in spice mill. Transfer to small bowl. Heat 1 TB. oil in same skillet over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl with coriander. Add vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gradually whisk in 7 tablespoons oil. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill; discard garlic after 1 hour. Let vinaigrette stand at room temperature 1 hour before using.)

For pesto:

Puree first 9 ingredients in blender until smooth. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reblend before continuing.) Whisk in lime juice.

For beets:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wash and dry beets. Cut off beet greens 1 inch from top of beets; reserve for another use. Rub beets with oil. Place light-colored beets in 1 roasting pan and red beets in another; sprinkle with coarse salt. Cover pans tightly with foil. Roast until beets are just tender, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Using towel, rub off peel and stems from beets. Cut beets in half. Place light-colored beets and red beets in 2 separate bowls. Toss beets in each bowl with 2 TB. vinaigrette. Let stand 30 minutes. Toss lettuces in bowl with some of vinaigrette to coat lightly; divide among plates and top with beets. Drizzle pesto around salads and serve.