Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

When my family, one by one, with the notable exception of the cook, chose to eat a vegetarian diet, my friend Stephanie Schaeffer gave me this recipe.  It became a staple in our menu, and has remained so even now that we are all omnivores again.  This is simple and quick to make, and most of the ingredients are already in the pantry and fridge.

Baked Ratatouille Gratin

In Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child asserts that, "A really good ratatouille is not one of the quicker dishes to make..."  Whether Julia would consider this version to be a "really good ratatouille" concerns me not.  We love it and it is not only quick to make, but rather simple as well.  We serve it with pasta and a nice crusty loaf of bread.  I'll give Julia's version a try someday, when I have more time.

Pasta Pomodoro

Yes, I bought my first running magazine for the recipes.  This amazing—and easy—Pomodoro (tomato) sauce is the base for all of Chef Joe Bastianich's pasta dishes which I will also be posting.  Yet the sauce with simply the pasta is marvelous. 

Cannellini Beans with Kale/ Bruschetta/ Soup

This recipe begins with a tasty take on Bruschetta and then, once the flavors have deepened overnight, it evolves into a soup.  No mere leftovers here, this is entirely intentional, and oh, so good.  I found this in Bon Appetit magazine, (November 2010) and have made it many times over.  When you are nearing the end of the process with the cannellini beans with kale you are to drain the beans and kale, but reserve the liquid!  Don't pour it down the drain!  It's liquid gold, so be sure to drain it over a bowl to capture every luscious drop.

*note: The soup calls for a drizzle of truffle oil.  I have yet to use this, (speaking of liquid gold) and the soup stands without it.  If you have truffle oil, drizzle away.  If you have extra, send me some!

Eggplant, Mozzarella, and Saffron Rice Bake

I discovered this heavenly recipe in an issue of Bon Appetit Magazine a couple of years ago, (September 2012) and asked Kate to make it.  I can't remember the circumstances around Kate preparing this instead of doing it myself, but she rolled up her sleeves and went to work.  The resulting dish was absolutely heavenly.  It's Farmers' Market season right now, so buy a gorgeous eggplant and make this soon- you won't regret it!