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Creamy Sweet Potato and Bean Soup With Kale

Courtesy of Nichole Dandrea-Russert

Creamy Sweet Potato and Bean Soup With Kale

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

For the Soup:

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small hot pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

2 bay leaves

2 tsp dried oregano

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

3 15.5 oz cans of beans, drained (adzuki, black beans or cannellini)

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

½ tsp salt

3 cups chopped kale leaves

 

For the Cashew Cream:

 

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained

½ cup water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

¼ tsp salt

 

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the sweet potato, onion, bell pepper and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Stir in the garlic, hot pepper (if using), bay leaves and oregano. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the red wine vinegar and stir to deglaze the pot. Add the beans, tomatoes, vegetable broth and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

While the soup simmers, make the cashew cream by blending the soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt in a high-speed blender until silky and smooth.

Remove the bay leaves from the soup. Stir in the chopped kale and the cashew cream. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the kale softens and the soup becomes creamy.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper or a splash of vinegar. Serve warm.

 

Recipe and photo courtesy of Nichole Dandrea-Russert of PurelyPlanted.com.

 


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Tick Tackler

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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