Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (which means Tuscan soup), is one of the heartiest and most delicious soups I make.  It's definitely a cold weather entree that will warm you from head to toe.   This is a copycat recipe from the soup of the same name served at Olive Garden.  I've changed it up some, to make it a tad bit healthier than the original, but just remember, it does have sausage (and bacon), potatoes and a little something to make it creamy, so, well, what can I say?  It's one of Mark's favorites, so, I make it and we enjoy it.  It's essential that you have some bread to go with this.  Trust me, you're not going to want to waste a single drop and good bread can help with that.

Making soup is therapeutic for me.  I love starting out with a big pot and then chopping and adding ingredients one by one, until I have put together something that is so much better than the individual parts.  The sound of a slow simmer and the fragrance that fills my house as it cooks puts me into relaxation mode.  I make a pot of soup every week.  Yes, even in the summer.  I love it. And because soup seems to grow in the pot, I always have plenty for lunches or the freezer, or maybe to share with someone who needs a little love.

This soup begins with bacon, and really, is there a better way to begin?  I chopped a couple of thick slices into small dices and let it cook over a low heat, nice and slow, until it's golden brown.  In fact, as a general rule, soup shouldn't be rushed, so take your time with each step.  

While the bacon is cooking (stir often and keep a close eye on it), I took two links of hot Italian sausage and removed the outer casing.

Next, I broke it apart with my hands.  I removed the bacon from the soup pot onto a paper towel lined plate.  I drained most of the fat from the pan.  Then I added the sausage to the pot, stirring to break apart the meat, and cooked until it was nice and browned.

At this point I like to taste the sausage to see how spicy it really is.  I usually end up adding red pepper flakes to up the heat level a little more.  We like it spicy!

When the sausage has browned, I remove it from the pan and add it to the plate with the bacon.  Depending on the amount of fat in the pan, I might drain some of that off, making sure I leave enough to sauté the onions and garlic.  I chop a medium sized onion and add that to the soup pot, stirring often, because I don't want the onion to brown, just soften up nicely. 

I add a couple of cloves of minced garlic when the onion is almost finished. 

Now it's time to add the potatoes.  I usually use four of five medium sized potatoes and leave them in nice sized cubes.  I will cook the soup until they're tender, but I like to bite into a potato, rather than have them cook to mush.

I add the potatoes to the onions and garlic in the pot, covering all of that with a mixture of chicken broth and water.  I like to cut the broth with water because the soup is so rich.  Then I cover the pot and let it simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Stir from time to time to keep things from sticking to the bottom. You can always add more broth or water if the soup starts to become too dry. I add the meats back to the pot, about half way through the cooking time. 

Right before serving, I stir in some chopped kale and milk.  The recipe calls for cream, but I think half and half does the job just fine.  It only takes about a half a cup to make the soup creamy, but you can add as much as you need to bring the soup to the consistency that you like.  

Yum!  Looks pretty good, huh?

Cheesy Potato Soup

Potato soup is comfort food at its best.  And this one is especially nice, loaded with veggies and sharp cheddar cheese.  It's one of the few meals my husband will actually request from time to time.  When he does, I try to honor his request, and if I have some fresh bread to go along with it, that makes it even better.

This recipe originally came from a friend at church, although I've changed it up so much, I doubt she would recognize it now.  The original called for smoked sausage and I eliminated that.  I added more vegetables and less cheese.  Don't you worry though, it's still plenty cheesy. 

Once you have the chopping out of the way, this soup comes together in about thirty minutes.  I diced onion, celery and carrots in small dices.  Remember the smaller the dice, the quicker it cooks. The carrots take the longest, so make sure you get those pretty small.  I diced the potatoes a little larger, because I like to bite into a potato when I eat potato soup.  I had one yukon gold that needed to be used, if you're wondering why my potatoes are different colors.  

Melt butter in a soup pot and then add onion, celery and carrots, stirring occasionally, until onions start to soften.  

Add flour and mix with veggies.

The mixture will be very dry.

Stir in dijon mustard, worchestershire sauce and chicken broth.

Add potatoes, give it a stir and cover.  Simmer on low, stirring often, because those potatoes like to try and stick to the bottom of the pot.   Make sure the vegetables stay covered with liquid.  You can add more chicken broth or water if needed, as it cooks.

I love broccoli in this soup, but I don't like mushy broccoli.  In order to prevent that problem, you can wait and add the broccoli near the end of the cooking time, maybe five or six minutes, before the rest of the veggies are fork tender.  Or you can steam your broccoli in a separate pot, and add it at the end.  Either way works fine.

While the soup is cooking, grate your cheese.  I like to use a very sharp cheddar, white or yellow.  I find that I can get by with using less if I use a very flavorful cheese.  Of course, you could use a mild cheddar or another cheese of your choice. 

When the veggies are tender, add the cheese and let it melt.  Then add milk.  I like to use half and half if I have it, but you could use anything from skim to cream.  How creamy do you want your soup?  Do not let the soup come to a boil after you've added you cheese and milk.  This is really important.  It will cause the dairy to curdle and even though you could still eat it, well, the texture is just all wrong.  This happened to me once, and since then, I've been more careful.

Get ready for a comforting meal.  Mmmmm.  Enjoy.  

My next post will be a spicy potato soup with Italian sausage and kale. 

Completely different, equally delicious!

Cheesy Potato Soup

1 large onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2 large carrots, diced

4 T. butter

1/4 cup flour

3/4 t. dijon mustard

2t. worchestershire sauce

2  cups chicken broth- or more as needed

2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup broccoli florets

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2- 3 cups milk

Saute onion, celery and carrots in butter.   Stir in flour.

