Jeff and I love to cook (and eat!)
The first time I made this soup was in January, what a perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon, chopping vegetables and simmering soup. Since then we have changed it in different ways, sometimes adding ingredients like cubed cooked chicken, subtracting ingredients, but no matter which way you make it, it is an awesome soup. It is from the southern region of France, which kind of explains the"pistou" pesto garnish.
Soupe au Pistou
1 1/4 cup dried white beans (cannellini, navy or flageleot) or 2 cups canned cannellini)
2 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 celery stalk, chopped
3-4 carrots, chopped
bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, bay leaves tied in cheesecloth)
4 potatoes, diced
1/4 pound small green beans, chopped
2 cups chicken stock - if canned, use low sodium
3 tomatoes
2 zucchini, diced
1 1/2 cup vermicelli, broken into small pieces
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
Pistou
6 garlic cloves
1 1/3 cup basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil
If you are using dried beans : Soak dried beans overnight, drain, put in a sauce pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 1 hour till beans are tender. Drain.
If you are using canned beans, they do not need to be soaked, rinsed and cooked.
To make the pistou
Put garlic, basil and parmesan in blender, process till finely mashed. Slowly add olive oil, mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
Heat olive oil in large dutch oven or soup pot, add garlic and shallots and cook over low heat just a few minutes so they are soft but not browned. Add celery, carrots, and bouquet garni, cook 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add potatoes, green beans, chicken stock and 7 cups of water, simmer 10 minutes.
Peel tomatoes by plunging first into boiling water then cold water, the peels will just come off so easily. Chop the tomatoes, add to soup. Add zucchini, white beans, vermicelli, and peas (if you are using frozen, then wait till right before to add so they just heat through.
Season, serve with a dollop of pistou on top
Quinoa Pilaf with almonds and raisins
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tbsp slivered almonds
2 tbsp golden raisins
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
optional garnishes : toasted pistachios, croutons
Steam the carrots for 5-6 minutes (not to worry if they aren't fully cooked). Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, stir, cook till translucent (about 5 minutes). stir in tumeric, add water, bring to a boil. Add quinoa, stir. Place bell pepper, almonds and raisins on top. Cover, simmer till water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy (about 30 minutes). Add peas during last 5 minutes, fluff with fork. Garnish with optional pistachios and croutons.
Herbed Stuffed Pumpkin
4 small pumpkins, about 5 -6 inches across
2 cups rye or whole wheat bread cubes
1/2 cup sliced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tbsp olive oil
Preheat oven to 325 F. Cut off top of pumpkins, set aside. Remove seeds and stringy membrane. Place the empty pumpkin shells on a cookie sheet. In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients, then tightly pack the pumpkin cavities with the mixture. Cover with the pumpkin tops and bake till tender, about 45 minutes. Serve hot, right in the shells!
Wild rice cornbread stuffing
1 cup uncooked wild rice
6 cups chicken stock (if using canned stock, go for the low sodium type)
1/2 pound pork sausage, casing removed
1 onion, diced
4-5 stalks celery, diced
4 cups crumbled cornbread (my grandma always called cornbread pone)
3 cups toasted bread, cubed or torn
2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2-3 eggs
Cook wild rice in 3 cups of the chicken stock for 40 minutes, over medium heat. In large skillet over medium heat, cook celery, onion, and the sausage till cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. In large bowl, combine the bread, the cornbread (pone), sage and pepper. Add the cooked wild rice, and the sausage mixture. Mix completely. Lightly whisk the eggs, add to remaining chicken stock and add to the stuffing mixture. You want the mixture to be moist, not soggy, so keep an eye on it. Stuff the turkey loosely since it will expand, and remaining stuffing can be baked (or all if it if you don't wish to stuff the turkey) in a covered baking pan at 350 F for 45 minutes.
Tomato Basil Soup (can be served warm or cold)
2 shallots, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
12-15 fresh tomatoes, I prefer heirloom types like Brandywine, Mortgage Lifter, Amish Paste or Prudens Purple, and mix the varieties for complexity. Otherwise, Roma is always good as well.
4 cups chicken stock, low sodium
handful fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 cup heavy cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
homemade croutons for garnish
Sizzle the shallots and garlic in the olive oil, add tomatoes, simmer till broken down. Add chicken broth, simmer on slow heat about 20 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and basil, stir. Lower heat, stir in cream, heat through. Watch so it doesn't scorch. Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with homemade garlicky croutons.
