Welcome to Harvest Monday, where we celebrate all things harvest related. This time of year we usually harvest things from the garden on an as-needed basic. Last week I didn’t need a lot of things. I did get a big cutting of parsley from the greenhouse to make a batch of chimichurri sauce. The sauce got served up on a meal of seared scallops I cooked for dinner one night. I also threw in a bit of Aji Angelo pepper, leftover from a previous harvest. The parsley is a strain of flat-leaf Italian parsley called Splendid from Wild Garden Seeds.
harvest of Splendid parsley
I cut more of the Lacinato kale last week too. I love using this kale for soups. I think it holds up well, plus the darker color and bold flavor work well in hearty soups. This batch was destined for a pot of Minestra Maritata (aka Italian Wedding Soup).
Lacinato kale
I also cooked up a pot of Jacob’s Cattle beans for the soup. They were leftovers from 2014, and despite being over a year old they still cooked up fairly quickly. These beans tend to keep their colorful markings after cooking, and also hold their shape nicely.
cooked Jacob’s Cattle beans
Minestra Maritata is a traditional Neopolitan soup that probably dates back several hundred years, before the introduction of the tomato or pasta to Italy. The literal translation for the name of the soup is ‘married soup’, which refers to how well meat and greens go together in soup (i.e. they’re well married). The beans are certainly not an authentic addition, but they do add fiber and nutrition. I made meatballs from ground turkey breast that I browned in a skillet before adding to the soup. For the greens I used the last bit of homegrown cabbage I could find in the refrigerator plus the Lacinato kale.
Minestra maritata soup
It’s a hearty soup, with lots of greens. I think it’s a good use for the Lacinato kale, though I have used spinach in the past. I’ve seen recipes calling for escarole and broccoli raab too. Whatever greens you choose, just serve a crusty bread with the soup and you’ve got a meal. This time I added a sourdough bread inspired by the book 52 Loaves: One Man’s Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander. An overnight bulk fermentation in the refrigerator before shaping and baking gives the bread a lot of flavor. Though my bread looks more like his Baguettes à l’Ancienne, the recipe more closely resembles his Peasant Bread since it includes a bit of whole wheat and rye flours.
Baguettes à l’Ancienne
Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to share, add your name and blog link to Mr Linky below. And be sure and check out what everyone is harvesting!
This past week has been extra busy, with Christmas just around the corner, so no harvests for me this time. I think that soup is a vegetable gardeners best friend when it comes to using up produce from the garden – your Italian Wedding soup looks delicious!
The bread looks like a perfect accompaniment to the soup maybe bridesmaid bread.
Yes, I’d be pretty happy if that soup was served to me as a meal – healthy, substantial and no doubt warming! I’m a great fan of beans in every form.
Both the bread and the soup look fantastic!!
We love soup around here too and I agree, Lacinato kale is fabulous in soup. That’s also one of my favorite ways to use Spigariello broccoli which is more like kale than broccoli. And I think beans and greens are another happy marriage of flavors so perhaps you’ve got a polygamous soup there…
I’m going to have to check out that bread book, I’m always looking for good bread recipes.
The book isn’t a recipe book, but a good read anyway about his quest for the perfect loaf of bread.
Very nice kale again, a great crop. And yep, that bread looks amazing, making sour dough is one of my hopes for the new year, yum.
Fresh bread and homemade soup sounds sublime. I’m ready for more wholesome fare after all the heavy foods and sugary treats we tend to consume around the holidays.
Dave,
I just want to wish you and your wife a Merry Christmas and thank you for your help with my gardening questions. I have truly benefited from your blog and answers. Have a wonderful holiday season.
Thanks Echo, you are so welcome!
I love that the beans seem to retain their colouring when cooked – so many veggies don’t. I’ll have to try growing them some time!