Lentil and Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup for the Soul

I remember the moment distinctly. When she noticed. When she asked me about it. Back in the days when I would drive my 5-year-old daughter 30 minutes to attend a 30-minute "ballet" class and then, 30 minutes back home, all with her younger brother in tow. Back when I didn't make things very easy on myself.

Darkness had already settled over the city. We were making our way back across the river. The White Stag was lit up in all his glory and the kids were trying to spot Big Pink. Our car was brought to a halt at the far end of the bridge. We waited for the light to turn in our favor.

Directly outside our car window was a man, in tattered clothes, going through a dumpster. Looking for food, perhaps? Clothing? A blanket?

My daughter noticed and immediately asked me, "Mommy, what is that man doing?"

What do you say? How do you explain "homelessness"?

So, I did the best I could to try to explain being homeless to a 5-year old. When I was finished with my dissertation, she says to me, "Mommy, if we couldn't buy food we wouldn't have to worry. We could just go to Costco and eat the tasters."

If only it was that easy.

Maybe you're like me, I don't know, but I struggle with how to help someone who is homeless. Do I give him money? Buy him some food? Point her to a shelter? Act like I'm busy and look the other way?

When Transition Projects asked me if I would highlight their organization here on La Pomme and give an extra-special shout out to their Soup for the Soul fundraising event taking place Thursday, February 24th, I said, "Absolutely!"

Years ago I was involved in a different fundraising event for Transition Projects and what I came to love about this particular organization is the way in which they not only shelter someone who is homeless but literally provide him with all of his basic needs. Once those needs are met, Transition Projects can then help that person build up the skills he needs to become self-reliant and overcome barriers to housing and income.

And it is quite eye opening when Transition Projects gives these residents, formerly homeless people, cameras and asks them to photograph where they once slept.

An incredibly basic human need.

A safe place to sleep.

I feature some of their photographs here. The whole collection has been gathered into a book called, Where I Slept: Being Homeless in Portland.

So, perhaps you and your sweetie weren't able to properly celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead you were surrounded by youngsters who think of this holiday of love as the second-coming of Santa Claus. Why not consider a romantic evening out at Soup for the Soul?

Lentil and Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup

In honor of Soup for the Soul, I present to you one of my heartier soup recipes. I love to make this soup when it's rainy and cold and something warm sounds so inviting. I find that we eat a lot of "brown" food in the winter and one thing I particularly like about this dish is the color found popping out of every spoonful. From the bright orange carrots to the red tomatoes to the vibrant green spinach. Those colors give me an extra added boost of energy I desperately need this time of year.

As for the ingredients I have listed below....if you don't have the cheese rind or fresh parsley, don't sweat it. You might need an extra pinch or two of salt or pepper. Maybe an extra sprinkle of grated parmesan. And of course, regular tomatoes can be used in place of the fire-roasted ones. But don't skimp on the French green lentils. They really make a difference in soup. They hold their shape better than other types of lentils.


Ingredients:

1 c French green lentils (sometimes known as Du Puy)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 leeks chopped, white and light green parts only (could substitute 1 lg yellow onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c celery, diced (about 2-3 stalks)
1 c carrots, peeled and diced (about 2 large)
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
a bit of parmesan cheese rind
3 tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsley (plus more for garnish)
8 c (2 qts) low-sodium chicken broth
1 28 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes, diced
3 c baby spinach leaves
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Optional: 1 lb kielbasa or other pre-cooked sausage links, diced

Directions:

Put your lentils in a medium bowl. Pour enough boiling water over them to cover by 2 inches. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add your olive oil. Once heated, add your leeks, garlic, celery, carrots, Bay leaves, salt and pepper. Saute over medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes or until your vegetables have started to soften.

Next, add your cheese rind, parsley, chicken broth, tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Stir in your spinach leaves and simmer another 10 minutes or until lentils are softened. If you are adding in sausage, spoon it into the pot now as well.

Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle on grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Enjoy.


