What's in the Pot

This week officially starts the season of Community Potluck, the brainchild of a dear friend of mine. So many people don't cook for themselves, can't cook, don't have the family to cook for or the funds to do much in the kitchen - so many reasons to start gathering together and reinforcing the idea of breaking bread together, making the bread and feeding one another. Even if you can't bring anything, you are welcome. The theme is Italian, with a prize for the best dish. So, I have got me a whole braid of garlic and I am making me something Italian. The inspiration came from a recipe at Allrecipes.com.

Minestrone Soup is a wonderful way to get back to my "One Pot" cooking agenda and to make great use of this weeks cooking theme.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 potato diced 1 carrot, diced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Beef consomme or bouillon, 1 can or 8 oz
vegetable broth 6 cups at least
Tomato paste (6 oz) or stewed tomatoes(1 can) or fresh chopped tomatoes
1 can garbanzo beans
1 cup pasta, uncooked
mixed veggies, fresh or frozen approx 1 cup
2 cups spinach, washed and sliced
fresh basil
parsley
oregano 1
1/4 cup red wine (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
(you can also add bacon or ground beef to this if you like)
Take the onion,garlic and red chili flakes and saute in olive oil and begin to cook down, then add carrot, potato and celery until onion is translucent. Add your broths, all of it,tomatoes and oregano, cook for 15 minutes. Add the beans, pasta and veggies, cook for another 15 minutes - making sure the pasta is cooked, At end stir in the basil and spinach and parsley. Don't overcook these lovely greens. Serve with Parmesan cheese on top!

You know me - I am all about using what is available in the kitchen - in being a happen' cook, nothing is set in stone. I had some awesome Pacific Organic French Onion soup (bought on sale at Bartell's!) that I used, some beef bouillon to round out the flavor, I had some mixed frozen veggies I got on sale at Safeway that had green bean, carrots and corn in it - that went in there and I think it is great to always have some fresh parsley in your fridge - cheap, full of vitamin C and excellent in tuna, chicken, well you name it. Tomatoes - both fresh and canned went in there- and I think it doesn't really matter in the large scheme of things if your improvise - in fact, I applaud it. Remember - this is just a rough outline of what your minestrone can be - run with it!