Tuscan Garbanzo Bean Soup

As you might have noticed from my post frequency, May is a ridiculously busy time in my family! End of school, summer plans being formed, son's birthday party, and state homeschool convention.

Well, here's what we are having for dinner tonight. It is simmering away on the stove right now!

Tuscan Garbanzo Bean Soup

1 c medium pasta (shells, elbows, etc)
2 T olive oil
1 small white onion, chopped
a couple dashes of garlic powder
3 T fresh rosemary or 2 tsp dry
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (opt)
1/2 c chopped canned, stewed or sun-dried (packaged in oil or softened with water) tomatoes
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 cans 16 oz Garbanzo beans, drained and divided

Cook pasta according to package directions.

At the same time, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until just soft, add carrots and saute a few minutes more. Add garlic powder, rosemary, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes. Add 2 cups of water, tomatoes, carrot, and garbanzo beans, reserving 1 cup whole beans. Bring to a boil, stiffing occasionally, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 7-10 minutes.

Puree vegetables (in blender or with a hand blender) and return to saucepan. Add pasta and remaining whole beans and heat through adding water if soup is too thick.

Top with cheese at the table!
2 T grated parmesan

Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe via email or RSS.

Recipe Swapbox May

Today is Randi's Recipe Swapbox for May. Don't miss it!

I submitted the recipes for Green Tomato Casserole and Good Season-ish Dressing Mix.

Good Seasonish Italian Dressing Mix

Do you love Good Season's Italian Dressing Mix as much as I do? Do you hate the preservatives and other chemicals they include as much as I do? Would you love a dry mix you can make yourself and keep on hand? Look no futher!


Good Seasonish Italian Dressing Mix

First you make the dry mix:
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T sugar
2 T dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 T dried parsley
1/4 tsp celery salt
2 T salt

Store this in an airtight container. When you are ready to make dressing, put the following in a jar with a tight lid - or one of those handy Good Seasons dressing bottles:

2 T dry dressing mix (above)
1/4 c vinegar (my favorite is red wine vinegar)
2 T water

Shake this really well then add:
2/3 c really good olive oil


Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe via email or RSS.

Farmer's Market Report: May 4th

Welcome to the Farmer's Market Report!

Lovely red french lettuce, turnips, carrots, baby bok choy, radishes, and eggs - these were all the wonderful things I brought home this week. Missed the strawberries, but there are local stands all over the backroads of my NC county, so I'll pick those up later this week. I'm planing a batch of strawberry ice cream!


Be sure to come back and visit later this week as I add recipes for Salad Dressing Mix, Roasted Carrots and Brussels Sprouts, Baby Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce, and Turnips Au Gratin.

The market has really picked up steam in the last week...the produce is coming in thick and so are the shoppers!

After my farmer's market run, I had to swing by the conventional grocery to get milk. Such a stark difference! The first thing I noticed was the smell - mostly refrigerant, but with some wafts of vegetables from the produce section and warm bread from the bakery. But nothing like the earthy, warm, rich fragrances from the onions, herbs, etc at the farmer's market. Then there were the shoppers. The shoppers at the farmer's market was comprised of some singles, but also lots of couples and families. At the conventional grocery, on the other hand, there were only lone shoppers - no couples, no families. Now, I know that couples and families do shop together at conventional groceries, but it the difference that morning highlighted how different the two are. The farmer's market is very community-oriented and can be a delightful family outing, unlike the conventional grocery.

So, how was your farmer's market this week? Can't wait to read about your visit to the farmer's market! Please be sure to read and follow the guidelines before submitting your post. Thanks!






Did you enjoy this post? Subscribe via email or RSS.