Yield: One big pot-full

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Sauntering Through the Market with a Basket of Rapini, Potatoes and Chives

As usual, I was running late. Nothing new there but my tardiness was extra awkward (even for me) considering that I was trying to slip, unnoticed, into a pew in the hushed room of The Old Church for the monthly Willamette Writers meeting. This month's speaker had already begun her talk as I tried to make myself invisible. Once seated it took me a minute to calm my thoughts enough to focus on the speaker, Naseem Rakha, but once I did, she had my complete concentration as she discussed her newly released book, The Crying Tree. And while I took away so many nuggets of wisdom from this clearly talented woman, I really seemed to take hold of what would appear to be a seemingly insignificant story that she shared. She had recently been on vacation in Florida with her son and she admitted to us that while she believed the "correct" thing to say would be that her favorite part of the trip was playing in the ocean with her son...that wasn't the case. No. Her favorite part of the trip was the time she was alone in Ernest Hemingway's garden. Alone with her thoughts. Alone enough to focus and to remember what it was she wanted to focus her life on.

The Portland Farmer's Market opened a few weeks ago. I didn't make it to Opening Day, although I hear it was quite the success. Jam-packed with people even with the extra block added this year for more space. Vendors selling out of that day's produce. I did, however, make it a few weekends later. As usual, I invited the family to come but, as was oftentimes the case, they kindly declined. I probably should say I was disappointed but I wasn't. I like going there by myself. I love to lose myself in the crowd under that great canopy of trees. To saunter up to my favorite coffee bar. To then make the circle once, coffee in hand, browsing and making mental notes. To pick up a cookie along the way....this time from The Tart Lady. To enjoy the festive music in the background. To take in just what was being offered. What was in season. And, then to go back and circle again.

Recently someone asked of me, "Where do you get your ideas for cooking? Where do you get your inspiration?" I replied that due to my strong love affair with food, I, of course, read a lot of cookbooks and food blogs. I call friends and ask them what they're cooking that night. I occasionally tune into cooking shows. However, my biggest source of inspiration is my farmer's market or those grocery stores that cater to local produce. While I used to find the recipe I liked and then go hunt for the ingredients, now I let the natural rhythms of the growing season be my guide. I buy what's in season and then, I go find the recipe. This method also helps narrow down the choices of recipes making the whole process of cooking and feeding my family a lot less overwhelming.

Before arriving at the farmer's market that day, I had in my mind a bit of an idea of what would be good for dinner that night. I was hoping to find the ingredients for a delicious and light, pasta primavera I enjoy making this time of year. I thought for sure there would be spring asparagus on display everywhere. But alas, there was not. What was on display, and what is clearly still in season here in Oregon, were winter greens. Winter greens, leeks, potatoes, baby carrots, chives and rapini (broccoli rabe.) I had to chuckle that back here when I was trying to make this dish that called for rapini, I couldn't find a single stalk, and now here it was aplenty. So, without anyone asking me when were we leaving or needing a bathroom or what could they have to eat or getting lost in the crowd and sending me into panic mode, I sat down. I sat down, alone with my coffee and my "breakfast" cookie (nevermind that it was chocolate chip) and readjusted my thoughts. What was I going to make with leeks, potates, chives and rapini? And then, the ideas started flowing. I raced around and grabbed my produce, throwing in a baguette, some pesto and a couple bunches of daffodils to round it all out and headed home. While driving home, I pulled out my cell phone and called my parents I responsibly pulled over to the side of the road and called my parents from my cell phone. They were passing through town that evening and I wanted to encourage them to stop by for dinner. To stop by for dinner and the result of my inspiration. The result of my solitary trip to the farmer's market.

The Recipes

So, today, you're going to get two recipes for the price of one blog post. (Corny...I know.) From time to time, I pop into the blog, Simply Breakfast. Her photographs are always so beautiful and although, I'm not much of a breakfast gal, I keep thinking maybe her simple meals will inspire me and recently she had posted that she couldn't get enough of garlicky greens with scrambled eggs. Well, I could do without the scrambled eggs but the garlicky greens struck a bell and that's how I arrived at the following recipe that I served up for dinner to my parents and my family along with some chicken sausages I grilled on the barbecue. (Note: If you happen to be a patron of the Portland Farmer's Market, I purchased my rapini at DeNoble's Family Farm booth. So tender and delicious.)

