Here at the Cove, we have had more than our share of fog lately. Every morning upon awakening, the socked-in conditions greet me, and I am not amused. Just as I resign myself to a gray sort-of day and tug on a sweater, the sun bursts forth and, and clearer skies last anywhere from five minutes to five hours. Then, suddenly and unpredictably, we are overcome by ghostly fog once again. Such is summer on the coast; you’d think I’d be used to it. For times like these, I make a substantial kettle of fortifying soup, wrap up in something cozy and make the best of things. 

I don’t much care for pea soup, though it seems to go along with fog. Instead, I much prefer my standard lentil soup that I stir together while fondly reminiscing about my time in north Idaho and southeast Washington in what is known as “Palouse, The Lentil Capital of the World.” And yes, there’s even a Lentil Festival held every August. 

The first time I came upon those lentil fields spread before me, I was not only quite awestruck, but I gained a new appreciation for these tiny nutritious powerhouses that contain high amounts of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. 

If you’d like to make your soup meal even healthier and brighten it up a bit, try a Green Goddess, a breadless sandwich I discovered at Under the Sun, a fabulous café in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. 

I love this sandwich so much that the ingredients are kept in my kitchen on the Cove at all times. You can make it vegetarian by simply omitting the turkey and cheese, and it’s just as delicious without those additions. Feel free to add and switch out veggies — I highly encourage originality.

For a sweet touch, I thought this would be a good time to share my daughter Katie’s peanut butter and jam bars since the dear girl’s birthday is coming up and these have been a favorite of hers since she was a little kid. 

These sticky cookies are just perfect for a foggy afternoon snack or can be served warm and ala mode after your soup and Green Goddess meal. 

Cheap store-brand peanut butter works fine for these, but I recommend you splurge on a jar of homemade jam at the local farmers’ market. Better yet, if you have jam you’ve made yourself from berries you picked one by one, use that. You’ll reward yourself for your good fortune with every bite.

Soul-Soothing Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion diced

6 garlic cloves minced

3 large carrots diced

3 stalks celery diced

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 pinch red pepper flakes or a shake of Tabasco, to taste

2 cups French green lentils

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

3 cups baby spinach and/or baby kale, julienned

In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Saute onion, garlic, carrots and celery for about 7 minutes. Add herbs and pepper flakes and cook a few more minutes. 

Stir in lentils and cook 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, stock and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer at least 30 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Add lemon juice and greens. Stir then cover and continue to simmer until greens are wilted, for about 10 minutes. Like all soups, this is even better made a day ahead. Yield: 10 servings.

The Green Goddess
2 large Romaine lettuce leaves washed and dried

1-2 tablespoons pesto

3 slices roast turkey

1 slice American cheese cut into thirds

1 avocado sliced

3 tomato slices

1 small cucumber sliced

2 tablespoons grated carrot

2 tablespoons sprouts or pea shoots

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place the romaine on a serving plate and paint each leaf with pesto. Layer remaining ingredients onto one leaf and season. Top with remaining leaf. Cut in half. Have a napkin handy or eat with a knife and fork. Yield: 1 serving

Peanut Butter & Jam Bars
2 sticks butter, at room temperature 

3/4 cup sugar 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 teaspoons vanilla 

3 large eggs 

2 cups creamy peanut butter 

3 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups raspberry or strawberry jam

2/3 cups honey-roasted peanuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar on medium speed until light yellow, for about 2 minutes. Add vanilla, eggs and peanut butter. Mix until all ingredients are combined. 

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture until everything is combined. Spread 2/3 of the dough into the pan evenly with a spatula. Spread jam evenly over the dough. Spoon remainder of dough here and there over jam layer. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts if using and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before cutting into squares. Yield: 20 cookies

Karen Schneider can be reached at:
[email protected].