This French-inspired recipe is loose and forgiving in proportion and spirit. Add more peas if you like, or less. You might spruce it up with a dollop of creme fraiche just before serving or add a splash of white wine instead of stock while cooking. A small handful of chopped herbs such as chives, basil or mint would be nice as well.
After months of dinners centered around sturdy winter roots and ultra-healthy green leaves, our mouths crave a little something sweet. Just a momentary indulgence, we tell ourselves. The real truth, is that the diet plan we’ve followed so faithfully since January resolution time rests on shaky ground. There’s only so many months of dietary virtue one can take. Luckily, Mother Nature is on our side, as spring strawberries have recently appeared on the scene—just as the tall chocolate cake on the bakery shelf catches our wandering eye. Just in the nick of time.
Apparently winter is not quite done with us. Just as we were ready to shed jackets and socks, and slip on sandals, a brisk wind blew into town—nipping at our heels as we scurry from car to house. Spreading a frown across our spoiled-Californian, spring-fever-ready faces. There are other reasons for our funk as well, and as we shake our heads at the news reports of recent days, a chill settles deeply into our bones. We need something warm and soothing for dinner. A bowl of comfort. Ribollita.
This classic Italian vegetable stew is hearty and heathy—loaded with beans, leafy greens and a comforting layer of artisan bread at the bottom of the bowl. You can vary the ingredients depending on what you find in the market, or tucked into the crisper drawer at home. Try a bit of zucchini or cauliflower. Turnips or parsnips would be perfect, too. A Parmesan cheese rind (an inch or two) tossed into the broth, as the soup simmers, is an old Italian trick that adds wonderful flavor. But no worries if you don’t have one, just add a bit more salt and a healthy sprinkling of Parmesan on each serving.
Ribollita is more of a stew than a soup, if you prefer something more brothy, simply add a bit more stock (or water combined with a tablespoon or two of tomato paste) to the mix—up to two cups.
As promised my fellow food bloggers and I are still stirring away (in case you missed yesterday’s post, this week I’m cooking and writing with six middle school students). Today we were treated to a visit from real-life pastry chef, Angela Gonzalez, of Mountain View-based Dial-a-Dessert. Angela patiently guided us through the steps in creating a luscious and tangy lemon yogurt cake (pictured above). Now we know why a few of the muffins we baked on Monday were a tad on the heavy side: too much, albeit joyful, stirring. Energy and enthusiasm are wonderful, but don’t always lead to a light and airy cake crumb. “Easy does it” is our newfound baking mantra. The kitchen truly is a place of learning.