After the Holidays, we find ourselves in need of a “break
from the Break.” Don’t get me wrong, the
Holidays were exciting; the anticipation, songs, gifts, traditions and most of
all, Family, combined for another fulfilling Season.
Maybe a little too full-filling.
“Honey, either the dryer is working over-time and shrinking
my jeans or the Pecan Pie had more to it than I thought.”
“Oh boy, looks like the bathroom scale is on the fritz
again…registering 10 lbs heavier.”
“Chocolate Velvet Cake…don’t mind if I do!”
It reminds me of the 60’s tune by the Birds, “Turn, Turn,
Turn,“ that there is a season for every purpose under Heaven. Now is the season for more balanced intake
and less of the “I need dessert after every meal,” song.
So, maybe I won’t be a marathon runner this year or do the Pacific
Crest Trail, but, I CAN make a habit of sound, balanced nutrition, starting
with delicious ways to incorporate a variety of vegetables and legumes into my
diet.
With few exceptions, I do love my veggies. Even as a kid, my bothers and I would devour
anything put in front of us: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbages,
artichokes, lettuces…anything! It helped
that we grew up in a farming community and Mom was an outstanding cook.
Two of the things Mom noticed early on was
our taste for either raw vegetables or vegetables in soup. Crunching away on a serving of carrots or
quietly slurping a steaming bowl of Minestrone, we delighted in tasting the
bounty of the Salinas Valley, as fellow farmers exchanged produce with each
other’s families. And as boys, we were
always starving!
I still love Minestrone to this day because it is a
comforting bowl of steamy goodness on a cold day AND when you serve it with
Garlic Sourdough Bread, the kids will be dunking and devouring your cornucopia
of winter vegetables, pleading for another ladle-full.
Mom made hers with a base of onions, celery and carrots,
white beans or kidney beans and a hardy green like kale or chard. Every other ingredient was on an “as
available” listing. ‘Must Haves’
included beans and a small pasta like arancinni or orecchiette. The beans, cooked from dry, and the pasta
provided the necessary texture thickness most kids enjoy in a soup. Either vegetable stock or chicken stock is
suggested and ALL vegetables must be saute’d first.
Please, please, please don’t dump raw vegetables into a pot
of liquid. The flavor will be lacking
since the temperature of the vegetables will never get above 212℉. We need to convert the carbohydrates into
simple sugars which give us enhanced flavor.
That’s why we NEVER boil vegetables! Just give 'em a quick jaunt in a saute' pan with a wee dram of oil.
Minestrone is whatever you make it, so, as you’re putting
away the tinsel and ornaments, clean out your veggie crisper drawer, chop and
saute’ to heart’s desire. Let that
simmer with beans, pasta, garlic and tomato, filling your home with rich,
savory and sensible aromas.
See you at the gym.
Maybe.
Happy 2020!
Recipe: Minestrone
¼ cup Oil
2 T Garlic, freshly
minced
1 qt. Mirepoix
(1/2 onions, 1/4 celery, carrots)
1 qt. Asst. other
available veggies (mushrooms, squashes, parsnips, beets…anything!)
2C Hardy greens:
Kale, Chard or Spinach, chopped
16 oz. Tomatoes,
canned or fresh
1C. White beans or
Kidney beans, dry
1C. Pasta,
spoon-sized, dried
1 gal. Stock, chicken
or veggie
1T. Basil, dried
2t. Oregano, dried.
Method:
In a 8 qt pot, add oil and heat with minced garlic. Once the garlic begins to get a little color
on the edges, add the Mirepoix and stir.
When onions are transparent, add remaining vegetables and dried
herbs. While that is saute’ing, cook
your pre-soaked beans on the back burner, reserving the liquid for the
soup.
Cook your pasta and drain. Toss in cold water to stop the cooking
process and reserve till the soup is finished.
Add stock to the saute’d vegetables, bring to a boil and
reduce to a simmer. Add cooked beans and
their water.
Add pasta.
Adjust salt to taste.
Serve with tons of garlic bread!
Take care, God bless and remember:
"Food, Faith, Family and Friends;
the Best Things in Life Aren't Things"
chefbq
Copyright Brian V. Quinn 2020
