#BestSummerEver

Country Living magazine put out a list this year: 50 Ways to Have the Best Summer Ever. My family has been checking items off this list throughout the summer. We drank lemonade on our front porch, visited our farmer's market, made our own popsicles, and made something with fresh peaches.

Two items on the list are "make a dish with your backyard bounty" and "make a summer soup."

And we checked both of those off the list with this vegetable and polenta soup.

I got some push back from my husband when I told him I was making this. To say he is not a fan of polenta would an understatement. But this soup won him over. The polenta, despite the recipe title, is not a star ingredient. It sings background, thickening the soup, perfect harmony to the fresh vegetables up front and center.

So as summer days become fewer and fewer, make the most of what the days and your garden have to offer. Dive into a steaming bowl of this soup.

Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, seeds removed, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for a vegetarian dish)
• 1/3 cup instant polenta, such as Gia Russa
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
2. Add the basil, rosemary, garlic, tomatoes, and zucchini, and cook for 3 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a slow boil. Slowly stir in the polenta and cook until the soup thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper.
4. Serve with Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

From the Farmhouse

For me, nothing is more comforting and soothing than a big bowl of soup. It's the food equivalent of a great, big hug. It warms me, both figuratively and literally.

In the winter, I'll make a pot of soup at least once a week. I still make soup in the summer, but less frequently.

Except this summer.

While we didn't have many rainy days, we did have the cool, mountain summer I have been waiting 9 years for. And those cooler days provided me with a few extra opportunities to make soup for dinner.

I made this soup on what I knew would be a particularly busy day for me. This recipe was ideal because there wasn't a lot of prep work involved, and the slow cooker does all the work. The soup is light, yet comforting. And it was a great opportunity to use the zucchini I had picked from the garden.

So as autumn approaches, add this recipe to your arsenal. It'll warm your soul to walk in the house, the scent of the soup wafting through the air, and filling your belly after a day outside preparing for the winter ahead.

Creamy Farmhouse Chicken and Garden Soup

Recipe slightly modified from Crock-Pot: One-Pot Meals
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package (16 ounces) frozen pepper stir-fry vegetable mix
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 2 bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
• 1 14-ounce can chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 ounces uncooked egg noodles
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Coat slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers, corn, zucchini in the bottom. Add chicken, broth, garlic, and thyme. Cover; cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove chicken and set aside to cool slightly.
2. Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover; cook on HIGH 20 minutes or until noodles are heated through.
3. Meanwhile, debone and chop chicken. Return to slow cooker. Stir in half-and-half, peas, basil, butter, salt, and pepper. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on servings, if desired.

Note: To make this a vegetarian dish, simply omit the chicken and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Soup Stir-Ins

What do you stir into your soup?

I'm a crackers girl. But which cracker I use depends on what kind of soup I'm having. Growing up my mom would make Lipton's Giggle Noodle soup. Saltines was always my cracker of choice for that one. For chili and stews, I opted for Ritz.

Then a few years ago I made a Cheesy Vegetable Chowder. As we were breaking Ritz crackers into our bowls my husband said, "You know what would be good in this soup? Those oyster crackers."

And a third cracker was thrown into the mix.

The thing is, in addition to crackers, I like to top some of my soups with grated Parmesan cheese, like Pasta e Fagioli, Sausage, Peppers and Onions Soup, and Hearty Pasta Tomato Soup. But a few weeks ago I was walking down the crackers aisle of my supermarket when I saw something that would forever change the way I would garnish my soups: Parmesan Goldfish.

This is the perfect soup stir-in. You get the crunch from the cracker and the wonderful deep flavor from the Parmesan. I don't serve soup without them.

And saltines, and Ritz, and oyster crackers, too.

Julia Child, I Am Not

I am many things. I am a daughter, sister, wife, and mother. And I am a good home cook.

But Julia Child I am not.

So even though I would like to make her French Onion Soup, I just don't have the skill level or the time. So instead I pull out my slow cooker, taking the ultimate shortcut.

And while Julia may have been able to taste the difference, it was excellent to this home cook.

The flavor truly is rich, and the wine adds depth. I know mozzarella is the traditional cheese to top this soup with, but the sharpness of the Provolone is a wonderful compliment to the sweetness of the onions.

So go ahead and make this soup. It may not be fancy or traditional like Julia's, but we don't always need fancy, just down-home good.

