~🥘❤️🥘A Few Words From Susan🥘❤️🥘~ When I was a child, I'd come home after school to mouthwatering aromas from whatever my mother or grandmother had been preparing for dinner. We didn't have a lot of money, so whatever was being cooked would generally be
defined as "peasant food" - an inexpensive dish to feed a family of 7 on a budget. Most of these dishes were Italian in origin - lots of pastas, beans, and vegetables. I didn't realize then that these foods that spoke to me of the love and caring that went into them were also good for me! One of the basics was lentil soup - not the fancy lentils as prepared by chefs like Marcella Hazan, but a basic recipe consisting of lentils, butter, onions, and tomatoes. It's an act of self-care for me to prepare that recipe today - when I walk into the kitchen and smell it simmering on the stove, I am brought right back to childhood and feel the love of Mom and Gram coming down through the years to embrace me. I'm sharing that recipe with you in this newsletter. I hope you enjoy it. The Cestari Medium Storage Jar is a great place to store your lentils, and is a great deal with the 20% off coupon code you'll find in the product section of this newsletter below. Mangia Bene! Best, Susan
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Dedicate one evening a month to cooking a cherished family recipe together. Share the story behind the dish as you prepare it, creating a lasting bond through food and tradition.
Simple Lentil Soup Recipe |
You'll need one pound of brown lentils, several onions, 1 28 ounce can of tomatoes, salt, butter, and about 2 hours. First, chop the onions. When Gram wrote the recipe down for me, she said 4-5 medium onions. I
find the onions I usually have on hand from my CSA Farm Share are much larger, so I'll only need 2, maybe 3. You want approximately 2 cups, chopped. Next, melt the butter on medium low heat. You can use from 2-4 tablespoons, depending on how rich you want the soup. I know that southern Italian cooking usually uses oil, not butter...but Gram refused to use oil. (She said it was because she had been forced to drink a spoonful of castor oil every day as a child (back in the early 1900s), but whatever the reason, that's what we did in my family - always butter, never oil. She lived until she was 95, so the butter didn't hurt.) Saute the onions in the butter until golden and they just begin to brown around the edges. Don't rush this, as this is where the soup's flavor develops. When the onions look good, add the tomatoes. You want the best you can afford. I typically use either tomatoes
from the garden that I've frozen, or Bianco di Napoli, but as long as they taste good, whatever brand you like will work. Whole tomatoes are fine, as they will cook down. Chopped are okay as well, but don't use commercial "diced" tomatoes - they are treated with something to keep their shape and they won't dissolve into the soup. Simmer the onions and tomatoes for 25 minutes. Rinse the lentils, and add to the onion mixture. Stir for a minute or so, add salt to taste (Gram would usually add a tablespoon, which is more than modern tastes can handle, lol). Add 6 cups water. If the
soup is thicker than you like, you can add more water as they simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender. If you feel like splurging, slice a package of hot dogs into disks and add 10 minutes before serving. We would always have these with fresh bagels and butter on the side, but when I don't have fresh baked NY Bagels on hand, I have found that crusty bread works just fine. |
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Reader's Tips for Sharing Love Through Food
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John from Wasilla, Alaska, shares, “I learned to make my grandmother’s apple pie, and now I bake it every Thanksgiving for my family. It’s a way to keep her memory alive and connect through food.” Mary from Cocoa Beach, Florida, notes, “Whenever I try a new recipe and it’s a hit, I send a portion to my friends along with the recipe. It’s my way of spreading culinary joy.” Robert from Marietta, Georgia, suggests, “On chilly days, I make hot chocolate with all the fixings for my kids after school. It’s a simple way to warm their hearts and tummies.” Linda from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, observes, “Whenever my husband has a tough day, I whip up his favorite comfort food, his grandmother's lasagna. It’s an unspoken way of showing I care and want to make him feel better.” Barbara from Bismarck, North Dakota, writes, “I host a potluck dinner with friends once a month. Each person brings a dish that means something to them, and it creates a beautiful tapestry of love through
food.” |
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