Weeks 10 and 11 - Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup

I've been super lazy busy, and am paying for it now...weeks 10 and 11 occurred in February and March. It is now may. Lots of catching up to do.

Week 10

1 doz. garlic scape and spinach stuffed ravioli
1 quart chopped frozen tomatoes
1 quart frozen strawberries
1 quart green beans
4 links Italian chicken sausage
1 dozen eggs
1.5# dried beans
3# yukon gold potatoes
1 gallon apple cider
1 sleeve green leaf lettuce

The ravioli are just ok - I ate with pesto made and frozen in the fall. The cider and eggs were consumed, but the leaf lettuce wilted in the fridge over the weekend while we were out of town. The potatoes didn't make it to the plate either. They quickly turned green and sprouted. Everything else went into pantry or freezer.

Week 11

1 whole chicken
1 piece aged goat gouda
1 quart chopped frozen tomatoes
1 pint frozen sweet corn
1 quart frozen cauliflower
1 pint frozen blackberries
1 lb carrots
1 candy onion
handful shallots
3# kennebec white potatoes
1/4 peck gala apples
1 sleeve mixed lettuce

The chicken, potatoes, onion and carrots were used again for Thomas Keller's roast chicken.

The goat gouda was stinky, but delicious.

I added a new favorite recipe to the rotation this month courtesy of Epicurious. (In the interest of full disclosure, this recipe was discovered by either my mom or sister...I can't remember).

• 1/4 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 8 ounces sausage (the recipe called for Portuguese or kielbasa, I used the Italian chicken sausage)
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed
• Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 small piece Parmesan rind (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberry, navy, or cannellini (white kidney) beans (about 10 ounces), soaked overnight, drained
• 4 cups baby kale or baby mustard greens
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot and stirring occasionally, until wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add Parmesan rind, if using, red pepper flakes, thyme, bay leaf, broth, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to keep beans submerged, until beans are tender, 1-1 1/2 hours. Mix in kale and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. 

This was nothing short of spectacular. Instead of canned tomatoes, I used the frozen. The beans were gorgeous, and tasty:

A side salad and some crusty bread made a meal to remember.