Rich French Onion Soup

Recipe modified from Taste of Home
Makes 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 6 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 6 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed beef broth, undiluted
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 slices French bread, toasted
• 10 slices Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saut&eatue; onions in butter until crisp-tender. Add wine to pan to deglaze and let reduce. Transfer to an ungreased 5-quart slow cooker. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves.
2. Cover and cook on low 5 - 7 hours or until the onions are tender. Discard bay leaves.
3. Turn on broiler. Ladle soup into oven-proof crock. Add toast and top with slice of Provolone cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and serve.

Panera Who?

"Panera who?"

That's what my husband said in reply to his first taste of this soup. And I can't say that I disagree.

Divine. If I had to use one word to describe this soup, it would be divine. In fact, it's so divine, that I made only three -- that's right only three -- modifications to this recipe.

The first: I omitted the scallions. I'm not a huge fan, and since there's already an onion in this soup, I knew it wouldn't be hurting for onion flavor.

Two: I used grilled corn. We had grilled corn on the cob for dinner, and I used the leftovers to make this soup. It definitely adds something to it that you don't get from using straight fresh corn. There's a hint of smokiness that just adds depth to the flavor.

And three: I didn't serve it in a bread bowl. I know. Your heart probably stopped for a beat when you read that. But the truth is, I didn't want to fill up on bread and not be able to eat a second bowl of this scrumptious soup. So feel free to eat it out of a bread bowl. But if you're like me and like to go back for seconds and thirds where soup's concerned, you might want to pass on the bread.

So what are you waiting for? Fresh corn is at your fingertips. Go out and get some and make this soup!

Corn & Cheese Chowder

Recipe slightly modified from The Pioneer Woman
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange), finely diced
• 5 ears grilled corn, kernels sliced off
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup (heaping) Grated Monterey Jack
• 1 cup (heaping) Pepper Jack
• Seasoned salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions for a couple of minutes. Add bacon and cook until edges start to brown. Then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes. Finally, add corn and cook for a minute.
2. Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine. Pour in broth and stir well. Allow this to thicken for 3 or 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Stir in half-and-half, then cover and allow to simmer and thicken for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in cheeses. When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings. Add salt and pepper as needed.
4. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.

Tips: Corn freezes beautifully. So buy extra, grill it, cut it off the cob, and freeze it. That way you can enjoy this soup during the cold winter months.

This soup is easy to turn into a vegetarian dish. Simply omit the bacon and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

A Whole New World

Growing up, I wasn't exposed to a wide variety of food types. The fare we ate was mainly Italian, American, a few German dishes, and Chinese take-out. Not that there's anything wrong with those foods, but as a young adult I wasn't terribly adventurous when it came to foods from ethnicities I wasn't familiar with.

But I learned to cook, I started to feel too settled always making the dishes I had grown up eating. The more I cooked and the more I understood ingredients, how they were used, and the flavors they would lend a dish, I yearned to step outside my box more and explore unfamiliar flavors.

And this dish has two ingredients I hadn't used at all before I made this dish: curry powder and coconut milk. What a great first venture into using these ingredients!

I absolutely loved this dish. As all great soups and stews, it warmed me from the inside out. The flavors brought me great warmth as well. I particularly loved the contrast of the heat of the curry and jalapeño with the cool flavor of the Greek yogurt. And it's all topped with the fresh kick of the cilantro.

All in all, this one is a winner.

Indian-Spiced Lentils and Lamb
Recipe from Cooking Light

Makes 4 servings
Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
  
• 6 ounces lean ground lamb
  
• 1 teaspoon red curry powder *
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper **
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  
• 3/4 cup chopped carrot
  
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
  
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
• 3/4 cup brown lentils
  
• 2 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 cup water
  
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped ***
  
• 1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
  
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Heat a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl. Add lamb and next 4 ingredients (through red pepper); sauté 4 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add onion, carrot, and jalapeño; sauté 4 minutes or until lamb is browned. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomato paste; sauté 30 seconds.
   
2. Add lentils; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in broth and next 3 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Ladle about 1 cup lentil mixture into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon yogurt and 1 tablespoon cilantro.

Notes from the Chef:
* Unfortunately my market didn't have red curry powder, so I used regular curry powder.
** I was afraid of making the dish too spicy. So I used smoke paprika instead of ground red pepper. Paprika offers less heat, but still gives the dish that deep, red color.
*** I used diced tomatoes, just to save myself the mess of chopping the whole ones.

