Bean With Bacon Soup Makeover

Bye bye, Campbell's. No MSG-laden bean with bacon soup for us! Okay, I have actually found another brand that doesn't have that junk in it, but this version is better for us and even tastier! I use turkey bacon (it's not like you get the texture of perfectly crispy bacon in this dish anyway) and add a bunch of nice, leafy kale. I love the texture the kale adds, not to mention the nutritional punch it brings to the party. Cannellini beans add a lovely velvety finish while still retaining their shape, but you could really use any white beans you like or have on-hand. If you're looking for a more traditional texture, navy beans are perfect.

For a vegetarian version, you could even omit the bacon altogether. Just up the amount of salt and add a couple of drops of liquid smoke to finish.

Bean With Bacon Soup (4 large servings or 6 starter servings)

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil (omit if not using lean bacon)
• 1 medium cooking onion, finely chopped (white or yellow will do)
• 6 slices of turkey bacon, finely chopped
• 3 ribs celery, finely chopped
• 4 large carrots, finely chopped
• 4 c. chicken or vegetable stock (plus water, if needed)
• 3-4 c. white beans, cooked (or a 16 oz. can, drained) - I used cannellini beans
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 4 c. kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped (it will cook down in the soup)
• salt, to taste (you won't need much because of the bacon)
• pepper, to taste

1. Add oil to a hot dutch oven.
2. Add onion and cook until just beginning to caramelize. 
3. Add bacon and cook until onions are glossy and bacon is cooked through
4. Add thyme, carrot and celery and stir to incorporate until vegetables are just beginning to soften
5. Pour in stock and add tomato paste
6. Add beans
7. Simmer until veggies are cooked through
8. Add kale
9. Add more water, if needed, then adjust seasonings. I like mine pretty thick, more like a stew, but add more water if you're after something that is more soup-ish.

Enjoy!

Freezer Food

I'm back to school tomorrow. How did time fly so quickly? Before heading back to a full schedule of classes, I'm adding to the freezer and pantry. Including:

• Mushroom beef stew
• Carnitas
• "Refried" beans
• Split pea soup
• Granola (adapted from the America's Test Kitchen DIY book, but using a combination of whole grains rather than just oats, a lower sugar content, and pumpkin/sunflower seeds instead of deathly tree nuts)

Along with a few things I've added throughout the month, this should help keep us in yummy convenience food until warmer weather hits.

The stew is pretty simple. Use your favorite recipe, incorporating a lot of good, hardy veggies. I add a lot of mushrooms to lessen the need for too much meat. Instead of thickening with a floury roux, I typically toss in a handful of red lentils (always on-hand for this purpose!). They cook quickly and break down easily to thicken the sauce.

Carnitas:

4 lb. pork shoulder ("butt") roast
3 cloves garlic
*1 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. oregano
*1 tsp. chili powder (or a combo of paprika and cayenne)
*1 tsp. cumin
*1/2 tsp. cinnamon
*fresh ground pepper (a few grinds)
2 bay leaves
enough water or chicken stock to cover by half

*All herbs are to taste. These are approximate measures.

Note: I also add 1-2 lbs. of carrots to add some extra nutrients and naturally add a hint of sweetness.

1. Combine spices/herbs (except bay leaf) and rub onto roast
2. Add a small bit of olive oil to a hot pan. Sear roast, one side at a time, until completely browned on all sides
3. Add enough liquid to pot to cover half of roast
4. Add garlic and bay leaves to liquid
5. Slowly simmer until meat is tender and easily separated with forks
6. Enjoy!

I usually serve with veggies and plain Greek yogurt in fresh corn tortillas with a side of refried beans and Mexican brown rice or quinoa.

Chilled Tomato Celebration Soup

The heirloom tomatoes from our CSA have been rocking my world. Many people pass on by the "ugly" organic heirloom tomatoes in the sumarket, if the store even sells them. They're easy finds at most farmer's markets, though. They come in a wide array of colors, sizes and textures, but are often somewhat imperfect in appearance. Trust me-- these are often the best ones, taste-wise. Just pick one up and feel its heft, which is a hint to its juiciness. All these Cinderella fruits need is the right nudge from us, their fairy godmothers (of course, sparkly shoes never hurt, but that's another story). If you find a type you like, hang on to a few of the seeds and ferment them to grow your own next season!



Brandywine heirloom tomatoes-- this variety is particularly tasty.

I wanted to do something to celebrate their deliciousness, without cooking and losing that freshness. I decided on chilled soup. I love gazpacho, but modified that to really focus on the tomato, leaving out the spicier notes. I also gave the bread a miss, so added a few other vegetables and olive oil to cut the acidity. I blended half the tomatoes and left the rest in noticeable, sweet chunks.



Chilled Tomato Celebration Soup (serves 4)

• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 small cucumber,diced
• 1 small turnip (I used 1 pink turnip)
• 1/2 carrot
• 1/2 spring onion (or 4 scallions, whites only), chopped
• basil (approx 8 leaves)
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tbl. olive oil (optional)
• salt
• pepper
• Additional basil & Greek yogurt or olive oil, for garnish

Place half of the chopped tomatoes to a large colander and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, stirring to evenly distribute the salt. Let drain over a large bowl for approx. 30 minutes to catch the juices. This step is optional, but yields slightly more firm pieces and helps prevent mushiness. Periodically, give the colander a gentle shake to make sure the juices are draining properly.

Pour the juice into a blender and add the other half the tomatoes, turnip, onion, basil, lemon juice and olive oil (if using). Blend until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Add remaining tomato and season with salt & pepper. Garnish with basil & yogurt or olive oil.

Soup!

It's one of my favorite days of the year- the first pot of soup as we enter the fall season.

As the last meal from the whole chicken I made the other day, the last of the meat was carved off and the carcass was tossed into the pot with the leftover broth and drippings and the soup process began. First, a stock of the chicken bones:


Once the stock was made, I strained it and poured it back into the pot. I then made a broth, cooking a couple of chicken breasts with just a basic mirepoix of onion, carrots and celery, with a few added aromatics and let that simmer for about 45 minutes (until the fresh chicken was done cooking), removed the meat, and strained again (this time the strainer was lined with cheesecloth). As the chicken cooled enough for me to cut it, I cooked some (whole wheat) egg noodles on the side. I then pulled the meat off the bones, cutting in smaller pieces where necessary, and voilà! Chicken noodle soup (my usual caveat of only having my phone for pictures- I REALLY need to get my camera fixed!):


It's too bad it's not quite soup-eating season yet, but it'll be here soon enough (yay!). In the meantime, it's nice to have left my boyfriend's freezer full of nice, nutritious liquid penicillin, in case he finds himself with a cold or just in the need for warm comfort food (I seem to get much more inspired in his spacious kitchen to my tiny one- plus, I like cooking for others, especially the sweet, appreciative ones). We both did a few tastings throughout the process. It was one of the more flavorful chicken soups I've ever made. Usually I prefer turkey, due to it's added richness in flavor, but this was pretty darn good.