Between all the cooking and conversation it became apparent that this executive chef and restaurant owner is, first and foremost, a passionate advocate for home cooking. Like most food pros he opts for locally grown products whenever possible. He’s not pushing any sort of crazy health fad—he made it clear that he can get down with the rest of us when it comes to eating fats and making other questionable dietary choices. He just wants to eat natural, flavorful food; and he knows the best way to do this is to make it yourself.
As a dozen pencils sailed across notebooks to capture his wisdom, Symon said, “The easiest way to improve your food is to improve how you shop. If you can buy food, toilet paper, toys for your kids, and a lawnmower all at the same place, it is time to change your food shopping habits.” Needless to say, he then gave a big shout-out to farmers’ markets. I swooned.
Watchdogs constantly remind us of the perils of eating processed foods, but Symon made the point painfully clear when he poured several teaspoons of salt into the palm of his hand. “This is how much sodium is in a can of soup. Make your own soup, and you control how much salt goes into it.” Point taken.
It’s cold outside. It’s dark. The holidays have taken a toll on us, both physically and economically. Everywhere there are cosmic signs directing us to shape up and live right. Making a pot of soup may just be that first step toward change. It’s cheap. It’s healthy. It’s comforting. And it’s the perfect reason to gather family or friends around your table.
Italians have given us plenty of nourishing recipes to make this easy. Zuppa alla pavese involves frying thick slices of country bread in olive oil; placing them in individual bowls, and carefully cracking in a raw egg or two. When scalding-hot broth is slowly poured over the top, it poaches the egg and softens the bread. Sprinkle on a little grated cheese, and you’ve just made dinner. Acquacotta (literally, “cooked water”) pretty much involves cleaning out your refrigerator in order to make a hearty vegetable soup. Somewhere in between lies minestrone, arguably the most popular one of all.
Old-school minestrone might simmer on the stove for hours, but this souped-up version (sorry!) provides equal amounts of comfort and love in a fraction of the time. Minestrone is also receptive to adding just about any other fresh vegetables you may have on hand—Swiss chard, spinach, mushrooms, and potatoes all come to mind. The more the merrier.
A traditional garnish of freshly grated Parmesan is always welcome, but you may want to take another tip from thrifty Italians and freeze the hard rind leftover from a chunk of Parmesan that’s been grated down to near-nothingness: add the rind to your next soup or stew for extra flavor and body. (Just remember to fish it out of the pot before serving.)
Serve this minestrone with a loaf of crusty bread and a salad of tossed greens from the farmers’ market. And since you’ve already opened a bottle of red wine to make the soup, drinking the rest of it with dinner is the sensible thing to do. For dessert? A perfectly ripe pear. Virtue never tasted so good.
40-Minute Minestrone
2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
4 cups water, vegetable stock, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
3 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 leek, white and tender green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 carrot, chopped
1/3 cup dry red wine
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
Optional: the rind from a piece of Parmesan or other hard grating cheese
1 cup uncooked tubetti pasta or small elbow macaroni (about 1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
California extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- Empty 1 can of the kidney beans into a soup pot. Using an immersion (stick) blender, process until smooth. (Alternatively, puree in a food processor or blender and scrape into the pot.)
- Stir in the remaining can of kidney beans, the water or stock, tomato sauce, zucchini, celery, leek, carrot, wine, garlic, pepper flakes, and Parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a boil; then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the pasta and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until tender. Remove and discard the cheese rind. Stir in the parsley and taste, adding salt, pepper, and more hot pepper flakes, if desired. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle each serving with about 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil. Makes about 2 1/2 quarts, to serve 4 to 6.
The Danville Certified Farmers’ Market, located at Railroad and Prospect, is open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For specific crop information call the Pacific Coast Farmers’ Market Association at 1-800-949-FARM or visit their web site at www.pcfma.com.