As promised, I took Monday and Tuesday off from work to enjoy a long weekend. No surprise, I savored an assortment of tasty fare, including:
- Pad thai chai ya and pad spicy eggplant from Daughter Thai Kitchen
- Winter vegetable ribollita, featuring tons of fresh produce from Cal-Organic Farms, Dirty Girl Produce and Tomatero Farm – I prepared this healthy and hearty soup on Sunday and have been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since. It’s the perfect cold-weather meal.
- Mushroom and mozzarella di bufala pizza baked in a Breville Smart Oven® Pizzaiolo
- Vegan gingerbread (bear) cookies, a twist on a favorite creation
And while most folks are eager for the new year to come, I’m hoping to tackle a few more recipes before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31: Snixy Kitchen’s matcha mochi cake, Yelapa-style banana pie and Andy Baraghani’s baked eggs with spinach and leeks.
How will you be spending the final week of 2020? Whatever your plans, I wish you a happy holiday filled with good company and good food!
Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.
Winter Vegetable Ribollita
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup dried Italian butter beans
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finish
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
- 4 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾" cubes
- 1 turnip, peeled and cut into ¾" pieces
- 6 cups water
- 1 pound kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 1 bay leaf
- 3" piece Parmesan cheese rind
- 4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1" cubes
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with cold water; cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Drain well.
- Place beans in a medium pot and fill with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add onion, leek, carrots, celery, butternut squash and turnip and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-8 minutes.
- Add next seven ingredients (water through Parmesan cheese rind) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Add cooked beans and reserved cooking liquid and bread and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide soup among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with Pecorino Romano cheese.
