Day 7: Mighty Minestrone & Cornbread

There are several different variations of this soup out there.  Here's a variation I made tonight:

Minestrone Soup
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves  of garlic, minced
4 carrots, sliced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 bay leaf
few sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, chopped
salt, pepper, dried oregano, red pepper flakes
15 oz can of chickpeas, drained
15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
4+ cups vegetable stock
water
1 lb ditalini pasta
1/2 bunch kale, chopped
more salt & pepper!
parmesan cheese

In a large soup pot, heat some extra virgin olive oil and saute the onion.  Add the garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.  (It's helpful to rub the dried herbs between your fingers first to release more flavor.)  Cook down 3-5 minutes until the vegetables are soft.  Add the chickpeas, beans, and tomato paste and cook a few minutes until the paste smells sweet.  (The paste will literally smell bitter at first, and then it will smell sweet after a few minutes.)  Season with more salt and pepper.  Add the wine and allow alcohol to cook off.  Add the vegetable stock and about 3-4 cups of water.  Add the kale to wilt and bring to a boil.  Once the water starts boiling, add the pasta and reduce heat to medium for the pasta to cook (about 8 minutes).  Let simmer until ready to eat!  Sprinkle with parmesan freshly grated parmesan cheese when ready to serve.  (*Note, I've heard from many chefs on my favorite network, The Food Network, that adding the rind from parmesan cheese wedges to soups is a great way to season!  I do it in all of my soups now, and love the extra salty, nutty taste it brings to my soup!)

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread
(Randy LOVES cornbread, and swears this recipe is the best he's ever had!  Courtesy of Chef Alex Gaurnaschelli)

1 1/4 cups cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup whole milk
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 425* and place 9-inch cast iron skillet inside to heat.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add the milk, buttermilk, and eggs to combine.  Add most of the melted butter, reserving about 2 Tbsp.
Remove the skillet from the oven, and reduce the temperature to 375*.  Coat the skillet with the remaining melted butter, and then pour in the batter.  Bake until center is firm, about 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.