Winter Minestrone

During our crazy tax season, the hours are long and we're working 7 days a week.  What little lunch break we get is mostly spent answering phone calls and e-mails, addressing questions from our staff, and trying to catch up on projects. We usually eat at our desks. There are no long lunch breaks at our favorite downtown spots!  Consequently, I try to make dinner meals that will provide enough leftovers for lunch or another dinner. A big pot of soup works for both!

This soup is very thick and hearty, it's almost a stew.  It is full of chunky vegetables, beans, pasta, and spinach.  The broth's flavor is enhanced by browned pancetta.   The pesto and white wine added at the end adds a multitude of flavors. Serve it with some garlic bread and you have a filling and nutritious meal.

For fair disclosure I must admit my Hubbers isn't a fan of this soup.  He dislikes squash, (though he loves pumpkin pie). I keep trying to hide squash in his meals as it is so good for us. He ate it but his bowl was full of uneaten squash pieces. I took the leftover minestrone to work the next day and he went out to lunch. Don't let his picky ways deter you, this is a great soup!



Once all the veggies are diced, making the soup is easy!

I make pesto from my basil crop each summer and freeze in mini muffin pans. Pesto can also be found in the grocer's frozen food section.

Winter Minestrone

Good olive oil
4 ounces pancetta, 1/2-inch diced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced carrots (3 carrots)
2 cups (1/2-inch) diced celery (3 stalks)
2 1/2 cups (1/2-inch) diced peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
26 ounces canned or boxed chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
6 to 8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups cooked small pasta, such as tubetti
8 to 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup good dry white wine
2 tablespoons pesto
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Discard the bay leaf.  Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through.  The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, add more chicken stock.  Just before serving, add the spinach and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad).  Cook just until the leaves are wilted.  Stir in the white wine and pesto.  Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add salt to taste. Serve in large shallow bowls.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Recipe source: Ina Garten

Animal Troughs in the Garden!

We have a patch of ground behind the swimming pool.  This area gets the brutal afternoon sun so whatever is planted here has to be hardy. The plants also have to compete with the neighbor's six, (yes I said six, argh!), redwood trees planted in the corner of her yard. Now I have nothing against redwood trees but they aren't really meant for city-sized back yards. Over the years the roots have trespassed into our area and it's difficult trying to plant amongst those roots.  Last year I pretty much gave up and the area looked rather bare. As I like my yard filled with vegetation and flowers, and this area is a prominent place in our back yard, this was a source of frustration for me. This year we are trying something new.  We bought two animal watering troughs and filled them up with good potting soil.  We have planted a few varieties of cherry tomatoes, Big Girl tomato, jalapeno pepper, dill, green beans, okra, cucumber and basil. Interspersed among the vegetables are flowers for color. The plants love their environment, in fact things are growing so well we are thinking we over-planted!

 

I can be stubborn, at times, so am still trying to have some plantings in the ground, too.  I thought it would be fun for my granddaughter to grow a pumpkin plant.  At the nursery she spotted the watermelon plants, her favorite fruit, and wanted to grow that, too.  So, far, they seem to be doing well! The bee balm is not growing as well as I had hoped.  The hummingbirds love the bright flowers of this plant.

This butterfly plant has been here for eons, it seems.  I have to trim it back two-three times during the summer, it gets so tall. True to its name, the butterflies flock to it, as do the hummingbirds

I have harvested the basil once already and made pesto.  The cherry tomatoes are growing like they are on steroids so I transplanted the basil to the second trough.  They were a little wilted looking the first few days but are taking off now. Soon it will be time to harvest again!

I love to go out in my yard and pick some fresh herbs for cooking.  In addition to the herbs planted in the troughs we have herbs planted in pots and other parts of the yard.  We have thyme, oregano,  mint, and rosemary, as well as the basil and dill.

Animal troughs can be found at your local farm store.  My hubby put a drip irrigation system in to help with watering chores. In addition to being utilitarian I think they add a nice architectural interest to this garden area.

Farmers Market

One of the blessings of living in the central California valley is that we are in the middle of agriculture country. Orchards, row crops, dairies, poultry farms surround us. There are farm stands all over the place.  In my town there is a farmers' market that is open two days a week; Thursdays and Saturdays.

The market is on the street behind my office so I usually meander over on Thursday mornings and grab a few things.  My favorite time to go is Saturday.  There is more variety.  The market opens at 7 and I like to go soon after; it's not so crowded and there is an ample supply of farm goodies. Local musicians perform, the smell of kettle corn fills the air. It's not unusual to run into friends and family.

There is no comparison between fresh-from-the-farm produce and buying produce in the stores. We are so fortunate to enjoy nature's bounty in such a convenient venue!

My purchases!