Shhh...Fall is coming

I say this in a teeny quiet voice. I think fall might be here in secret. Pass it along.

Temps at night have flirted with the high-40s. A "winter" storm system came through on Wednesday, and another one is scheduled for tomorrow.

Tomorrow's temps? High 60^o Low 55^o. Rain.

Why I am talking in a teeny quiet voice? I love fall and don't want to scare it away prematurely. See, last year we had an Indian Summer. I mean Indian Summer. We were in the 70s on Thanksgiving and it wasn't until early in December that one could say, "Ok, I'm pretty sure it's technically winter now." Fall is my favorite season, and I don't want to have the same Indian Summer as last year -- the longest in recent memory. Let fall reign!

With all this Chris and I have been clamoring to make one of our fall/winter staple dishes: Homemade Minestrone Soup. I was so excited this week upon hearing the weather forecasts that I called Chris in New Jersey and leveled the good news upon him.

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Chris: "You know what I want for dinner on Friday?"
Katie: "Minestone soup."








Chris: "My thoughts exactly."

So I pulled out our cookbook - a collection of our favorite recipes held together in a binder, well-referenced, covered in flour and all other things kitchen, with crinkled paper from being wet with ingredients.

::Where do we get most of our recipes? Honestly, Food Network and magazines and the web and our brains. Chris cooks, I bake. I will post some of our favorites throughout the seasons. Look for Caesar Salad and Chili -- 2 of our other faves!::

We make a modified version of Michael Chiarello's Super Quick Minestrone Soup. Our version below. And yes, it takes a lot of pots and pans, but is worth every dirty dish. Lots to freeze too!

1 cup penne or other small pasta shape (Whole Wheat keeps texture when frozen...)
Extra-virgin olive oil
6 cups chicken stock
1/4 pound bacon (or Canadian bacon, or pancetta...)
6 medium large garlic cloves, each cut in 1/2 lengthwise
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions (2 small onions)
1 cup small-diced celery (2 medium stalks)
1 cup small-diced carrots (2 to 3 medium carrots)
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary or AND thyme leaves (50/50 mix = 1/2 tbs. each)
1 (14-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups small-diced zucchini (green/yellow) (5 small zucchini)
2 cups small-diced, peeled russet potatoes (1 large russet)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan (to garnish)
2 small/medium ripe tomatoes, cut into bite sized hunks

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the chicken stock.

In another large saucepan over high heat, heat 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the bacon/pork product and cook until it begins to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, turning occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to brown, about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, and carrots (a mirepoix!).

Cook until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent browning. Add the chopped herbs. Raise the heat to high. Add the beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and potatoes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then bring it down to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes, skimming any foam off the top of the soup (not sure why you are supposed to do this, but we comply).

Season generously with pepper. Add salt, to taste. Just a few minutes before serving, add the cooked pasta. Serve warm with Parmesan.

Cooking notes: Add the pasta just before serving. If it sits in the soup too long, it develops a wimpy texture. I recommend whole wheat pasta because it has a tendency to keep its texture better than regular pasta, which is really great for freezing and thawing. You can also add other vegetables on hand (green beans graced tonight's version).

And the best part of this dish is that most everything in it can come from our garden next year.

Welcome Fall! Shhhhhhh!