"Silence,
like a poultice,
comes to heal
the blows of sound."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle. . .a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream."
Barbara Winkler
If you are like me, you grew up on canned tomato soup. I did, that is, until I took home economics classes where my teacher carefully taught us that the acidic tomatoes are added slowly to the milky base so that curdling is avoided. But I always had trouble remembering which way it was: acid to base? or base to acid? I will admit to a few curdled soups in times past! But, canned soups contain gluten, and homemade soups can be made creamy and good without dairy. Tonight we had Tuscan Tomato Soup made without wheat or milk and it was delicious! Simple and quick to prepare, it hit the spot on a breezy, cold evening. Rice crackers added a bit of variety of texture to the meal that we all enjoyed.
Tuscan Tomato Soup
1 jar (26 oz.) natural marinara sauce
1 cans (15 oz. each) cannellini beans
7 oz. roasted red peppers*
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. vegetarian chicken-style seasoning**
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. sweetener***
Put sauce, beans, peppers, oil, chicken-style seasoning, and garlic in blender and whiz until smooth. Pour into a kettle along with the water. Add lemon juice, salt, and sweetener. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring frequently. Adjust seasonings as desired. When heated, stir in basil, saving some to garnish.
*I used canned roasted red peppers; canned pimentos can be used instead (generally available not roasted)
**My favorite is Bill's Best Chick'nish
***Agave syrup, maple syrup, or unbleached organic sugar all work well.
This recipe for scalloped cabbage was shared by my friend, Hazel. It's very simple to make, yet it's simply delicious! Even most non-cabbage lovers will find this savory combination a tasty dish. It has become a favorite for our family!
Scalloped Cabbage
Parboil for 5 minutes:
2 quarts cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
Saute:
2 onions, chopped
4 Tbsp. water
Sprinkle over onion:
4 Tbsp. flour*
1 tsp. salt
Drain cabbage cooking water into onion and flour mixture. Saute' mixture and stir over low heat until thick.
In a food processor, blend until smooth:
1 lb. tofu
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
Stir this mixture into the cabbage along with the sauteed onions. Pour into baking dish and sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F. for 30 minutes.
*I used garbanzo fava bean flour and cornstarch in equal amounts.