Month End Musings and Minestrone

29 days ago I began a month long commitment to make and post a vegetable recipe each day. Some days were easier than others, and there were some notable successes and failures along the way. Now we've arrived at the final day, February 29, Leap Day, and I have been saving this special recipe to share with you.  I could call it a grand finale, but minestrone soup is not pompous; it's peasant and earthy and sit-on- the-couch-by-the-fire-with-a-book.   I have loved this recipe since the first time I made it, because it showcases the flavors and textures of each vegetable as they bathe in a rich and slightly spicy broth.  It's vegan and gluten free and low glycemic and high in fiber and low in fat and full of lots of different vitamins and minerals, but you don't notice any of that because most of all, it's just plain good. Soothing and comforting, it's perfect for a sick day, but also equally delicious for a romantic evening with the man of your dreams (and a good glass of red wine!).

Almost too colorful to eat!

The ingredients are not showstoppers - celery, carrots, onions, garlic, fennel, zucchini, swiss chard, tomatoes, and cannellini beans.  But somehow, in combination with each other and cooked to perfection, they orchestrate a symphony of flavor that commands you to soak up every drop of broth from the bowl with a baguette slice and leaves you feeling satiated and lacking for nothing.

Adding zucchini at the last minute preserves their crisp texture

To make a pot of vegetables really stand out and achieve greatness, you have to develop and maintain the flavor of each ingredient. First of all, I pay attention to how each vegetable is cut.

Don't worry if the chard browns - it adds flavor and texture

Don't be tempted to simply dice them all up and mix them together, like some kind of factory produced Campbell's soup.  Select the size and cut based upon the vegetable, so that when the soup is done, its flavor and texture will continue to shine through.  Fennel is cut in large julienne strips, guaranteeing that each bite will burst with a hint of anise.  Celery is cut at a thick angle for visual interest and  to prevent it from becoming overly soft.  Carrots are sliced on a long bias, while garlic and onions are cut more finely to allow their flavors to disperse.  The zucchini is sliced in rounds but not added to the broth right away. Instead, it is separately sauteed in a very hot cast iron skillet along with the rainbow chard stems until slightly crispy, and then added into the soup at the very end to maintain that texture and caramelization.

More layering of flavors and textures occurs with the swiss chard, which is separately wilted in a skillet and then placed at the bottom of each individual serving bowl, before the soup is ladled atop. A final burst of savory goodness results from stirring fresh pesto into the broth just before serving, and then topping each bowl with shaved parmesan (for the non-Vegan crowd). One last thing - it's very important to use good quality canned beans, or better yet, cook your own from dried beans like an heirloom borlotti.


My Favorite Minestrone
makes 2 dinner size or 4 regular servings

3 tbsp olive oil
3 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced diagonally
2 large carrots, washed and cut in thick bias cuts
1/2  large fennel bulb, sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 medium white or yellow onion, diced

4 cups homemade or good quality store bought vegetable broth
1 14 1/2 oz can (or half of a 28 oz can) whole San Marzano tomatoes and juice
2 tbsp extra condensed tomato paste

3 cups fresh rainbow chard leaves, stems removed and reserved
Stems from the chard, sliced in 2 inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, sliced in rounds
1 tbsp olive oil

1 14 1/2 can cannellini beans

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

2 heaping tbsp fresh pesto
Shaved parmesan, for garnish

Push the carrots to the bottom so they get a nice sear

Heat a large, heavy stockpot or dutch oven over high heat. When hot, add 3 tbsp oil and stir until the oil shimmers. Toss in the chopped vegetables and stir fry until crisp-tender and slightly softened, about 5 - 8 minutes. Do not overcook - they will still cook further as you simmer them in the broth.   Add the broth, tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine.  Bring just to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low.  Break up the tomatoes slightly with your spatula or spoon and stir together to combine all the flavors. If you are using homemade beans, add them now. If using canned beans, add later as instructed.

While the soup is simmering, heat a cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet to very hot, and add a tablespoon of oil.  When the oil is heated, reduce the heat to medium high and add the chard, cooking until it's wilted but still retains some of its spring. It may brown on the edges--this is OK.  Remove from the heat and keep warm.  Return the heat to high and if needed, add a little more oil to moisten the pan.  Add the chard stems and saute for 2-3 minutes until the stems begin to soften.  Add the zucchini and spread out into layer so the rounds have good contact with the pan surface.  Sear until a brown crust is evident on the pieces, then turn them over and repeat on the other side.

I love how the colors of the soup match the bowl!

Stir the beans and chili flakes into the broth, then add the pesto and stir well to incorporate and blend. Add in the zucchini and chard stems and simmer for 2-3 more minutes. In the meantime, divide the chard between two large bowls.  Ladle the soup over the chard and garnish with shaved parmesan. Serve with baguettes, or if you want to get fancy, you can make garlic bread which is also fabulous with this.

Why are there so many songs about Rainbows?

A:  Probably because the songwriter was inspired by a beautiful garden overgrowing with rainbow chard that never seems to die and turns into trees.

Earlier this week I made "watercress" soup using a combination of mustard greens and rainbow chard, and in that process, I had to de-stem the chard.  It seemed like such a shame to throw out those neon-hued stems, so I searched for recipes and came up with this one from chef Jack Staub, contributor to Food & Wine magazine.  I believe he is the same Jack Staub who is a vegetable gardening expert and has written several interesting books on herb and vegetable gardening (check him out on Amazon.com).

This recipe is for a very fast and easy, sweet and tart flavor-packed relish, which gets even better if you let it sit in your fridge for a few days. The flavor profile is similar to chutney but unlike the store bought version (such as Major Grey's), the vegetables in this rendition remain crisp and crunchy.  The substitutions I made from Staub's original recipe, which cam be found here:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bright-lights-swiss-chard-relish included increasing the amount of garlic, substituting a large shallot for the onion, and using zante currants instead of golden raisins.  The currants are smaller, denser, and more crunchy compared to the soft, anemic looking, squishy raisins (OK, can you tell I am not a big fan of golden raisins?).

I like to use this as a condiment for fish or chicken but my favorite preparation is to mix a liberal amount into a can of high-quality oil packed tuna, along with some chopped almonds and dash of curry powder. With the oil in the tuna, there is no need to add mayo.  It is also really good when spread on crostini with a little bit of cream cheese or hummus.  Enjoy!

Rainbow Chard Relish

Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Stems from a bunch of Rainbow Chard (also known as Bright Lights chard), chopped into small dice
1 shallot, sliced and minced
salt & pepper
1/3 cup zante currants
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

Follow the "HAHA" method to warm a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a skillet (Heat-Add-Heat-Add:  heat the skillet, add the oil; heat the oil, add the ingredient), Reduce heat to medium and add the garlic, taking care to soften it but not brown or burn it. Saute for 1 minute then add the shallot and chard stems and rain a little salt and pepper onto the mixture.  Stir to blend and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until everything starts to soften up.  Raise the heat to medium high and stir in the remaining ingredients, letting the honey-vinegar mix bubble up.  Cook for another 1-2 minutes.   You can eat it immediately but I prefer to transfer the mixture to a clean jar or bowl and let the flavors meld for a couple of days.