Potato Heaven

If you couldn't tell by February's theme, I am an avid soup-lover. And here's another bit of not-so-secret information: I haven't met a potato I didn't like. So, what better way to honor two of my favorite foods than by combining then?

Back in the day, whenever friends and I went to Bennigan's I always got a cup of their cream of potato soup. I loved that they topped it with crumbled bacon. But the Bennigan's that was in the area I grew up in closed years ago, and there's not one anywhere in the state of Pennsylvania. What's a girl to do?

Find a recipe and make it at home, but of course!

There's no shortage of potato soup recipes on the Internet. It's the cooking method that makes this recipe my favorite, though. Using the crock-pot frees me to do whatever I feel like. As much as I love to cook, sometimes it's nice not to be tied to the kitchen.

Cream Cheese Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 to 2-inch cubes
  
• 1 small onion, diced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper
  
• 2 quarts chicken broth
  
• 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, cubed
  
• Optional garnishes: Crumbled bacon, green onions, chives, shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Use a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Peel and dice potatoes, and put them into the stoneware. Add onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings and pour in the broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 hours. The potatoes should be fork-tender. Use a potato masher or a hand-held immersion blender to mash the potatoes into the soup.
   
2. Add cubed cream cheese to the potato mixture and put the lid back on. Cook on HIGH, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved.
   
3. Serve with the garnish of your choice.

Light and Easy

After all those school years of cafeteria food, 4 college years of dining halls, and too many years of take-out, I can finally say I'd much rather cook and have a home-cooked meal than order out. Trouble is, there are plenty of days where I'm just too tired to make an elaborate meal.

Enter this soup recipe.

It's quick and simple, but not fast food, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

Santa Fe Ravioli Soup

Recipe from Cooking Light
Makes 8 1-cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 14-ounce cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 9-ounce package fresh four-cheese ravioli
  
• 1 16-ounce jar salsa
  
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 cup diced cooked chicken
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add ravioli; reduce heat to low, and simmer 5 minutes. Add salsa, beans, chicken, and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until heated through.
   
2. Ladle soup into bowls; top with sour cream and cilantro.

Notes from the Cook:

• Many times when I make this, I omit the chicken. If you won't want to use pre-packaged chicken, poach some chicken yourself. Then save the broth to use in this or other soups.
  
• For a vegetarian soup, replace the chicken with tofu or simply omit the chicken altogether.
  
• It's easy to change this recipe up by switching up the kind of salsa you use. Experiment with different heat levels, too. I like to use a southwest salsa because it has beans and corn in it.

Summer in a Soup

For me, a quintessential summer meal is sausage and peppers. My husband grills the sausage and I love the pepper mixture he makes, cooking the peppers and onions down in a tomato sauce. Serve on a good, crusty roll, and you have the perfect summer meal.

But what's a gal to do during the winter months? Oh, sure, you can make it in the oven or slow cooker, but it's just not the same. So when I saw Rachael Ray take the flavors in an entirely different direction, I knew I had to give it a try.

Soup.

Yes, you read that right. Soup. And really what better way to usher those summer flavors into winter than with a quintessential winter meal? (I made quite a few modifications, though, but I think the recipe only benefits from it.)

Sausage, Peppers and Onion Soup
A modified Rachael Ray recipe

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 1/2 lbs. bulk Italian sausage
  
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 cup white wine
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 2 15-ounce cans or 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1 1/4 cups ditalini
  
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven. Add sausage and brown for a few minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon. Then add garlic, peppers and onions, and cook until soft, 6-7 minutes more.
   
2. Deglaze pan with the vinegar and wine. Let reduce for a few minutes. Stir in broth, tomatoes and seasonings, and bring to a boil. Add ditalini and cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is done.
   
3. Serve with cheese on top

Notes from the Cook:

• If you can find cubanelle peppers (also known as frying peppers), use 3 bell peppers. I like to use 2 red and 1 yellow myself.
  
• If you can't get bulk sausage buy links. Remove the casings and use a potato masher to break up the meat as it browns.
  
• You can adjust the heat level by using hot sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, or both. If you can't get the hot sausage or tomatoes, simply add red pepper flakes to the meat and veggies as they brown.

Baked to Perfection

So you saw the title of this post and probably thought, "Baked? I thought this month was all about soups and stews."

And you would be correct. But I was, too, when I said "baked." This is an oven-baked stew.

