Minestrone Soup
Serves 8
2 cups cooked cannellini beans. (You may use 1-15 ounce can)
3 cups carrots, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1 bunch kale, chopped
1 whole onion, chopped
3 cups tomatoes, chopped or 1-28 ounce can diced tomatoes
2 quarts vegetable stock, or chicken stock. Add a cup of red wine if you like.
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 cups cooked farro. Follow the directions on the package
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
In a stockpot, sauté onion, garlic, celery & carrots for 5 minutes. Add kale & cook for an additional 5 minutes. Next, add tomatoes and herbs and cook 10 minutes longer. Add cannellini beans & stock. Let simmer 30 minutes.
Optional: Puree 1/3 of soup with immersion blender or use food processor.
Add farro & serve with drizzling of olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
Farro is an ancient form of wheat and is generally soaked before using. A hearty grain, also wonderful in grain salads. Just add vinaigrette, seasonal raw veggies and you’re set!
Variations for eating seasonally
Spring: Dandelion greens, green garlic, green peas, spinach
Summer: Fresh basil, tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers, leafy greens, celery, carrots
Autumn: Bell peppers, pumpkin, broccoli,
Winter: Bok Choy, broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, winter squash
Chococlate Beet Cupcakes
We added a little beet juice to the frosting…
Chocolate Beet Cake
Serves 10
2 cups beets, cooked and pureed
1/2 cup applesauce
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups whole -wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9X13″ pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the beets, applesauce, sugar, butter and yogurt. Using an electric mixer (or a whisk if you want the exercise!) mix well for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, and mix well again for 1 minute.
Mix together the dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients. Stir until combined. Stir in the walnuts. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost if you like, though we don’t think it really needs it.
How to…
To make beet puree, roast beets or boil until soft but not mushy. Remove skin and puree in food processor.
Serving suggestion…portions.
You can easily cut this cake into smaller pieces. As Mary Poppins said, “Enough is as good as a feast.”