Add mustard and worchestershire sauce.  Stir in broth

and potatoes.  Bring to boil and lower heat.  Cover.  Cook

until veggies are tender, stirring often, adding more broth

as needed.  Add broccoli near end of cooking time or steam

in separate pot.  Add cheese and let melt.  Add milk.  Cook

over medium heat until hot.  Do not boil!  If using steamed 

broccoli, add at the end.

Overnight Artisan Bread

Don't you just love chewy, dense, artisan bread?  You know the kind you buy at a good bakery?  Sometimes you can even find a decent loaf at your regular grocery store.  What if I told you, that I can teach you to make bread like this at home?  It's true.  Thanks to my friend j'Nae, who taught me this recipe (along with a bunch of others), I can now share it with you. You're aren't going to believe how easy it is and oh, how you're going to thank me every time you pull a loaf from the oven.  I know, because I go through this little gratitude ritual myself.  Good bread is a gift.

The easy part of the recipe is that you mix it up and pretty much forget about it, for about 12- 18 hours.  The hard part is to remember to start it a day before you want to eat it.  You have to plan ahead with this recipe, or make up a few loaves and have them stashed in the freezer to pull out at a moments notice.   

I start my dough late in the afternoon or right after dinner.  I mix up the flour, yeast, salt, and dried herbs (whatever blend you like) in a plastic bowl.  j'Nae said the Rubbermaid Take Alongs are the perfect size, so that's what I use.  Into the dry ingredients, you stir water and red wine vinegar.  Mix and put on the lid.  I leave it sitting on my kitchen counter over night and depending on the temperature in my kitchen, the next morning or by lunch, the dough is ready for the next step.

It should be bubbly and look like this when you take off the lid.  Oh, and it's going to smell really good, especially if you have a little garlic in that herb blend.  My favorite is a Mediterranean Blend.   But you could use olives and cheese, or nuts and seeds, or dried cranberries and cinnamon if you are thinking sweet bread.  Whatever you like to buy in the store, you can create yourself at home.

After the 12- 18 hour rest in the bowl, I turn the dough (which is quite moist) onto a floured surface and adding a little flour, knead about 8 to 10 times, until it's soft and workable.

Now you put this dough back into a greased plastic bowl (buy two) and cover to rise.  Let it rise for about 1 1/2 hour.  

At this point, take a cast iron dutch oven and heat it in the oven at 435- 450 for thirty minutes.  You want the pan to be screaming hot when you take it out.  And be really careful!  Use double pot holders.

When the dough has risen for two hours and the pot is hot, turn the dough over into the pot.  I spray mine first with cooking spray.

Put the lid on and bake for 27 minutes.  This is the secret to that chewy crust and soft interior.  That hot, covered pan creates the perfect steamy environment for this bread to bake.   Uncover the pan and continue to bake until browned (another 6-10 minutes).  Cool on rack before slicing.  Or wait as long as you possibly can. 

You're going to be so impressed with yourself when you taste this bread.  It's absolutely delicious!  And think how easy it is. Mix it up in a plastic bowl, let it sit and do it's magic, knead it a few times and then let it rise some more.  Put it into a heavy duty pot and bake.  This is the simplest bread I make.   It's perfect with soup.   The next couple of posts will be two of my favorite potato soup recipes.  Practice making the bread now, so you'll be ready. 

Rustic Overnight Artisan Bread

3 cups plain flour

3/4 t. instant yeast

1 1/2 t. salt

Mix above ingredients, adding any spices/nuts or condiments that you like to the dough. 

 Add 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 t. red wine vinegar.  Stir well.

Cover bowl and let rest 12-18 hours.  When surface is 

dotted with bubbles, dough is ready.  After the rest, place dough

on well floured work surface and gently knead for 7- 10 kneads.  Spray a second large bowl with nonstick spray.  Transfer dough to oiled bowl.  Cover and let rise until it has doubled in size and does not readily spring back with poked with your finger.  After dough

has been rising for about 1 1/2 hours, preheat the dutch oven for 30 minutes at 435- 450 degrees.  Carefully remove pot from the oven and turn dough into pot.  Cover and bake 27 minutes.  Uncover and continue baking until browned to your liking.  Cool on wire rack.

Goldens In the Snow

A storm like this is big news in NC.  Just when I was beginning to give up hope for a "real" snow, we've been dumped on!  I've been trying to enjoy every minute of it, because it's supposed to be in the 50's this weekend, and it will all melt.  Ahhh, winter in the south.  Before the snow had even stopped, I grabbed a flashlight, warm coat and two very eager dogs and headed out the door for a night walk.  What a peaceful experience.  I loved it!

The next morning, my deck looked like this.

After running out the door, barefoot and in my jammies, I stuck the ruler in the snow and ran back in the house to grab the camera.  Only then did I realize it would have been better to put it in the  other direction.  Oh well.  We can do the math.

I've been out three or four times since then, walking around the farm, snapping pictures, trying to catch the light at different times of the day.

My favorite thing by far has been watching my dogs play in the snow.  Oh. my. gosh.  I've never seen dogs that love the snow more than these two.  I've laughed my head off, watching them jump, dive, roll, and run, as I've tried my best to capture some of their excitement with my camera.  Moving targets are challenging.

And now it's time for some snow removal.  Thanks to my hubby and his little red tractor, I guess I'll be able to get off the mountain tomorrow.  I've sure enjoyed the slower pace of a couple of good snow days, though.