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Pasta e Fagioli
Last weekend, Howard read about winter farmers’ markets in the area. For six weeks, from January 17 through February 27, on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Russell’s Garden Center in Wayland is hosting a Winter Farmers’ Market. Yesterday, we went to check it out. It was fabulous. There were several vendors offering fresh vegetables. Given that it is January, that means salad greens, bitter greens, and stored root vegetables. There were other vendors selling cheese, meat, eggs, honey, bread and other local products like root beer, granola, and preserves. There were at least 15 different vendors. They were scattered throughout the greenhouses, so it was hard to count. The place was crowded with enthusiastic customers. It was exciting to discover this winter shopping option. We’ll be back!
With the refrigerator was empty of leftovers, so I decided to make a hearty soup for lunches during the upcoming week. I still had some not-so-good ribs from earlier in the week, so, initially, I planned to make a soup that would invite the addition of the leftover rib meat. I settled on a pasta e fagioli, where the meat would stand in for the chicken and ham. In the end, we finished the ribs for lunch yesterday, so I ended up with a vegetarian soup instead.
Pasta e Fagioli (Bean and Pasta Soup)
Serves 8 – 10
(Adapted from Italian Classics in One Pot by Anna Teresa Callen)
1 lb dried beans (an assortment of red and white beans)
3 qts. water
¾ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried sage
2 bay leaves
¼ tsp black pepper
1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juice reserved
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
¾ cup pastina (small soup pasta)
Generous handful of Italian parsley, chopped
The beans need to be soaked before starting the soup. You have two choices:
- Soak the beans overnight (at least 8 hours). I prefer to use boiling, rather than room temperature, water for soaking.
- Place the beans in a large pot. Cover with water by a few inches. Bring the water to a boil. Turn the heat down, and simmer for 1 hour. The beans will not be cooked, they will be “quick-soaked”.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans.
Place the soaked beans in a large soup pot. Add 3 quarts of water, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beans are softened, but not completely tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Add the tomatoes, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Simmer until the beans are tender, another 30 to 45 minutes.
Turn up the heat to medium, add the pasta, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves, and stir in the parsley.
Turkey Leftovers (Round One)
Thanksgiving is an enjoyable meal, but, in many ways, it’s more about the company than the food. I love what can be created from Thanksgiving leftovers. A 28-pound turkey for 9 people was no mistake. I was planning for leftovers.
On Friday, we had repeat Thanksgiving for lunch and dinner, that is, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, veggies, and, for me, pink jello mold. Now, it’s time to move on to creative use of leftovers.
The day before Thanksgiving, I always make a pot of turkey stock from any turkey parts in the freezer. Usually, I use the stock for the gravy and the stuffing, to maximize the turkeyness. Any leftover stock can be used to make turkey soup. As I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post, we ended up with a tremendous amount of liquid in the roasting pan. It was enough for the gravy and the stuffing, with more left over. That leaves 6 quarts of day-before turkey stock in the refrigerator!
First order of business is a LARGE pot of turkey barley soup. This soup couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is cut things up and cook them in the pot. It’s quite flexible. Depending on what’s on hand, I’ve made it with different vegetables than these. I’ve also done this with orzo or other tiny pasta instead of barley. Here’s today’s version. (Normally, I make 2/3 of this recipe, but I was trying to make a dent in the stock.)
Turkey Barley Soup
3 cups sliced leeks (about 2 leeks)
2 cups sliced celery (about 4 stalks)
2 cups sliced carrots (about 4 carrots)
3 quarts (12 cups) turkey stock
1 tsp dried thyme
1½ cups pearl barley
2 cups diced cooked turkey
Combine vegetables, stock, and barley in a soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour. Barley should be tender. Add turkey, stir, and heat until turkey is warmed up. Serve.
Variations:
- Parsnips, sliced like the carrots, or quartered mushrooms are nice additions.
- Substitute 1 cup dried orzo for the barley. Don’t add at the beginning, but after about 45 minutes. Cook until tender. Then add the turkey.
Another thing I like to make with Thanksgiving leftovers is turkey pot pie. My recipe has evolved over many, many years of leftovers. This is where any leftover vegetables usually end up. The gravy too, though I often need to make more gravy to have enough. My pot pies have a lot more vegetables than meat because that’s my preference. You could adjust according to your own tastes.
We had a nice assortment left from the veggies that Laury brought to Thanksgiving dinner: red and yellow beets, turnips, pearl onions, and carrots. I also had some leftover roasted squash in the fridge. I steamed some carrots and parsnips to round it out. This works with any combination of seasonal vegetables that you like. Here’s today’s version of turkey pot pie:
Turkey Pot Pie
(Serves 6-8)
1 Tbsp butter (I have to admit I used rendered turkey fat from the roasted bird)
1 or 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
6-7 cups of cooked vegetables (all the vegetables should be cut into bite-sized pieces, about ½ inch)
2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups turkey gravy (see below)
½ cup chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme, or whatever you have)
Pot Pie Topping (see below)
Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large pot, melt the butter, and sauté the leeks until tender (about 5 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, and stir gently to combine well.
Pour filling into a 3-quart baking pan, and smooth the top.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pot pie topping to the size of your baking pan. Place the topping over the filling. It doesn’t have to cover exactly.
Bake for 30 minutes, until filling is bubbling and the topping is lightly brown.
Turkey Gravy
¼ cup turkey drippings or fat (if you don’t have that, use vegetable oil)
¼ cup Wondra flour
2 cups turkey stock
In a medium saucepan, whisk the flour into the hot fat. Whisk until lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually whisk in turkey stock. Continue to whisk until the gravy thickens, about 5 more minutes.
Pot Pie Topping
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp (½ stick) butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup milk
In the food processor, combine the dry ingredients. Add butter, and process until the butter is cut in. The mixture will resemble corn meal or coarse sand. Add the milk, and pulse until the dough comes together.
On a floured surface, gently knead the dough a few times before rolling it out.
A Plateful of Happiness 