Sauteed Rapini (Broccoli Rabe) with Spaghetti and Grilled Sausages

Inspired by fresh air

2 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves of garlic, sliced lengthwise

2 large bunches of rapini, coarsely chopped, discarding any tough ends

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 black pepper

1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti, cooked as directed on the package

Heat your olive oil in a non-stick saute pan. Add your garlic and saute just about one minute then, immediately add your rapini. It will seem like a lot, but like spinach, it will reduce in size by at least half once it is cooked. Saute about 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender. Scrape all of the contents from the pan (including the now garlic infused olive oil) over the spaghetti and toss gently to combine. Check to see if it needs additional salt and pepper. Serve alongside grilled sausages. Doesn't get much easier or quicker than this. This recipe can easily be doubled.

A Dinner Frittata Complete with Potatoes, Bacon and Chives

I was looking for a way to use my potatoes and chives so I pulled from the shelf one of my favorite cookbooks of all times, "How to Cook Without a Book" by Pam Anderson. This is the perfect book for those of us who feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of recipe options when all we really want to do is get a quick, healthy and delicious dinner on the table for our families. I bought it when my two eldest were leaving the baby food stage and I realized that fish sticks and peas every night just wasn't going to cut it any longer. I have been intrigued by her dinner frittata section for quite some time (despite the fact that I'm not always that intrigued with egg dishes.) I flipped to that section, made a few of my own changes and came up with this recipe. I served it with a simple salad of baby greens and vinaigrette and a bowl of "cuties"...those delicious little sweet clementines in season right now. Those same cuties with the sticker that my daughter and her friends would feel compelled to pull off the rind and stick on their foreheads last year when they were much younger.

2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

3 slices, thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 small, Yukon gold potatoes (or other thin-skinned spring potatoes), unpeeled and 1/2 inch diced

kosher salt and ground black pepper

1 medium garlic clove, minced

8 large eggs

4 tbsp milk

3 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp fresh chopped chives

Adjust your rack to the upper-middle position and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large non-stick, ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add your bacon and cook for about 5 minutes until the bacon is browned but not too crisp. Drain your bacon on a paper towel and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with another paper towel and heat your second tablespoon of olive oil, unless you like to cook with bacon grease, in which case, remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, do not add the second tablespoon of olive oil and continue with the recipe.

Add your potatoes to the skillet along with the olive oil (bacon grease), 3 tbsp water, the garlic and then, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set your heat to medium-high, cover and let the potatoes steam for about 3 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove the lid and continue to cook until the water evaporates and the potatoes are lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes more. Toss occasionally to ensure even browning.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl beat the eggs, milk, parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper together with a fork. Once the potatoes are done, shake the skillet to evenly distribute them. Evenly sprinkle your bacon on the potatoes and then, pour in your egg mixture. Sprinkle the chives over the top and then, let the egg mixture cook just until the edges start to set around the edges about 1 minute. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the eggs are puffed and set about 8 minutes. Serve hot, sliced like a pizza and enjoy.

One word of caution: Do not under any circumstances forget that once your skillet is out of the oven, the handle is still registering at about 350 degrees and grabbing it bare-handed will result in second degree burns. Not that I know that from personal experience or anything, but if I did know that from personal experience, I will tell you that expletives that a young child should never hear will come spewing out over and over from the mouth of his injured parent creating a bit of awkwardness once the moment has passed.

Variation: I did make this frittata one evening, substituting sauteed rapini for the bacon. For the sake of honesty, I will tell you that my daughter and I quite enjoyed it but the boys...young and old...they just couldn't get past the greenery in their eggs, although they greedily ate the greenery just fine the week before when it was tossed with the pasta. So, there you have it.

All original text and photographs copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Slowing It Down with a Simmering Ragù

We laid out the napkins. The cheese sticks. The apple slices. Just he and I. Me and my littlest one. He contentedly set out a cup at each place and while in motion, said to me, "I like setting up snack." And, then turning and looking at me directly, adds, "With you." Later, when it was my turn to go and his to finish out the day, he sent me off with crocodile tears running down his cheeks. It was all I could do not take him with me....but, well...I had a hair appointment. What could I do?

As I locked up the house for the night, I was surprised to find my 10-year old quietly standing behind me. I thought he was sound asleep. I noticed that he had a look of sadness about him and I waited for him to talk...my one that never shares much. "Mom, I just don't want to grow up too fast. It's going too fast." I took him in my arms and hugged him and thought, with that load of parental guilt weighing heavy on me, "Have I made his life too busy? Have I struck the wrong balance?"

