Peasant Soup Anyone?

Make yourself a big batch of this soup and then throw it into the freezer in mason jars.  When you need something fast to eat for dinner, or something to bring to work for your lunch, look no further!  I skipped the pasta in mine this time, and used kidney beans as my bean of choice.  I also did not puree my beans this time around. But it doesn't matter.  Play with the recipe and have fun with it.

Pasta, cooked al-dente and set aside. (Use a small shaped pasta)

• Dried beans, soaked overnight in a large pot of water and boiled. (about 1/3 lb)
• 1 medium sized onion
• 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, smashed well
• 2 stalks of celery
• A palm full of parsley, chopped
• Tomato paste (a couple of tablespoons)
• One large peeled, chopped fresh tomato
• Olive oil
• 2 quarts of water (or more or less, its a preference thing)
• 1/4 to 1/2 a head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 large bunch of spinach, Swiss chard, or lambs quarters, roughly chopped
• 1 large potato, diced
• Some strips or hunks of ham, bacon or pancetta
• Small piece of parmesan rind (optional, but decadent!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Roughly chop the onion, celery and parsley and sauté gently in olive oil. When they begin to turn golden, add the chopped greens, garlic and potato. Season with salt and pepper and add tomato and paste, to your taste, then add some of the water you used to boil the beans, or vegetable or chicken broth to obtain a soup consistency.

Puree (or don't) half of the beans, and add these with the other half (left whole) to the soup, along with the meat scraps (and parmesan rind if using). Allow to simmer further until vegetables are cooked, then, taking it off the heat, add your cooked pasta, cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Garnish with fresh grated parmesan if desired.

A good "cold-as-hell" kind of winter day meal when served with fresh warm bread.  And those kind of days are just around the corner...

 

Time for a nap...

 

Guns, Radishes and Cabbage Soup

On my drive into the city for work this morning I passed some Amish boys on scooters heading off to school, each with their shotguns slung across their shoulders.  I shook my head in disgust.  Not because they were heading to school with guns.  Its hunting season now, and its quite normal for Amish kids to go hunting on their way home from school in the afternoons; therefore, they pack their guns along with their lunches each morning in the hope of coming home with turkeys, rabbits, pheasants, squirrel and doves. 

No, I shook my head in disgust because this isn't the sort of thing typical American children get to experience in this day and time.  Its a shame really.  Look what the kids miss out on. Instead of going hunting with their schoolmates after school, "English" kids head home and watch video games, or head off the mall.  No sense of helping to provide for their family there.

Anyway.  I'll skip the questionable viewpoints and talk about other things I've found amusing in the past  twenty-four hours.  Like this cabbage soup I made
.

I came across the recipe (which I'll provide in a later post) while scouring the web for "German Oktoberfest recipes."  I hesitated adding the caraway seeds, because it just seemed odd.  But since it was labeled an "authentic" German recipe, I followed through without straying and I was glad I did.  Its was great, and the seeds are a must for the distinct flavor they add.  I'll be making another batch to freeze this weekend.

Let's talk radishes...

When we first pulled these babies from the garden yesterday evening my first thought was that we didn't plant any beets this year.  And then I noted they were clearly radishes.  Really BIG radishes.

Surprisingly they were sweet and not at all "woody," with just a little spiciness.  There are about 20 left, so I will pull them all this weekend.  Some to roast, some to pickle.  If you've never roasted a radish, do it.  You'll be wondering why you never did it before.   The flavor is amazing.

I hope you all have a good day.  ~A