Minestrone soup recipe

September is here and we're halfway through the farm share season. But we still have apples and pears and so much more to come! I'm both relieved and sad that the end is near.

This week's share: tat soi, beets, carrots, chard, garlic, leeks, lettuce, jalapeno peppers, green pepper, radish, potatoes, hakurei turnips, bok choi, cherry tomatoes and basil. Hmm...I've been spelling those turnips "harukei" instead of "hakurei".

Friday night we had salad for dinner, with green leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, fennel, turnips, radishes and carrots.

Unfortunately I had to toss a bunch of basil that I never got to. This was extra basil from unclaimed shares a week or two back, but it still pained me. This week's basil was brown by Saturday; we used what we could salvage for homemade pizza. If we get more this week, I'm blending it immediately!

Yesterday I made a big pot of minestrone soup, one of my favorites. It's a great recipe for farm share veggies this time of year. I combined my Aunt Christine's recipe, a very traditional Italian one that I've used many times, with Mark Bittman's (How to Cook Everything Vegetarian), who offers many variations on the vegetables used. I ended up using the following:

1 medium onion, chopped (not farm share)

4 small carrots, chopped

1 c. potatoes, chopped

1 c. turnips, chopped

1 c. zucchini (from friend's garden), chopped

1/2 head shredded napa cabbage, shredded

3 pieces of parmeggiano reggiano rind

1 32 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano), crushed

2 cups vegetable broth, 4 cups water

salt, fresh ground pepper

I didn't taste while cooking it, I think that's poor form. But I'll eat it for lunch today and report back (and hopefully get a good photo). Here's the recipe I used.

I followed the steps of my Aunt's recipe, which recommends that you add vegetables as you chop them. This way each vegetable cooks a couple minutes on its own before you add the next. The rinds of parmesan are optional but they add such amazing flavor that I never cook this without them. I usually toss them once the soup is done but Bittman says they're edible and delicious.

Heat 3 TBS oil on medium heat in a soup pot. When the oil is warm, add the onions. Cook them until turning translucent, but not browned, a few minutes. Meanwhile, chop the carrots and add them when the onions are ready. Repeat with the potatoes, turnips and zucchini. When you add the cabbage, let it cook longer than the others, about 6 minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Next add the cheese rind, tomatoes, broth and water. Let it come to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a medium boil. Let it cook for 2-3 hours, until it's a thick stew, with very little liquid at the top. Serve with more parmesan, freshly grated on top (optional) and a hunk of good bread.