Not your conventional cooking method for such a hearty meal, but delicious nevertheless. My favorite part about this meal? The red wine. It adds depth to the flavor, enhancing the slow-cooked taste. You can substitute water for the wine, but I suggest using the wine as instructed. It really makes this dish.

Oven-Baked Stew

Recipe modified from Lipton Soup Mix
Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 1/3 cups sliced carrots
  
• 1 can (14 to 16 oz.) whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
  
• 1 envelope Beefy Onion Soup Mix
  
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
  
• 2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In 2 1/2-quart casserole, toss beef with flour then bake uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring halfway.
   
2. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Add carrots, tomoates, potatoes, and soup mix blended with the red wine.
   
3. Bake covered for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until beef and potatoes are tender.

Modification note: The original recipe called for this dish to be served over hot egg noodles (an 8 oz. package). That's not very stew-like to me, so I omitted the noodles and added the potatoes.

A Hearty Favorite

When my husband and I registered for my bridal shower, we put all sorts of appliances and gadgets on our list. We received pretty much all of them, and we use them all to varying degrees. But one that I use regularly -- on a weekly basis during the winter months -- is the slow cooker. This recipe combines the slow cooker combine with one of my favorite meals: soup.

This one is another favorite of ours. Great flavor, satisfying, easy to make, and freezes nicely. No wonder this recipe is heavy in my rotation.

Hearty Pasta Tomato Soup
Recipe from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
  
• 6 cups beef broth
  
• 1 28-oz. can stewed tomatoes
  
• 1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
  
• 2 cups sliced zucchini
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 1 cup sliced carrots
  
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
  
• 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  
• ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
  
• 2 teaspoons sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
  
• 1 clove garlic, minced
  
• 2 cups frozen cheese tortellini
  
• Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker; add the next 13 ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the vegetables are tender.
   
2. Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Stir into slow cooker; cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes:

• If your supermarket doesn’t have bulk sausage, buy links. Remove the casings and when you brown in the skillet, break apart with a potato masher. (Much easier than using a fork or wooden spoon.)
  
• 1 14-oz. can of beef broth is approximately 2 cups.
  
• I omitted the mushrooms because I don't care for them, and the fresh parsley because I didn't want to buy a large bunch when the recipe called for so little. I doubt that affected the taste.
  
• I substituted diced tomatoes for the stewed ones. Again, in the interest of doing it the easy way.

A Big Bowl Of...

I've decided that my theme for the month of February will be "A Big Bowl Of," highlighting some of my favorite soup and stew recipes. And I have the perfect recipe to get us started: Pasta e Fagioli!

This is staple in our house, and I make it year-round. While most kids are eating chicken noodle soup my son requests pasta e fagioli, and dips bread in the broth, not wanting to leave one delicious drop behind. (Not that I blame him one bit.)

This particular version is modified from one I saw on Rachael Ray's "30 Minute Meals." It has the flavor of a soup that's been simmering all day, but you can have it on the table in 30 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

Pasta e Fagioli

Recipe modified from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 3 slices pancetta, chopped
  
• 2 teaspoons dried ground rosemary
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
• 2 dried bay leaves
  
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped
  
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup white wine
  
• 2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 qt. chicken broth
  
• 1 1/2 cups ditalini
  
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat a deep pot over medium high heat and add oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta lightly, and add herbs, bay leaves, vegetables and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
   
2. Add white wine to deglaze pot. Reduce by half.
   
3. Add beans, tomato sauce, water, and chicken broth to pot. Raise heat to HIGH and bring to a rapid boil.
   
4. Add pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Remove bay leaves from pot. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

The Feast of One Fish

Growing up, the Christmas Eve meal was traditional Italian fare, complete with The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Stuffed clams, shrimp cocktail, stuffed calamari, eel, smelts, fried flounder, fried scallops, fried shrimp. It was best to wear pants with an elastic waistband because you were busting at the seams when you finally walked away from the table.

It's a time-honored tradition, and while we don't host Christmas Eve, my husband and I wanted to have it on a smaller scale, just the two of us. When we saw Giada DeLaurentiis make this soup, we knew we had found the dish for our mini-feast.

Admittedly, I was apprehensive at first. Along with the fishes a traditional food on an Italian table is fennel. Served raw with fruits and nuts after the fried fish, it's not one of my favorite foods. I'm not a huge fan of the anise flavor, even though it aids with digestion and Lord knows after eating all that food you need all the help you can get. I almost omitted the fennel from this recipe, but while shopping for the ingredients I decided to trust Giada and include it.

