[Schenk]

Since there seem to be some soup fans, here is a recipe I like: No Name Harvest Soup • Italian sausage • Yellow/crookneck squash • Tomatoes • Brown rice, cooked.(sort of optional) • Garlic, lots • Onion • Green beans (optional) • White beans, black eye peas, or other canned beans. Dry beans too, follow directions for cooking on the package before adding to the soup…they will suck up a lot of good broth otherwise. (optional) • Spinach (optional) • Olive oil • Salt/pepper/cayenne (a good dose) /Rosemary/thyme or “Italian” seasoning. Amounts? What ever it takes I guess, and it can vary. Consider that the squash and tomatoes make the bulk of the “broth” from the moisture that cooks out of them. I use 4 squash and 2-3 times the volume of tomatoes for an average batch that will make a few nice bowls for 2 people. Get as much sausage as you like…some folks like a meatier soup, some don’t. If you discover that you did not get enough squash and tomatoes then just add more “optional” ingredients to make a bigger batch. Play around with it; add more varieties of beans or a can of spinach. I use lots of garlic and onions. I use a minimum of a whole bulb of garlic and a whole medium-large onion for a regular batch. Browning them in oil really adds to the flavor of the broth and is why this stuff is ready to eat right away…no hours of simmering bones to make stock! I use a heaping cup of cooked brown rice for this amount also…rice is optional…this is really a “make it your own” type of recipe. Directions: 1. Fry-simmer the sausage in olive oil and garlic until the sausage is done and the garlic is caramelized. 2. To this, add sliced or cubed squash and simmer to cook the squash. Add uncooked green beans at this time if desired. 3. Immediately start a second pan with chopped onion, cooked brown rice, and oil, cook until the rice is browned and crispy and the onions are beginning to caramelize. This should be a pretty deep pan because you will add tomatoes to it soon. 4. Add salt, pepper and spices to both pans. I like to add enough cayenne that you can tell it is there. Add enough spices to make you happy and the kitchen smell good. 5. Add sliced and diced tomatoes to the pan with rice and onions now (time it so the squash is beginning to soften before you add the tomatoes to the second pan). 6. Once the squash has softened and the tomatoes are turning to “soup”, combine both pans into a large stock pot and add the spinach (if desired). 7. Cook until you have a nice “gumbo” consistency with lots of chunky pieces and lots of tomato-y broth. Any variation can be made when it comes to ingredients (but keep the base ingredients: Squash, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and spices) and vegetarians may just omit the sausage!

[Navy salad]

Yep, wifey and I are BIG soup* fans, and this looks right up our alley. I'm printing this out right now. Thanks for posting! --------------------- * where "soup" means thick & satisfying (like this one), not some wimpy tomato bisque kind of stuff