Vivace

In This Life I Shall Have Joy...

I read this talk today.  You can find it here if you want to read it.  It's really great, and applicable to anyone who is looking at this blog for real.  Because you're needing recipes.  Because you're feeding people you love.  Because you care about them and want to do a good job of it.  You are concerned about the well being of others, and you probably worry too much sometimes.

Anyway, this speech, a devotional from BYU a while back, talks about finding joy in your life.  She says her favorite word is Vivace... it's an Italian word in music that means life, lively, quickening.  It means vibrance, vitality, vigor.  So, the recipe I am sharing with you today is inspired by this word... vivace... It's a soup and it's super delicious.  I have never had a soup that I love as much a this one (and that's saying a lot):

White Bean Soup with Basil Pesto Puree

THE BEANS

2 cups white beans – Great Northern, navy, or cannelloni – soaked

2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced, or 1 ½ cups chopped leeks
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery rib, finely diced
2 large garlic cloves minced
Bouquet garni: a celery rib wrapped with 5 parsley branches and a thyme sprig.
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

TO FINISH (PESTO)

3 cups loosely packed basil leaves, stems removed
1 plump garlic clove, peeled
3 tablespoons pine nuts
½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1.      Drain and rinse the beans.  Heat the oil in a wide soup pot, add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add the beans, 10 cups water, the garlic, bouquet garni.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and cook gently, covered, until the beans are soft, about an hour.  Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt and cook until fully tender, about 30 minutes longer, as needed.

2.      Puree 1 to 2 cups of beans until only tiny flecks of the skins remain, then return the puree to the pot.  Taste for salt and season with pepper.

3.      Make the pesto (which you can do ahead).  Drop the basil into boiling water for a second or two, then drain, rinse and pat dry.  Mash the garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pine nuts in your food processor.  Then add the basil leaves and olive oil and puree until smooth.  Add the cheese and process just to combine.

4.      Stir the pesto into the soup just before serving.

 

 

So... give this soup a try.  It is beautiful when it is done.  If you want to see what it looks like, or would like to buy the cookbook that I got the recipe from, you can find it on Amazon here.  It's my favorite soup cookbook of all times.

 

While you're making it, think about this.  The speaker, Elaine Marshall, quoted Annie Dillard saying "Grace happens anyway; the least we can do is be there."  Then she goes on to say "The least we can do is be there in our own lives.  It is not enough to simply take breath.  We must live every moment of life.  We must find the joy that is there to be had anyway."

 

I know it's just soup, but find the joy in sharing a beautiful cup of something delicious and healthy with those you love.  You will find the joy that was there to be had in that one little moment.

 

Elli

 

Something different

OK... so the soup I made the other night turned out fantastic!  I served it with just some french bread I got from the local bakery, and it was just right.  I thought about serving a salad with it, but it had so much kale in it, it really didn't need it.  We did have some oranges though.  Again, the recipe was from Williams-Sonoma.  I LOVE their recipes and use them pretty regularly.

So, today I'm going to share another family favorite.  This one is from the Rancho Gordo guy where I get All of my beans.  He has a recipe book you can get on Amazon called "Heirloom Beans" that's really great, though the recipes tend to be a bit work intensive.  I have never EVER seen anyone not like this recipe.  I've served it to other people's kids, the missionaries, foreign exchange students... it has passed everyone's test.  It's a little bit more work, but definitely worth the effort.  When I say more work, I don't mean hard... just a little more time.

One quick note before I give you the recipe, though... It calls for Yellow Indian Woman beans.  I've tried to order those this year and I think something must have happened to the crop this year because they are NOT available anywhere.  But you can substitute any firm bean here.  Pintos or Vallartas work great. 

Zuzu's Yellow Indian Woman Fritters

2 cups drained, cooked Yellow Indian Woman Beans

¼ cup whole milk

¼ small red onion

1 cup yellow cornmeal (or more if needed)

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp sugar

½ cup buttermilk (or more if needed)

1 egg, beaten

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

grated zest of one lime

1 ½  tsp coarse salt

½ tsp freshly ground pepper

safflower or grapeseed oil for frying

salsa (for serving)

sour cream (for serving)

 

In a food processor, puree 1 ½ cups of the beans, the milk and the onion until a smooth paste forms, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

 

In a large bowl, using a potato masher, mash the remaining ½ cup beans until they are smooth with some texture remaining.  Add the beans from the food processor, 1 cup cornmeal, flour, sugar, ½ cup buttermilk, egg, cilantro, lime zest, salt, and pepper.  Mix well with a rubber spatula.  The texture should be like that of oatmeal.  Add more cornmeal or buttermilk if needed.

 

Preheat the over to 225 degrees. Line baking sheet with paper towels.

Pour the oil to a depth of about ½ inch into a medium, heavy skillet.  Put over high heat and heat the oil until it is very hot and shimmering, but not smoking.  A scant teaspoon of bean batter placed in the oil should hold its shape and sizzle on contact.  If it smokes and burns, the oil is too hot.  Adjust the heat accordingly.

