I was sitting in an outdoor cafe in Florence the first time I had Panzanella. The main component of this frugal Tuscan dish is stale bread.
Teamed up with tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and basil, mixed together in a vinaigrette, the dish sings.
Now that things are getting hot and humid, this recipe makes for a terrific light lunch or dinner. Serve it up with a Pinot Grigio or some other light white, preferably from the same region of Italy where this bread salad is a lunch/dinner-time staple.
OK, friends, it’s about 100 degrees where I am today, and it’s just too darn hot to think about making soup. So, as we move into the summer months, Soup on Saturdays may sometimes have something other than soup. Forgive me in advance, but I don’t want to change the catchy page title. 🙂
Just a reminder, lentils are highly nutritional, and you get the added benefit of a healthy dose of vegetarian protein.
Last weekend, I ventured out to a local institution called Baugher’s. Initially a 60 acre farm, now Baugher’s has morphed into a restaurant, market, and nursery. Because of all the chain stores and restaurants that have popped up in our area, this 100-year-old establishment is struggling.
I was there to buy a pie, which are also famous in these parts, and ended up with a bunch of very ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes. Since my tomato plants are only just now in flower, it will be many weeks before I’ll be able to eat my own.
The one’s from Baugher’s must have come up from Florida, and usually, I don’t take a risk with store-bought tomatoes, which generally have no taste. Not these. They packed tons of flavor, and I was glad I bought them. Since they were so ripe, I needed to do something with them quickly, so used up some other veggies I had on hand, and the result was this soup. Enjoy 🙂
There were slim pickings at the farmer’s market today. Maybe I got there a bit late…
Well, today’s soup is just right for a light and easy meal, perfect for this long holiday weekend. You may not be able to get your ingredients at the farmer’s market near you, but I found the zucchini in abundance at my local grocery store. I had the basil at home.
My basil is doing great, and I’ve got it growing in several different pots. With the sunny and warm weather we’ve been having, the new growth is spilling out all over. This recipe uses a lot of basil, so I’m hoping my plants will appreciate the hair cut.
Although it wasn’t the main ingredient, last Saturday’s Lentil and Rhubarb Soup called for six cups of spinach. Today, it seemed like every vendor at my local farmer’s market had plenty of this super-nutritious veggie, so I decided to pick up some more, but this time for a soup where it could stand alone.
This is a very simple soup that shouts spring. I hope you’ll give it a try.
I saw a version of this recipe the other day, and set off this morning for my first visit to the local farmer’s market intending to pick up some key ingredients.
Farmer’s Markets are a great place to get local produce, and although the pickings were a bit slim today, I was able to get rhubarb and spinach. I’ve never been a big fan of rhubarb, probably because I never had it prepared properly. It has a fruity and slightly tangy taste, which complements the Indian spices used in this stew. I was glad to try it out in something new.
To have a more complete meal, you can ladle the stew over cooked whole grains, such as quinoa or brown rice.
I recently had the chance to visit the beautiful new home of one of my friends. After a tour, we sat down for bowls of this delicious and filling soup. Colleen took the basic recipe found on the bean and barley package and enhanced it by adding her own ingredients. The results were terrific, and we kept going back for more. I bet you’ll do the same.
Colleen’s 17 Bean & Barley Soup
Serves 8
1 bag Trader Joe’s 17 Bean and Barley Mix (16 oz.)
2 32 oz Trader Joe’s low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, thickly cut
1 cup carrot, thickly cut
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
¾ cup southwest style frozen vegetables
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tsp olive oil
1 tb paprika
1 tb steak seasoning
1 tb Italian seasoning
3 bay leaves
1 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
¾ cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
In large saucepan, cover dried beans with triple their volume in cold water. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and cook uncovered beans over moderate heat for two minutes. Remove pan from heat and soak beans for one hour.
As beans are soaking, heat olive oil on medium heart in sauté pan. Add onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, mushrooms and sauté until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add frozen vegetable mix and heat through.
Rinse soaked beans and place in large soup pot. Add vegetable mixture, broth, along with remaining ingredients (except salt and pepper) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for one hour. Remove bay leaves, and add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy 🙂
Well, Holy Saturday is upon us. Even though I’ve had to do quite a bit of running around this morning, the afternoon has been quiet and peaceful.
I’m putting this soup together today, so that some friends and I can have it as a first course tomorrow. It might not fit into your plans for this weekend, but give it a try sometime soon. It’s a nice spring soup, and I hope you enjoy it.
Last Saturday, I went to a Farmer’s Market near my mother’s house in California. Their planting season is several weeks ahead of us here on the East Coast, so it was great to see so many wonderful fruits and vegetables laid out on rows and rows of tables.
Now that farmer’s markets are slowly opening again after a long winter, please take advantage of them. It’s great to be able to meet and speak with the person who grew the food you’re going to put on the dinner table.
One of the veggies that caught my eye last Saturday was Swiss Chard. I only recently began cooking with it, and it really is a delicious and vitamin-rich ingredient that can be added to just about any dish. Today, I’m combining Swiss Chard with lentils to make a tasty and healthy soup. This recipe makes a big batch of soup, but as you know, soup is always better the second day. 🙂
I was talking with my mom and brother the other day, and we were reminiscing about when my mother used to serve up a curry dip for company when I was a kid. Growing up, that was the only time I ever tasted curry, and I was always intrigued by the exotic taste. Now, I love all kinds of curry dishes. I hope you’ll give this one a try. This is a cold soup, so you might have to wait a bit until the weather warms up in your area.