Boy, was I glad I did!

Fennel cooked in soup tastes nothing like raw fennel. I enjoyed the flavor so much I swapped fennel for celery in most soups I make.

Whether you're looking for a new dish to include in your own feast or just a new soup to try this winter, this is one to add to your list to make this season. Make sure you have some crusty bread on hand, though. You'll need it to sop up every delicious drop of this broth.

Shrimp and Sausage Cioppino
Recipe from Giada DeLaurentiis
Total time: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, chopped
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
  
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon
  
• 1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
  
• 2 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio
  
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
  
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the fennel, garlic, shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
   
2. Add the sausage and break into 1/2-inch pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until brown, about 5 minutes.
   
3. Add the wine and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in the tomato paste, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
   
4. Uncover the pan and add the shrimp, beans, basil, and thyme. Simmer, uncovered, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
   
5. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Ladle the cioppino into soup bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Happy (Early) Birthday!

I'm not sure if it's a sign of how much I love to cook or how domesticated I've become, but the one thing I had on my birthday list this year was a 6 qt. Dutch oven. And thankfully, my parents gave it to me.

In fact, they gave it to me 2 weeks early, and all the better! It provided me with the opportunity to make this recipe. I happened to be working from home on this particular day, so I made the soup early in the morning, giving it time to sit and the flavors deepen. Don't soups and stews always taste better the next day, after they've sat a while?

I've only made two tweaks to this recipe, adding the Italian seasoning and bay leaves. Make the recipe with those tweaks, make it without. Either way, put this on your list of recipes to make when winter settles in with its biting chill.

Beef and Barley Soup

Recipe slightly adapted from Martha Stewart
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours
Makes 9 1/2 cups & serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 pound London broil, cut into ¾-inch cubes
  
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  
• 2 dried bay leaves
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
  
• 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
  
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic (from 4 cloves)
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
  
• 4 cups chicken stock
  
• 3 cups water
  
• 3/4 cup hulled or pearl barley, rinsed and drained
  
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  
• Garnish: grated fresh horseradish

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon oil in a medium Dutch oven or a large pot over medium-high heat. Season beef with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.
   
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, and cook onion, carrot, and mushrooms until golden, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, bay leaves, and Italian seasoning.
   
3. Add garlic and tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine. Return to heat, and bring to a boil, scrapping up brown bits from bottom using a wooden spoon. Cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
   
4. Return beef to pot, and add stock and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
   
5. Add barley, and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Uncover, and cook until beef and barley are tender, 20 to 25 minutes more. Stir in parsley. Divide soup among 6 bowls, and garnish with horseradish.

Storage: Soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Warm over low heat before serving.

Soup's On

The calendar has turned to October, the weather has begun to cool, and I need shut the windows at night before I go to sleep. Autumn has arrived. Which means one thing in our house: soup on a weekly basis -- or thereabouts. I could easily eat soup everyday, but last winter I settled for once a week. And as I made soup more and more, I found canned soup less and less appealing. So this season I've started making a pot of soup every Sunday to eat through the week.

I've discovered this recipe last year from an old issue of Taste of Home -- although when you read the ingredients you might think it's a Paula Dean recipe -- and it quickly became one of my favorites. It's cheesy, has fresh produce, and just enough pepper to warm you from the inside out as you eat it. Give this one a try on a cold, rainy night, and you'll quickly add it to your list of favorites, too. (But your cardiologist will probably tell you not to eat it on a regular basis.)

Cheesy Vegetable Chowder

Recipe from Taste of Home
Yield: 8 - 10 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup each finely chopped carrot, celery, and onion
  
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
  
• 8 tablespoons butter, divided
  
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets
  
• 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
  
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper *
  
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
  
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheedar cheese
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a Dutch oven, sauté carrot, celery, onion and red pepper in 4 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in broth, broccoli florets, potato, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until the broccoli florets and potato are tender.
   
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt remaining butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; stir in cheese. Continue to stir just until cheese is melted.
   
3. Slowly stir cheese sauce into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with additional shredded cheese if desired.

* I use 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, since my son eats this too. Also keep in mind that the soup will get spicier the longer it sits. So if you plan on eating this over the course of a week, you might want to cut back on the cayenne as well.