A Homemade Life: Ed Fretwell Soup

Thatbaby and I have very little routine.  Each day is different, and as much as I wish we could just hang out the way I did after Thatkid was born, this time around I find us much busier, with far less downtown.  Partially because with only one kid, I had free evenings.  Now, with two, I have almost no time after the kids are in bed, and half of that time is spent pumping. 

Which means I have a lot more to get done during the day.  One thing I have tried to make routine however is a weekly trip to the Farmers' Market.  We live a mile from our local Farmers' Market, so I decided early on that each week I would walk down and back, which would get me out of the house and active, since it is otherwise so hard to try to get any exercise in during the day.

This would have been a much better idea if Thatbaby was born in the fall.  Or enjoyed the stroller.  Instead we head out in the hot, humid weather that has us both sweating.  (And me gulping gatorade) Thatbaby usually falls asleep in the stroller on the way down, but inevitably wakes up at some point once we get to the market and then I wear him the whole hot, sweaty, mile home.

I do think it's worth it though, I like the exercise and I love the things I pick up each week.  Here are a couple weeks worth of my finds:

A basil plant, kettle corn (for the drive in!), parsley, eggs, apples, and green bell pepper.

Kale, red bell peppers, tomatoes, apples, sweet potatoes, peaches, and sunflowers.

Carrots, tomatoes, plums, pluots, nectarines, apricots, bread, and eggs.

And this week!

Cabbage (for stuffed cabbage), eggplants (for moussaka), lemons, zucchini (for stuffed zucchini), raspberries, tomato, and green beans.

It may seem silly to have soup in such hot weather, but if you think about it, it's genius.  It uses the stovetop instead of the oven, so the whole house doesn't heat up.  There's also about eating something hot in hot weather to help cool you down.  Plus, all the fresh produce available that can be used in soups make it seem like a more natural choice than one might imagine.

Ed Fretwell Soup (From A Homemade Life)

1lb dried white beans

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed under the side of a knife

3 fresh sage leaves

water

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions, finely chopped

4 stalks celery, finely chopped

8 medium carrots, sliced into thin rounds

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced in 1/4 inch thick half moons

4 cups vegetable broth

3/4 lb swiss chard, stalks discarded and leaves coarsely chopped

3/4 lb green cabbage, trimmed and coarsely chopped

28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped

1 Tbsp salt

olive oil

Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

1. Put the beans in a medium bowl, and cover with cool water by at least 1 inch.  Set aside at room temperature, uncovered, overnight.
2. Drain the beans and put them in a Dutch oven.  Add the garlic, sage leaves, and 10 cups cold water.  Place the pot over high heat, and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.  Skim away any brownish foam that rises to the surface.
3. While the beans cook, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. 
4. Add the zucchini and broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. 
5. Add the Swiss chard, cabbage, and tomatoes, cover the pot, and simmer gently, adjusting the heat as necessary for 1 hour.
6.  Add the cooked beans and their cooking water, discarding the sage leaves.  
7. Add the salt and stir well.  Simmer for another 30 minutes to an hour, stirring frequently.
8. Serve with a glug of olive-oil over the top of each bowl and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano.