Autumn: My Favorite Season for Cooking

I don't know about you, but my most favorite season of the year is autumn, hands down. Maybe it's the chill in the air, the hayrides at Schartner's or the thought of breaking out my sewing machine to make Halloween costumes for my children.

I also love the bounty that autumn puts forth on the table this time of year...root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and beets ... crisp red and green apples ... and cooking greens like Swiss chard and escarole. Just visit a farmer's market this time of year and you'll see what I'm talking about. Autumn rejuvinates my soul and my wooden spoon!

I tend to get very creative this time of year and enjoy making seasonal meals for my husband and two young children. I love throwing on the old apron that my brother-in-law picked up for me in Italy, opening the windows to feel the cool breeze on my face and cooking up a delicious pot of soup. Yes, SOUP! 

For some reason autumn and soup go hand-in-hand. Whenever I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner towards the end of the summer he would say "SOUP!"  I would always respond with, "No dear!  We wait until autumn for that!"  I've always enjoyed cooking seasonally ... and to me soup (besides chowder and tomato soup) always felt like a fall meal. To wait until fall to make soup makes the it special to me and my family as well.

I usually make a pot of soup once a week as I know none will ever be wasted. Plus, you can get so many nutrients in a pot that it makes you feel good putting it on the table for your family to eat. Vegetables, which tend to be a difficult thing to get children to eat, tenderize so perfectly in soup that both my children request more!  And my husband can eat three bowls in one sitting including the crusty bread that I serve with it. There are so many soups to cook it can be overwhelming to choose which ones to make for your family. I have a few staples that you must try this season. I'll share two of our favorites with you (one you can make vegetarian if needed). Be sure to serve both with warm, crusty bread! 

A tip for you: If you don't like an ingredient, change it to something you do like.  For example, if you aren't a fan of Swiss chard, use escarole! 

The first recipe is a little more time consuming than the second (although very easy) - great for a weekend meal. The second recipe is pretty quick and easy - a great weeknight meal!

Please let me know how you liked them if you try them!  I guarantee they'll be a hit!

Rabe, Meatball and 'Little Ears' Soup
Makes about 6 bowls on average

Ingredients

1 large bunch of rabe, trimmed and cut into large bite size pieces

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and black pepper

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed

32 oz chicken stock

32 oz vegetable stock

1/3 lb orecchiette (little ears) pasta

1 lb ground veal, beef and pork combo

1 egg

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup italian breadcrumbs

6 sage leaves minced

crusty bread

Directions

1) Rinse rabe and trim and cut into bite size pieces with kitchen scissors.

2) Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a large skillet/pot. Add a little salt to boiling water as well as rabe and cook for 7 minutes.  Drain and reserve.

3) While cooking rabe, heat a large soup pot over medium with 2 Tbsp olive oil.

4) Add the garlic, onion and carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

5) Add the beans and heat through for about a minute. Season with a little salt and pepper.

6) Add rabe and stocks and cover. Bring pot to a boil.

7) Add pasta and stir. Reduce heat and simmer soup to a low roll, uncovered.

8) Mix ground meat with egg, breadcrumbs, cheese, a little salt and pepper, and sage (use your hands).

9) Roll meat into 1 inch balls and drop into soup 1 at a time. Simmer until pasta and meatballs are cooked through (about 7-20 minutes depending on stove-top).

10) Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!  Great leftover as well!

Tortellini, Swiss Chard and White Bean Soup

*Makes about 4 large bowls

Ingredients

1/2 inch thick slice of panchetta (ask for it at the deli counter). If you want to make this vegetarian skip this ingredient, although it gives GREAT flavor to soup.

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 shallots, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1 large bunch of swiss chard (I like rainbow best!), chopped

8 cups chicken stock

1 package of tortellini (3 Cheese Barilla works best)

salt and black pepper

Directions

1) In big soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the panchetta, shallots, and carrot. Cook until shallots and carrot are tender and panchetta is crisp. Add the garlic and cook for another minute - don't burn the garlic. Season with a little salt and pepper.

2) Add the swiss chard, beans and stock. Stir.

3) Bring the soup to a boil and add tortellini. Lower heat to medium high so boiling but not rapidly. Cook until tortellini is done. Season with salt and pepper.

4) Serve with crusty bread.