I had every intention of taking her to school...a bit late...but then, we found ourselves detouring toward Lovejoy Bakers for a quick breakfast. "She's already late...what does a few more minutes mean?" And, then, somehow, the sun, the fresh air, just being together, me, her, and the littlest one...we found ourselves on the streetcar headed for the aerial sky tram. And, silently, as we rode up and up and up, we took in the beauty of our city...the stark winter beauty. Once home, after our impromtu adventure, she says to me with a sincerity beyond her years, "Thank you, Mom...for today."

And so, after that week, I wanted to take them...my three chickens...load them in the car and take them away...for a weekend, or even a day. Get away from the schedule, the responsibilities, the clock. Just be. And, although that wasn't an option, I did "load them up" into "Mommy and Daddy's" bed and there we sat, curled up under the blankets. Each one with his or her own favorite pillow. We watched movies. We read books. Some would draw. Some would bring in legos. My sweetie came in from time to time reading his iPhone book. We were all together and time seemed to slow down...if only for the afternoon.

When the sun started to sink behind the coastal range, I gathered them around the kitchen table and fed them a ragù sauce over bowtie pasta. A sauce that had been simmering all day, filling our house with the warm, rounded smells of tomatoes and Italian sausage and oregano. We sat around that table and we talked and shared and each of us, in his or her own way, was grateful for our afternoon "time slowed down".

Farfalle al Ragù

(Bowtie Pasta with Meat Bolognese Sauce)

I know that everyone has a pasta sauce that he or she goes back to time and time again. This is one of mine. I like to make it on a day we're all huddled in together. Most of the time I have the ingredients in the pantry and the freezer so there's no special trip to the grocery store. Sometimes if I have mushrooms or a zucchini, I'll slice and dice those up and throw them in at the same time as the carrots. And, while I love the flavor Italian sausage adds to this sauce, sometimes I don't have any on hand so I'll just use the ground beef and decrease the tomatoes to one 28 oz can and one 15 oz can, or thereabouts. And, if you're concerned about ground beef, I recommend searching out a place where you live that gets they're beef from a reputable ranch and grinds it daily on their premises. That's just my two cents...for what it's worth.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 med yellow or white onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 carrots, peeled and diced, about 1 cup

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage (mild or spicy, your choice) or 3-4 links of the same

2 28-oz cans diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

Fresh herbs: 3 tbsp fresh oregano & 3 tbsp fresh basil

OR

Dried herbs: 2 tbsp worth: 1 tbsp oregano & 1 tbsp basil OR 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tbsp basil & 1 tbsp Italian seasoning

water

salt & pepper to taste

grated parmesan cheese

Heat your olive oil in a large pot. Add your onions and saute on med/low heat for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add your garlic. Saute another minute. Add your carrots and saute until they begin to soften about 5 minutes.

Once your vegetables are soft, add your ground beef and sausage. Break up your meat with a wooden spoon. Add a pinch of salt and a crack or two of the black pepper mill and cook until the meat is browned. Stirring occasionally.

Add in your tomatoes, tomato paste and herbs. Stir to combine. Then, add enough water so that your veggies and meat are just covered. Bring to a boil and then, turn the heat down to very low and simmer, uncovered, at least 40 minutes and/or up to 3 hours on very, very low heat.

About 15 minutes out from when you're ready to serve your meal, boil up a pot of water, toss in your bowtie pasta and cook according to the directions on the package, usually about 10 minutes.

Spoon your sauce over your bowties, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top and enjoy. Or, if you can possibly stand it, wait and eat it the next day. Even better by then. (You may have to add a little water to it when reheating.) The flavors will have mellowed and created this smooth, rounded bite full of tomatoes and meat and carrots and herbs. Simply delicious.

Yield: One big pot. Enough for a family of 5 and leftovers the next day.

