Moneil you have re-discovered an Italian staple. That's Minestra, which can be made with any bean and green. It's made all over Italia. That one in particular is called Pasta con lenticchie. My family use a whole celery, a large Vidalia, two leeks, and garlic sauted before adding a 28 oz. can of San Marzano pomidori pelati (peeled italian tomatoes) cut into small spoon sized pieces. This is also sauted in, and then the beans go in, and last the greens. We like savoy cabbage because we are Genovese. If you add peas, flat green beans, potato pieces, you have a Minestrone. Yes corn is good too. If you are not in Lent then we'd saute mezzina or fat back or bacon or pancetta, but remove the meat till later. We'd use the fat for the saute, and the fond makes it superb. One last thing. If you can get your hands on this cheese it's superb. It's a Genovese staple it's named Pecorino Sardegna, but Peccorino Romano is close enough. PS, Orrechiette from Puglia is really good Pasta for this one.
tim
Thank you for the information Tim! I'll defiently check out the cheese suggetions (my local food coop and the Costco I trade at both are developing nice cheese departments).
If it's not Lent (or Friday) I generally like meat in my soups: I'll buy a ham and use the diced trimming and the bone with green peas or white navy beans, otherwise I use sausage with other soups. A neighboring KC Council (Moscow, ID) has a sausage dinner every fall. The make the sausage themselves from someone's old European family recipe, and also sell uncooked links if they have enough. I usually buy 10 pounds specifically for my soups. I also use locally made sweet Italian sausage from the local food coop meat dept. I used "drippings" for years but in my old age I'm finding I need to "watch the fat" (I'm too cheap to replace my suites and trousers with larger ones) and if I'm not roasting them I cook all my meats on a Geo. Foreman and compost the drippings. With a fond sigh I can still remember my maternal grandmother cooking breakfast: she would fry bacon, then after the eggs were cracked into the skillet, rather then turning them she would cook the egg top by basting the hot bacon grease over them
Minestrone is a soup I
should like, but Mikey DOES NOT eat lima beans (the flat green ones).
