I’m so excited about this soup! Not just because it’s delicious but because it marks the beginning of fall cooking in my home. Hello yummy homemade soups and stews and chili and pot pies and and and…..oh how I love cold weather cooking!!!

Serves 6-8

• 1 large cooking onion
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 cobs of corn, corn removed from cob
• 2 large red potato, chopped into small bite sized pieces
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
• 1 stalk of lemongrass, minced or grated
• 1 litre of low sodium veg broth
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• safflower oil for frying
• salt and pepper to taste
• pickled jalapeño for topping
• avocado for topping

In a large pot over med-high heat, add the safflower oil. Let it heat for a minute then add the onions. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until tender and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, corn and potato. Cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes or until the potato is tender. Add the ginger, jalapeño and lemongrass. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add the broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the coconut milk and cilantro. Bring back to a boil then remove from heat. Using an immersion blender give the chowder a few good pulses. Add the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Serve topped with pickled jalapeño and some diced avocado. Enjoy!

*Want to mix it up a bit? Try adding any of the following to your chowder-

• shredded chicken
• diced tomato, for topping
• swap out the potato for cauliflower
• sriracha instead of the pickled jalapeño

Summer is officially here. It’s uncomfortably hot and everyone who has a cottage is dreaming of it or enjoying it to the fullest. For those of us stuck in the city we are making the most of it and flocking to the parks to take shelter in the trees or bask in the sun while spreading out on the beautiful green grass. This weekend we headed to High Park to picnic with about 15 other unlucky city dwellers. Everyone brought a little something and we wound up with a delicious assortment of food. Normally I would have a tough time deciding what to bring, as there are sooo many amazing salads to choose from this time of year but lucky for me Danie pretty much told me this was what I HAD to bring…and so I did. This rice salad is healthy and refreshing, if you can call a rice salad refreshing but the lime and cilantro really do make it just that. For those of you looking to keep it light feel free to skip the cheese – I promise this salad will not disappoint.

• 6 cups wholegrain rice, cooked
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 jalapeno, diced – note* you can also use canned green chiles or more jalapeno depending on how much heat you want
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1 1/2 med lime, juiced
• avocado, diced
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice according to the package. Once the rice has finished cooking, drain any excess water and refrigerate until cool.  In a large bowl mix together the rice, black beans, tomato, cheese, onion, jalapeno, and green pepper. In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar and lime juice. Pour over the rice mixture and toss to coat. Now gently mix in the cilantro and avocado. Serve.