All original text and photographs, copyright: Carrie Minns 2009-2010

Lentil Soup for a Blustery Day

Despite its self-proclaimed “Day of Rest”, I was exhausted from the weekend. The morning was dark until way past 8am. I was sleepy. I knew that exercising would help clear my mind but I was too tired to exercise. I stared out the window as the torrential rain rammed against the side of our house. The deluge of water that cascaded down our window reminded me that the gutter that was broken the last time it rained was, in fact, still broken. I thought of my daughter who had bounded out the door not but 15 minutes ago, late for the bus and without a jacket. My gaze fell onto the lawn. The lawn that two days ago had but nary a leaf on it thanks to yours truly. Sigh. Now, it was covered again with autumn’s version of snow.

“Curses!” I suddenly called out to no one in particular. I realized that in my grogginess of the prior evening, I had failed to set out the yard debris bin. “Ah...two weeks til I can try again. Two more weeks of leaves and a yard bin that is already full to the brim….gads.”

All I really wanted to do was crawl back in bed. And, sleep. Me, the cat and the sound of rain. But, the thought of me, luxuriously napping away while my sweetie was out “hunting and gathering” was just too guilt ridden. So, I shuffled into my office, opened up my laptop and willed myself to be productive. I sifted through emails and then, somehow found myself immersed in a two-hour one-hour project of transferring all of my favorite blogs and websites over to delicious. I can tell that you are secretly chuckling at me. Chuckling because you too know what it means to wile away the time out in cyberspace. When the joy of tagging websites eventually began to wane, I did what any woman in my state of mind would do…I went shopping. For, food.

I guided my car down the leaf-covered roads. With no children, the car was quiet. Only the sound of tires on wet pavement. Walking through the parking lot of my favorite grocery store, a seagull, so far from the sea, squawked at me from atop a streetlight. Trying to beat the next shower, I hurried inside and saddled right up to the counter to order myself a Stumptown “non-fat latte with a splash of vanilla, please.” And then, I slowly wound myself in and out of aisles. Simply taking the time to take it all in.

Back in front of my kitchen sink, I listened to my rainy day favorite, while I chopped up onions, leeks, carrots and celery. Children arrived home from school. Plopped down with books. Worked on homework. Ran outside and returned, when dinner was called, with bright red cheeks and a freshness about them.

With a bowl of soup in front of us and bread and apples within reach, we all sat around the table. We talked about nothing in particular but we talked. We laughed. We ate. And, I thought, if I have done one thing today…I have fed my family. And, maybe, for today, that’s enough.

Lentil Soup for a Blustery Day

(Adapted from Ina Garten’s Lentil Sausage Soup)

¾ lb or 1½ c of French green lentils such as du Puy

1/8 c olive oil

2 large, yellow onions, diced (approx 4 c)

2 leeks, chopped, white and light green parts only

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

¾ tsp black pepper

1 tbls fresh thyme leaves, minced OR 1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp cumin

2 c diced celery

2 c diced carrots

3 quarts chicken broth

¼ c tomato paste OR a 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 pound kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and then, sliced 1/3 inch thick

2 tbls dry red wine or red wine vinegar, optional

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving.

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water (or water from your “insta-hot”) and allow them to sit for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. Please note that you must use the french green lentils when you are making this soup. The regular ole brown ones just turn to mush and well, mush, especially when it's brown in color, is just not that appetizing.

In a LARGE stock-pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil, then, sauté your onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and translucent. As I am always pressed for time, I chop my onions, and then add them to the pot. Then, the next vegetable and so on rather than stockpiling and adding them all to the pot at once. Even if each vegetable wasn’t sautéed for exactly 20 minutes, it doesn’t seem to affect the final product.

Add the carrots and celery and sauté for another 10 minutes or so. Then, add the chicken stock, tomato paste (or tomatoes) and drained lentils, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. (Or you can do what I did this night and find that fine line between simmer and boil, which seems to cook the lentils in about 30 minutes.) Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot about 5 more minutes. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with grated Parmesan and enjoy.

Yield: About 8 to 10 servings

Now, before you write this recipe off as way too much chopping, please note that this makes a huge batch. And, what’s more, this soup makes a great lunch for you or your little buddies the next day. Nothing more comforting than opening up a thermos of scrumptious lentil soup at school or work…especially on a blustery, “indoor recess” kind of day.

PS: For you vegetarians out there, I’ve also made this soup without the kielbasa. Exchanged vegetable broth for chicken broth and added a 28 oz can of drained, fire roasted tomatoes instead of tomato paste. Delicious.

All original text and photos copyright: Carrie Minns 2009