It is in Giving that we Receive: Corn and Black Bean Salad

I was taught well from a young age to practice what you preach.  My parents were not only involved in the church we attended, but were active in the community in which we lived.  They both had careers that were not focused on merely gaining wealth, but on serving others.  After my father died, my mother continued in this manner.  Though she was juggling working, going to college full-time, raising two daughters, and an active social life, she found the time and energy to volunteer for many causes.  She was in tune with the community around us, and realized that there were many families in the area that struggled with putting food on the table for their families each week.  She did some research, and began working with our parish priest to begin a food pantry in the basement of the rectory of the church.  She held food drives, collected non-perishable food items, organized the space, and drummed up many volunteers to man the new food pantry.  She worked with people to spread the word, and welcomed clients with grace and dignity. I spent many hours working there with my mother, and always marveled at her energy and her commitment to those in need.  She taught me to be thankful for the abundance of blessings in my life, and to share with those around me.

The high school I attended stressed the importance of doing for others as well, and I was fortunate enough to take part in many service projects aimed at helping others.  That, coupled with the tendencies of those people with whom my parents surrounded us, my grandparents, our friends George and Ellen, and many of our aunts and uncles, set the tone for my life.  The message in how they lived was clear:  when we give, we receive. 

My own daughters and some of their friends are involved in similar projects through our church.  They have spent a Saturday morning working at a food pantry preparing packages of food for others, they have, with the junior high youth group, made sandwhiches to be brought to a shelter, and several times they have volunteered to serve a meal at a homeless shelter in the city close to where we live. They go with positive attitudes and lots of energy.  And each time they return, I know that they have gotten the message loud and clear.  They are energized by the work they have done, and have gotten far more than they gave.

Thirty five years ago today, my father died at age 38 of a sudden heart attack.  As he was a man who helped others, and helped stress upon me the importance of practicing what you preach, it is fitting that my family is spending this evening working at the shelter.  Members of the community have planned and cooked a meal, and we along with others are going to deliver and serve this meal.  It has been a crazy week.  We are tired, and looking ahead to another crazy week, and I want nothing more than to plop on the couch and relax, but I know that we will return tonight rejuvenated by our work. It is important for kids to do this kind of thing, I believe;  to see the world around them, to find some small way to be of service, to use the gifts they have been given. Tonight, we work in memory of my dad.

The recipe was given to me by the woman who organizes the meals for the shelter, and looked so good, that I wanted to share it. It makes a large amnount of the salad, and can be made for a crowd, or can be scaled back for a smaller gathering.  It goes well with barbecue, and in the summer, can be made with fresh corn.  I have made a similar saled in the past which included avocado, so add that in small cubes if you like.

Corn and Black Bean Salad:

4 15-oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cups frozen corn kernels (3 16-oz. bags)

3 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

3 orange or yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 large sweet onion, finely chopped

2 large tomatoes, chopped

4 small jalapeno peppers, seeded and very finely chopped

1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

2 cloves garlic, very finely minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients in a large serving bowl and fold to mix well.  Chill before serving.

Taste of Summer in Winter: Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

If you have ever dipped a piece of bread in a pot of spaghetti sauce, this recipe is for you.  It is apparently the typical after school snack of children in Tuscany, and let me tell you, it beats milk and cookies by a mile. I have run across similar recipes, and have always been intrigued, but until now, have never made it.  It almost seemed too delicious to have for supper, a guilty pleasure for an adult in the same way that having pancakes for dinner might be for a child.  With the right tomatoes, it is a bright taste of summer in the middle of this drab winter, and it is exactly what we needed last week.  I used tomatoes that I had canned last summer, and they were perfect.  You could wait until summer to try pappa al pomodoro, or you could spend a few dollars extra and buy some San Marzano tomatoes, which I think would be almost as good as really good home-canned ones.  Add some fresh basil and some fresh ground pecorino romano, and it really is seriously awesome.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

Adapted from Cooking with Italian Grandmothers by Jessica Theroux

1 medium loaf day old rustic Italian bread, crust removed and cut into cubes

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, or canned plum tomatoes

5 large garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2-2 cups chicken stock

salt

1/4 cup fresh torn basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil for garnish

Put the tomatoes through a foodmill or in a blender to create a chunky puree.  In a large saucepan, saute the garlic slices in the olive oil for a few minutes.  When it is just about to turn golden, place the bread in the pot, and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the chicken stock over the bread cubes.  Stir to coat the bread in the garlic and oil.  Add the pureed tomatoes, a large pinch of salt, and another cup of chicken stock.  Stir every five minutes or so as the soup comes to a simmer,  After 30 minutes, taste the pappa, add salt if necessary, and add more chicken stock if the consistency is not right.  It should be a mush; not too liquidy.  When ready to serve, add the basil, and serve in small bowls, sprinkled with pecorino romano cheese and drizzled with olive oil.

The Day After the Reunion: Cream of Mushroom Soup

It has been a busy weekend; all kinds of fun stuff went on.  First, there was Thanksgiving, the ultimate food holiday.  Then, we spent a fun evening with friends, eating pizza and staying out very late.  Finally, I attended my 25th high school reunion last night, which was a riot.  I graduated from a private, Catholic high school in the city where I grew up.  My high school experience was probably very typical for that time; the fun I had was relatively innocent, certainly by today's standards, and there was an amazing sense of community.

There are some people who do not enjoy reunions; I am not one of them.  Whenever I can look back on a period of time in my life and find the good memories, I am happy to do so.  I had a really fun time catching up with old friends, some of whom I had gone to elementary school with as well. It was very entertaining to recount some of the old stories, and even more entertaining to hear some of the stories of things that happened that I didn't know about at the time.  With many of the people I saw at the reunion, conversations were as easy as if we had not gone five, ten, or twenty years without seeing each other; we just picked up where we had left off.  Next to the time that my friend Lisa and I crashed my sister's 20th high school reunion, it was probably the most fun I have had at one of these things. 