 

Working in batches of about 6 fritters, drop the bean batter by scant tablespoons into the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan, and cook until the fritters are set and browned on the bottom, about 1 minute.  Carefully turn them with tongs or a metal spatula and cook on the second side for 1 minute.  The fritters should be set and turn a dark caramel brown.  Place the fritters on the paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Adjust heat and add more oil if needed.  Let the oil come to temperature before cooking more fritters.  You will have about 25 fritters.

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We love to eat this with fresh salsa.  Let me know if you want a recipe for that, too and I'll be happy to share it with you.  The kids always think they're chicken nuggets.  They're WAY better, but the familiarity of the shape makes it easier for the kids to try them. 

One thing I've thought about with cooking beans... recipes tend to say to cook them for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  It usually takes mine longer to get to where I like them... more like three hours.  Just a thought I wanted to share.  Also... please, please, PLEASE don't put salt in them when you're cooking them... or tomatoes.  They WILL stay hard.

Oh, and don't buy them at the grocery store.  They're guaranteed to be old which also means they'll be hard... no matter how long you soak them and cook them.  Which means those beans that you bought for food storage 3+ years ago that are sitting in a container out in your garage?  Yup... hard and nasty.

Have fun with this recipe.  We LOVE it!  I'll post another one or two in a day or so!  Also, give that one from Williams-Sonoma a try.  I doubled the recipe and we finished off the leftovers the next day!

Elli

Just finished cleaning up the toothpaste in the bathroom sink

I promised I would share some recipes today with my cousin and a couple of friends.  I've promised a few people for a few days, and I'm just doing a terrible job of doing it.  Things like the nasty toothpaste all globbed up in the bathroom sink keep getting in the way...

BUT... when I make a promise to my cousin Missy so far away, I'm going to keep it.  So, I thought, maybe there's a better way to do this than just sending out a bunch of emails...  Maybe I can just share a few this way and then I'll have this option to share them in the future and I can just tell you where to find them!!

Here it goes... Missy, this is for you :)

Chickpea and Spinach Soup

THE CHICKPEAS

2 cups chickpeas, soaked

1 carrot, peeled
1 head of garlic, sliced crosswise in half
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon dried oregano

 

THE SEASONINGS

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 to 5 tablespoons fruity olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano, not Mexican
Good pinch of dried thyme or 1 thyme sprig
3 garlic cloves, minced
Big bunch of spinach, stems removed and leaves washed

 Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

 

1.     Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a pot with the rest of the ingredients and 3 quarts water.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer until the chickpeas are tender but hold their shape.  They shouldn’t get quite as soft as canned chickpeas.  (This can be done a day or two ahead of time.)  Season with a teaspoon of salt and set aside. 

2.     Heat the oil in a second soup pot.  Add the onions, oregano, thyme, and a few pinches of salt.  Cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 15 minutes, occasionally giving them a stir.  Add the garlic toward the end.

3.     Using a strainer, lift the cooked chickpeas into the pot with the onions and discard the rest of the aromatics.  Add 6 cups of the liquid, sitting the rest aside for the moment.  Add another teaspoon of salt, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.  Puree 2 cups of the chickpeas and return them to the pot.  If the soup seems too thick, thin it with any remaining liquid.  Taste for salt and season with pepper.

4.     Wilt the spinach in a skillet in the water clinging to its leaves, then chop and add to the chickpeas.  Cook for 2 to 3 min, then taste again and add lemon juice to bring up the flavor.  If desired, serve with additional olive oil drizzled over each bowl.

 

So, that one is my favorite. 

 

One that the kids love is super simple.  The truth is, I think they like it so much because the beans get so freaking HUGE.  Here it is:

 

TUSCAN WHITE BEANS

 

1 pound dried white beans (cannellini, navy, Great Northern, or Lima.  we use Runner Cannellini because, like I said, they get so huge)

20 fresh sage leaves

Salt and pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic (or more... we use more)

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more to taste

 

Heat oil in large dutch oven.  Add sage and  1/2 the garlic to the oil and heat for about 1 minute.  Add soaked beans and enough water to cover by about an inch.    Bring to a boil.  Let boil for about five minutes.  Turn down to where it's barely bubbling and cover.

 

Cook beans until they are beginning to soften, then add salt and pepper.  Continue to cook until completely tender.  Add additional salt, if needed and the rest of the garlic.  Drizzle with additional olive oil for flavor if desired and serve.

 

NOW... these recipes are super easy... and it's time for me to go fix my dinner.  I'm making this recipe tonight.  I'll let you know how it goes.  It's a new one for us :).

 

By the way... I wanted to mention... Don't let the idea of soaking and cooking freak you out.  Here's what you do.  Put them to soak when you get breakfast ready.  Then, start cooking them after you get lunch ready.  Dinner will be ready for you when it's time!!  Pressure cookers are pretty awesome, too.  I personally like the slowness of it all.  It makes me feel like I'm infusing love into my dinner or something.  I know... you don't have to tell where I should put that thought...

 

 

Good Luck!!

(oh, and let me know how they turn out)