White Bean Soup with Feta Cheese

Yield: 8 servings

This recipe is my family's favorite.

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup sliced carrots

4 cups cooked white beans, drained, or 2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, rinsed and drained

5 cups vegetable broth

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups cabbage, cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven on medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender (approximately 5 minutes). Add the beans, broth, chilies (undrained), oregano, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer approximately 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, cover, and cook about 5 minutes. Serve hot topped with the feta cheese.

Diana Kremenliff

Blueberry Decadents

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoons baking powder

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

7 tablespoons granlated sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups dried blueberries

30 pecan halves

Oil 2 large cookie sheets. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate, then set aside to cool. Combine the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the white chocolate chips and blueberries.

Drop by tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press a pecan halfon top of each cookie. Bake until the cookies look dry and cracked but still feel soft when pressed lightly.

Remove from the oven and let stand on the sheet for 5 minutes.

Remove to a rack and let cool completely. As variation, you can drizzle melted white chocolate on top of the cookies after they're baked, instead of using the pecan halves.

Contributor: The British Columbia Blueberry Council http://www.worldexport.com/bcblue