Of course last night proved in many ways that I am not as young as I once was, and I am tired. The upcoming weeks will be hectic ones, as we prepare for more holiday celebrations, and  I need a day to just chill. The best way I know to do that is to make a pot of soup, and maybe a loaf of homemade bread, and lounge on the couch with my two daughters, my husband and the two dogs, and watch all the movies we taped this week while HBO was free.  So that is exactly what we are doing.  And as we have decided to eat a little more healthy in the weeks leading up to Christmas, today is sort of our last hurrah in the decadent food department.  This soup isn't so bad for you. It just has a little half and half, and it is so good, I am hungry just thinking about it.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

For the broth:

1 small handful of dried mushrooms (I used dried porcini)

3 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 cups water

Place the stock and the dried mushrooms in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Cook until the stock is reduced by half.  Let cool, and strain the dried mushrooms using a fine strainer.  Discard dried mushrooms.

For the mushrooms:

3 8-ounce containers of mushrooms, any type you like (I use a mix of cremini, baby bella, and    white), cleaned and sliced
1/2 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken stock

Saute the mushrooms, and onions in the olive oil until they just begin to brown.  Add the garlic, stir for a minute, and then deglaze the pan with the wine or chicken stock. 

To assemble the soup:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all purpose flour

2 cups half and half

salt and pepper to taste

fresh chives (optional)

In a large pot, melt the butter, and add the flour, stirring with a whisk until the mixture begins to brown slightly.  Add the mushroom stock little by little, whisking as you go to incorporate.  Bring up to medium heat, and add the half and half, continuing to stir.  Reduce heat to simmer, then add the mushrooms, onions and garlic.  Let simmer for at least a half hour, until the soup thickens just a little and all the flavors are blended.  Serve with fresh chives, if desired, and a slice of hot, fresh bread.

Comfort Food: Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Spinach and Feta

All the female members of my household have been sick recently.  My youngest daughter is just over strep throat, I have an annoying head cold, and my oldest daughter is suffering from a nasty sinus infection. There have been trips to the pediatrician, the pharmacy, and the grocery store, and each time, we are looking for something to soothe, comfort, and nourish.  We have picked up the saline spray and the antibiotics, the cranberry juice and the ginger ale, the cough drops and the humidifier.  But a good supper also does wonders to make everyone feel more comfortable, loved, taken care of, and pasta is just the thing in this household.  And to go along with the pasta, what could be healthier than some greens and lots of garlic.  This is one of our favorite pasta dishes, and just for tonight, we all curled up on the family room couch, with our steaming bowls of pasta, a blanket on our laps, comforted by the closeness of being together in our cozy house on this cold, rainy fall night.  We could almost feel the vitamins and minerals making us healthier and stronger, which is a good thing because the only one left to get sick is the man of the house, and ladies, we will need our strength for that!

Pasta with Broccoli Rabe, Spinach and Feta:

1 lb hot, cooked linguine

1 large bunch of broccoli rabe, trimmed and washed well

1 large bag of baby spinach

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

pinch of red pepper flake

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2- 3/4 cup chicken stock

1 generous cup crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese

8-12 oz. chopped tomatoes or canned chopped tomatoes

In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the broccoli rabe for 2-3 minutes (this softens the broccoli rabe and takes away some of the bitterness). Drain and run under very cold water to stop the cooking.  In the meantime, put the olive oil and the garlic in a large skillet, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the garlic has softened and mellowed. Add the red pepper flake, stir to mix.  Add the broccoli rabe and turn the heat up to medium low.  Add the chicken stock, and stir the broccoli rabe.  When the chicken stock is very warm, add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Add the tomatoes, and let cook together for 6-8 minuted to combine flavors.  Toss the greens and tomatoes with the hot pasta in a large bowl.  Add the feta cheese and toss to coat evenly.  Serve with grated Romano cheese on top.

Appetizers for Friends

Although I have always loved to go out to dinner at a restaurant, I also love to go to a friend’s house for dinner. In many ways, it is more relaxing, and in these difficult economic times, it is a much less expensive way to get together with friends. There are always plenty of laughs, great conversation, and of course, there is usually a new dish or two, something you have never had before. People tend to surround themselves with friends who have similar interests, and many of our friends are excellent cooks and entertainers who enjoy really good food. My friend Denise is one of these excellent entertainers. She and her husband Marc are great cooks, but their true strength is in the appetizers. Denise always puts out a great antipasto platter, cheeses with fruit and crackers, some warm bites, and a dip or two. It is my favorite way to eat, because you get to try a little of a lot of different foods.  One of my favorite things to make for an appetizer these days is something I first had at Denise’s house. It is a hummus dip that is just assembled from prepared items and chopped vegetables, so it is super easy to put together. It is also relatively healthy, so there is not a lot of guilt to deal with. It is easily prepared ahead of time, and can be popped in the fridge until your guests arrive.



Hummus Dip:

8 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 10- oz. package hummus (I like Sabra brand – it is very creamy)
¼ small red onion, chopped
1 small tomato, or about 15 grape tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
3-4 oz. good feta cheese, crumbled
1 package multi-grain pita chips

In the bottom of a small pie plate or similar dish, mix lemon juice with the softened cream cheese, and spread evenly in bottom of the dish. Next, layer the hummus on top of the cream cheese, spreading evenly as well. Toss the chopped onion, tomato, and cucumber in a bowl, and spread evenly over the hummus. Top with crumbled feta cheese, and serve with the pita chips for dipping.  You can add different veggies, or olives if you like.