A DELICIOUS USE
FOR ALL THAT
CSA ZUCCHINI
THE NAME “OKROSHKA” comes from a verb that basically means “to dice.” Though
I have long known this soup, when I was traveling in Moscow, I noticed just how
common it was. At nearly any deli counter in Russia, you can pick up a ready-
made okroshka mix of all the diced veggies and meat that go into the soup, and
all you have to do is add kvass (a soda made by fermenting bread) or kefir. Seeing
okroshka sold that way changed how I thought about the dish. At my restau-
rant, Kachka, we’ve done several different okroshkas since then, and one of my
favorites is a zucchini version. Come early fall, I am always looking for ways to
use up all of that summer squash. This soup is the answer. The tangy buttermilk
in this recipe highlights zucchini’s mild sweetness and light vegetal flavor. (See
p. 117 for the recipe for Zucchini and Buttermilk Soup.) —Bonnie Morales, chef
and co-owner of Kachka in Portland, Oregon
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
I visited Thailand last year
during the holidays and have
been grabbing my big, heavy
stone mortar and pestle ever
since. From the classic raw
papaya salad to a simple
marinade of pungent aromat-
ics for fish and chicken, I have
been joyfully smashing up
fresh turmeric roots, ginger,
chiles, and other ingredients
that create such vibrant and
intense flavors. One market-
inspired dish I made while we
were in Koh Samui was a
steamed fish rubbed with a mix
of fresh turmeric, ginger, garlic,
green peppercorn, makrut
lime, sugar, and sour oranges,
all crushed with the mortar and
pestle then steamed with a
handful of morning glory—a
vegetable also known as water
spinach. It was simple, healthy,
and intensely flavorful. (Get the
recipe for Steamed Rockfish
with Thai Citrus on p. 117.)
—Preeti Mistry, chef and
co-author of The Juhu Beach
Club Cookbook
KOH SAMUI, THAILAND
A SMASHINGLY
GOOD IDEA
