Ribollita

 











Ribollita appeals to my food sensibilities.  Loaded with vegetables, its whole premise is waste-nothing (Stale bread? Chuck it in!), it's a rich stew, and of course it's Italian. Look up comfort food and the first entry should be Ribollita.

This dish made of leftovers thickens and tastes better the next day - sort of leftovers squared.

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves: A crowd

INGREDIENTS
3 TB olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, scraped, 1/4 inch dice
4 stalks celery, 1/4 inch dice
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tomato, 1/4 inch dice (or one can diced tomatoes)
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp hot sauce (your favorite)
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 - 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups whole grain or white bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
Shredded Parmesan for topping

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large stock pot and cook the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the tomato sauce, tomato, stock, hot sauce, and thyme. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for an hour. Add the parsley and bread and heat for a few minutes, then serve, topping with shredded Parmesan. A swirl of olive oil is traditional.

A dry red wine is perfect alongside your bowl of Ribollita. It is also appropriate to arrange for snow outside.

Variation: Chopped bacon or diced pancetta are nice additions for the carnivorously-inclined.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Minestra

I learned about this dish years ago from my friend and longtime barber Italo DeMasi of the landmark Bruno's Barber Shop in Natick.  His stories about Calabrian food invariably send me home with ideas, but it all started here.  More than just a recipe, Minestra is a manifestation of an approach to living.  That philosophy is waste nothing, and it speaks to my soul.  This version uses kale, but it could easily leverage collards, bok choi, or cabbage.  One of my favorite variations uses broccoli leaves - you know, the leaves that many people discard. 

This go-to dish shows up at least once a week at our dinner table.  It's hearty enough to serve as a main dish, although it pairs beautifully with something off the grill.  

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  15 minutes
Serves:  4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 bunch kale, stems separated and cut into 1/4" sections, leaves coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, with liquid (or equivalent prepared dry beans)
Parmesan cheese

Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the kale stems and garlic, stirring, for 4 minutes.  Add the kale leaves, cover, turn heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the cannellini beans with their liquid, and continue to cook until kale leaves and stems reach the degree of tenderness you like.

Serve sprinkled with shredded Parmesan, salt and pepper.

A version made with broccoli florets:

White Beans with Sautéed Onions and Arugula

Having just enjoyed this for breakfast, I can safely say this simple, satisfying dish could be tasty any time of day.

Prep time: 5 minutes (not including bean prep time!)
Cook time: 12 minutes
Serves:  2+ as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed, or the equivalent thinly sliced fresh garlic
1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cups prepared white beans (or one 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained)
1 cup fresh arugula, chopped
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat and sauté the onions and garlic, stirring, for 8-10 minutes or until onions are soft and slightly browned. Add the white beans and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until mixture is hot. Scoop to serving bowls or plates, top with arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Another drizzle of olive oil completes the picture.

Note: I used Rancho Gordo "White Tepary" beans for this.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Pasta with Sausage, Zucchini and Fava Beans

This hearty pasta dish offers up an irresistible melange of flavors and textures.   Cook the pasta at the same time as the rest of the ingredients.

Prep time:  10 Minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
1 lb sausage links, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 cups thin whole wheat spaghetti, or your favorite

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, 1/4 inch dice

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 small zucchini squash, about 3 cups, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sage

2 cups fava one or cannellini beans

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

Olive oil to dress (optional)

Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat water to cook the pasta.  While water is heating, cook the sausage in a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, stirring.  When sausage is done, remove to a separate dish and drain excess fat.

Cook the pasta when water is boiling.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to the skillet, then the onion, garlic, and squash.  Sprinkle with the oregano and sage and cook over medium heat, stirring, until onions are translucent and squash is almost tender.  Add the beans, heat for one minute further, then remove from heat.

When pasta is done, drain, and combine in serving dish with the sausage, cooked vegetables, and parsley.  Distribute to serving plates, sprinkling with Parmesan and seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  A drizzle of good olive oil might be nice.

A good Pinot Grigio, or even a dry Italian red wine alongside, would finish the picture.

Variation:  Omit the sausage for a vegetarian dish.

Photos and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Vegetable Stew

 

Fast, satisfying treatment of fresh chunky veggies. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, 1/4" dice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 cups carrots, 1/4" dice

4 cups cabbage, 1/4" dice

2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 can cannellini beans with liquid

Shredded Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the stock in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat.  

While stock is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add the Italian seasoning and the carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.  Scrape the carrot mixture from the skillet into the stock pot, along with the cabbage, heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots, cabbage, and broccoli are tender crisp.  Add the cannellini beans, heat for 30 seconds further, the serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and topping with Parmesan cheese.

Variations:  This simple method could easily be adapted to welcome other chunky vegetables such as bok choi, celery, celeriac, and others.  Add chopped sausage.


Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Sauteed Broccoli with White Beans

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










Versatile broccoli starts in the spring, and then keeps on going throughout the growing season. The plant is a culinary marvel - the leaves, the stems, and of course the crowns, can all be enjoyed in many ways. This version features fresh broccoli, cooked tender crisp in garlic and olive oil, and tossed with white beans.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4 as a side dish

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or more if you like garlic)
1 large head broccoli (about 1 pound), broken into florets, coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz) Cannellini beans
Shredded Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the garlic begins to turn tan. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the florets are tender crisp. Add the Cannellini beans and their liquid and heat for a minute, stirring.

Distribute to serving plates, top with Parmesan cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Soup of Tomatoes, Cauliflower & White Beans

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick











A bowl of this soup, along with some fresh warm bread, is a perfect antidote to a rainy cold day.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 TB tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 glove garlic, crushed
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 TB minced black olives or olive tapenade
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste (the olives may already have salt, take that into account)
Shredded Parmesan

Put the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. While stock is heating, put tomato paste in a measuring cup or small bowl, add a few tablespoons of stock, and whisk with a fork. Mix tomato paste liquid and the Italian seasoning into the stock in the saucepan, and bring to a low boil Add the garlic, tomatoes, cauliflower, and minced olives and cook for 5 minutes or until cauliflower is tender-crisp. Stir in the white beans, season to taste with salt and pepper, and heat for another minute. Distribute to serving bowls, topping with Parmesan cheese.

Cream of Kale Soup

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










You can prepare the kale and the potatoes just for this recipe, but I admit that this is my way of making something fun out of leftovers when I have these goodies lurking in the fridge already. Don't tell anyone. Some of my friends use this soup approach to encourage kids to eat their kale!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

3 TB olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed, or a couple of chopped garlic scapes
1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed and coarsely chopped, stems separated from leaves
4 cups chicken stock
2-3 leftover boiled potatoes
1/2 tsp ground thyme
Salt and pepper
Sour cream to garnish (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic and kale stems, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the garlic begins to turn light brown. Add the kale leaves, turn heat to medium low, cover and cook, stirring, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the leaves and stems are tender. The leaves will release water that will help cook the kale, but if necessary add a little more water to prevent leaves from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

While the kale is cooking, process the potatoes, the thyme, and the stock in a food processor equipped with a cutting blade.

When the kale is tender, process with the potatoes and stock. Add more stock if necessary. You might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your processor, to avoid painting the kitchen walls with kale-colored paint.

Pour soup into a saucepan for reheating, and distribute to serving plates, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and topping with sour cream.

Vegetarian alternative: use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. This recipe will also work with other greens.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes