Greens and Beans

2 cups stock (veggie or chicken)
1 14 oz can cannellini beans (or any white bean) - do not strain
3-4 cloves garlic - thinly sliced
2-3 shallots (or 1 small onion) - minced
1 bunch Greens (kale, spinach, chard, whatever you like) - washed and torn into pieces
1/4-1/3 cup white wine (optional)
1 lemon (optional)
parmesan cheese (optional - but is it really?)
olive oil
red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Serves 2

Heat olive oil in a soup pot over med. Saute shallots (or onions) until translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add a little white wine and cook down. Add greens and toss with red pepper flakes. Saute until greens are wilted. Add beans (with juice) and stock. Bring to a simmer and season with s&p and red pepper flakes to taste. Add a squeeze or two of lemon. Serve with bread. You won't be sorry.

Dave and I went to Buffalo for Thanksgiving and were lucky to have Dave's cousin, Lou, join us at his parent's house. Going to Buffalo is always about food, there is so much delicious food there! Our last night we went out for Italian at Michael's and Lou ordered Beans and Greens. I'd never heard of it before but it seems like a pretty common Italian dish. This is the soup version and it's the easiest soup I've made yet. Where have you been all my life? I forgot the lemon when I made this and it was just fine but I imagine it would only make the soup better.

Black Beluga Lentil Soup

1 cup black beluga lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup water
2 cups of a big leafy green (chard, kale, etc), rinsed well, deveined, finely chopped
spices and vinegar to taste

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the lentils, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and salt and saute until tender, a couple minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lentils, and water and continue cooking for a few more minutes, letting the soup come back up to a simmer. Stir in the chopped greens, and wait another minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning if need be. Ladle into bowls, and serve. I topped it with fresh chopped tomatoes.

Serves 3 to 4.

This recipe comes from 101 cookbooks here. That recipe calls for a saffron infused yogurt which I really want to try but didn't have saffron on hand. Next time I'll try it and update this post. This recipe is sort of a base soup recipe. It needs to have spice added to it to jazz it up. I added paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper and my favorite: smoked salt. I also added a dash or two of vinegar. This is great with bread or a small sandwich.

Stuffed 8-ball Zucchini Squash

2 8-ball zucchini squash
3-4 cloves garlic
3-4 green onions
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup cooked chicken
3-4 leaves of rainbow chard
sun-dried tomatoes
small handful of fresh basil
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
italian seasoning
parmesan cheese
olive oil

Cut zucchini tops off about 3/4 inch from the top. Scoop out the insides, being careful to leave a wall about 1/4 inch thick on all sides. Steam zucchini "bowls" and tops upside down for about 8 minutes, until slightly softened. I used a dutch oven with a steamer tray in it but any large pot will work.

Preheat oven to 350.

Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and rehydrate them in hot water if you are not using the ones packed in oil (I used dry ones).

Chop the pulp you removed from the zucchini.

Mince or dice the garlic and chop the onions, chard and basil (leave some basil leaves whole for garnish if they are small).

Heat pan on low and add a bit of oil. Saute the onions for a few minutes. Add a small pinch of red pepper flakes and italian seasoning. Add the garlic and saute for minute or so more. Add the pulp and saute until it softens a bit and releases the juice. Add the chard and steam for a few minutes. Add the already cooked rice and chicken and saute for a few minutes to reheat.

Stuff the zucchini bowls with the mixture, layering mixture, cheese and basil leaves until it is full and mounded. Sprinkle with a bit more cheese, put the top on it and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.




















This is my first harvest of the summer! I've nibbled on some strawberries and lettuce but this is the first meal I've made from goods mostly from my garden. I used my zucchini, garlic, chard, onion and basil. This recipe is perfect for leftovers (hence the chicken and quinoa) and there are many things you can put into these loverly little bowls. I got this recipe here but tweaked it a little.