This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
04/14/2022 12:01 AMI have spent the past few weeks with friends, first watching the Oscars. The following Friday, we watched UConn ladies in the Final Four.
On Sunday, I watched them alone.
Sigh.
I had also made two cakes, the one called Emergency Chocolate Cake because it is dairy-free and can usually be made easily with pantry and refrigerator staples. During the game Friday game, we all made make-your-own ice cream sundaes with slices of the cake.
During half-times we talked politics and food and the coming of springtime weather. My friend Libby is cleaning up her gorgeous flower and vegetable gardens. The rest of us will benefit from that garden as well, as she is generous with what she grows.
Now that I don’t have a garden, I do have a big freezer and buy pounds of Whole Food and Trader Joe’s frozen sweet peas, corn, beans, and broccoli. I also supplement that with fresh produce. It’s time to use up the frozen goods to make way for this summer’s bounty.
Here is a great recipe, packed with veggies, to help us look forward to gardening weather. And feel free to add other vegetables and swap out the ones you can’t find. I have been using fresh asparagus for some weeks. Is it fresh and local? Probably not, but they are lovely, with tight tips and thin, sturdy stalks. Yes, spring is here and summer is right around the corner.
Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.
Spring Minestrone
From Real Simple, April 2022
Ingredients
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only sliced into
thin rounds
3 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 ½ cups)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
6 cups lower-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup ditalini pasta
4 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
(1 cup)
4 ounces cups green Swish chard
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil plus small leaves for serving
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add leeks, celery, crushed red pepper (if using), and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks soften, about 4 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil.
Add pasta to pan. Return to a boil. Cook over medium high, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in beans during final 3 minutes of cook time. Remove from heat.
Stir in chard, basil, lemon juice, and remaining 1 ¼ teaspoon salt. Ladle into bowls and drizzle with remaining 4 tablespoons oil. Top with parmesan (if using) and small basil leaves.