"Finally something good for us all is trendy to boot, and I hope and pray it never goes out of fashion," writes cookbook author Levana Kirschenbaum. Heat the oil in a wide heavy skillet. Add the spinach, asparagus and peas, and saute just a minute or two until the leaves are wilted. Reserve. In the same skillet, heat the oil and add the onion and shallot. Saute until translucent. Add the arborio and saute 2 more minutes. Reduce the tem- perature to medium, add the saffron and wine, and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add the hot water, one cup at a time, adding the next cup only when the first has been absorbed. Total rice cooking time will be about 20 minutes. When the rice is tender, stir in the reserved vegetable mixture, salt, pepper and parsley and heat through, 2 to 3 more minutes. The mixture will be creamy. Serve hot. Makes 8 servings. Variations: • Use Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, watercress or arugula instead of the spinach. Remove all tough stems, reserving them for another use, and slice the leaves thin. • Throw in frozen artichoke hearts or bottoms, diced. • Saute 11/2 pounds mushrooms, any kind you can afford, in any combina- tion you like, and stir into the dish, in addition or instead of the leaves. •Stir in your favorite herbs — basil, rosemary, thyme, sage — one to two at a time, and get different flavors each time. • Stir in some freshly grated Parmesan at the end of cooking. • Throw in some diced natural (no nitrites) smoked turkey or diced cooked chicken. • Throw in some flaked mock crab or diced mock shrimp. • Throw in a handful of toasted chopped nuts. • Stir in some crumbled seaweed (nori, hijiki, wakame, arame, kombu, etc.) and/or some sprouts (soy, alfalfa, radish, mung, lentil, etc.). • Make the dish with another grain: wild rice, brown rice, quinoa, mil- let, buckwheat, etc. It won't be called risotto, but so what; it will be delicious, too, and will allow you to play with dif- ferent and interesting results each time! Cook the grain as you usually do, using the liquid all at once (as opposed to one cup at a time as you would for arborio), water and wine, or all water, then com- bine it with your sauteed veggies and other additions, just as suggested in this recipe's variations. • If you would rather have pasta, pro- ceed just as above, but use your favorite whole-grain pasta instead of rice. COLD FRUIT SOUP This wonderful ruby-colored soup is equally at home in a soup bowl as a first course or in a martini glass as a dessert. Even in the heart of sum- mer, I make this soup with frozen ber- ries and rhubarb, just because nothing could beat their sweetness and ease of preparation. Frozen berries would not be just an acceptable substitute — they would be quite wonderful, as frozen fruit are picked at their sweet- est and ripest. Try them in this recipe. The fact that they are a little bruised by freezing will not matter in the least since we are cooking them. Of course, if you have lots of beauti- ful fresh berries and/or rhubarb on hand, go ahead and use them. In sea- son, add plums, cherries, etc. 2 Granny Smith (green) apples, peeled and cut in chunks 10 cups total fresh or frozen (I pre- fer frozen) strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, pitted cherries, plums (in any combination you like) A mixture of the following spices, tied in a cheesecloth: 1 large piece lemon peel, 1 large piece orange peel, 6 cloves, 10 black peppercorns 2 cups dry red wine 4 cups unsweetened cranberry or pomegranate juice Juice of 2 limes or lemons 1 /2 to 2/3 cup maple syrup (start with less and wait until you taste the finished soup to add more) 1/2 cup tapioca flour, whisked with a little cold water until smooth (for Passover: potato starch) Bring all but last ingredient to boil in a heavy pot. Reduce the heat to medium low, add the tapioca mixture, and cook 10 more minutes, no more. Remove the cheesecloth. Cream the soup with an immersion blender, but not completely. Leave about a quarter of it chunky. Adjust the texture and seasonings. Chill completely before serving. Serve as a first course, alone or with a scoop of plain yogurt (dairy- free perfect, too) or as a dessert, alone or with a scoop of coconut sorbet. Makes a dozen ample servings. Variation: Strawberry Rhubarb Soup (GF,P) Use 10 cups combined strawberries and rhubarbs, and no other berries. Proceed exactly as above. You might need to add more maple syrup, rhu- barb being quite tart. Li We will be closed for store makeover starting Monday July 25th with hopes to reopen Friday July 29th (please give us a call to confirm we have reopened) Thanks Neale & Staff 6881 Orchard Lake Rd. • on the Boardwalk • (248) 851-5030 Veal w ditei Frecihobaositee Aerak 7e,r944-tcLikelt, cotaits! loolit am' I I 114161411 ) S 5Ifts•arl-komt ConSi5nrytt4 Tootie and Tallulah's is a unique gift, art and home consignment boutique. With our Fair Trade collection consisting of recycled/repurposed gift items, we have something for everyone! Our focus is a fresh and lively approach to reusing, renewing and restyling your environment. Shop Local. Think Global. Hour M,1 W, F - 10 - Thurs 10 - 2816 Coolidge ■ Berkley Sat 10- 248-850-7637 Sunday close info@tootieandtallulahs.com YES WE'RE BACK JUST FOR ALL OF YOU! If You Want The Best, Give Us A Test I I I WHOLE HOLE SIAB I ROASTED wHoLE C111641" by CHICKEN MUTED i OF RIBS RAD44 =KEW MILES SEAFOOD I 2784:7 Orchard Lake Road FOR 2 I at 12 Mile (NW corner) Farmington Hills, MI 48334 I $1495 Open 7 Days at llam I I WITH COUPON $12 95 Call (248) 488-5555 . 4 WITH COUPON DINE IN ONLY! EXP. 08-05-11 MIR I NR0457E1, CHICKEN 10 60 1 12 PIECES en I DINE IN OR CARRY t Exp. our SHOP WITH OUR ADVERTISERS! Mention that you saw them in the JN! RECIPES REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE WHOLE FOODS KOSHER KITCHEN: GLORIOUS MEALS PURE AND SIMPLE (SKYHORSE PUBLISHING) July 28 • 2011 51