Rustic and Hearty Tuscan-style Soup

When damp, chilly weather arrives we crave warming soup at my house, and this one is right up there among the top favorites. I've shared this one before and I understand it's similar to, (or a copycat version of) Toscana soup as served at the Olive Garden restaurant. I can't vouch for that as I've never had it there.
Even though I enjoy soup at any time of year,  I only make this particular recipe when the temperatures are cool ~ it's very hearty and filling, almost like a stew.




As you can see, the ingredient list is simple; no exotic items and surprisingly, for such a flavorful outcome, you don't need to add extra seasoning except for some salt and freshly ground black pepper.
I always increase the amount of veggies in the recipe as I prefer this soup chunky, and we all know they are good for us. :)

 

You can have this on your table within about 30 minutes. It's wonderful eaten straight after cooking it, and as with most soups it is fabulous reheated the next day. When reheating I usually add more of the greens just to liven up the color a bit.



It won't win any prizes for beauty, but for what it lacks in visual appeal it more than compensates in satisfying flavor.  I hope you'll give this one a try, it has to be among my top favorite 5 soups --- maybe in the top 3.
You can get the printable copy of the recipe over on my recipe site.

I'm so happy you came by to visit, have a lovely day!
~ mari  

Swiss Chard and Parmesan Torte with Press-In Olive Oil Pastry

This is one of my "Go-To Tried and True" recipes ~ it might become one of yours as well.  It's easy to make, budget friendly, healthful and very tasty!

Here's the story ~
A dear friend of mine shared this one several years ago and it's been a favorite ever since. When she told me she discovered it in Patricia Well's cookbook "Trattoria" I was surprised, as I had bought that book when it was first published (1993 by William Morrow & Co.) and had made several of the the wonderful recipes, but somehow missed THIS one! So thank you my friend . . . Ciao, and you know who you are! :)
It is an easy recipe to put together, and I especially like that there is NO need to roll out the pastry ~ it is a press-in olive oil pastry ~ it bakes up almost cracker-like, sturdy and crispy so you can cut the slices thinly and pick the slices up with your fingers as an appetizer with a glass of your favorite beverage if you like.
Patricia explains that tortes similar to this one are a popular Mediterranean snack and can be found at pastry and snack shops in many parts of Italy, and some versions contain pine nuts and raisins.  I haven't tried either of those additions, but maybe next time. 

(Swiss Chard, I love it! But it you don't, you can use fresh spinach instead.)

Another wonderful thing about this recipe; it can be prepared ahead of time and is traditionally cut into thin slices and served at room temperature ~ (again,  just the perfect nibble with a glass of white wine as an appetizer.)  But I usually serve it warm from the oven for lunch or a light dinner with some sliced tomatoes with a vinaigrette drizzle ~ or some other kind of simple salad.  It certainly does have enough flavor so it tastes great at room temperature (and my friend and I agree, a slice is even tasty right from the fridge the next day.)
Patricia Wells ~ I love her cookbooks!

The steps for assembly:

Pastry ~ 


1 cup all purpose flour, a pinch of sea salt, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.  That's it!



Put the flour and salt in a bowl and mix in the water.



The mixture will look raggedy ~



Stir in the olive oil ~



The dough will begin to clump together, you can use your hands to help it along, but no need to over mix ~ it's perfectly fine if you can see streaks of olive oil.



Press the dough into a shallow 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom.  I don't have a 10-inch pan so I use an 8-inch instead, (this one is a deep dish, but that doesn't matter.)   And don't worry, the dough does not have to reach all the way up the sides, whichever size pan you use.Set aside.

For the filling:



1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed. (I didn't quite have a pound this time ~ not a problem)*, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 3 large eggs (they don't have to be from your own hens ~ as these are. :D) 1 cup grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese ~ do use the real stuff here, and grate your own.  It makes all the difference in the world.
* To prepare the chard, wash and shake off extra moisture, remove tough stems and discard. Tear or cut the chard leaves into pieces and cut into smaller pieces using a food processor fitted with the metal blade; best done in several batches.  Alternately you can just cut the chard leaves with a knife.  I've cut them into medium size pieces, and sometimes smaller pieces, it really doesn't matter.  Just try not to chop them too finely.
Place the chard in a wide frying pan, season with salt and pepper, then wilt over low heat, tossing a couple of times until most of the liquid is evaporated. This only takes about 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.




Crack the eggs into a medium size bowl (I just use the same bowl that  I mixed the dough in.)


Whisk until combined.


Add the wilted Swiss Chard and grated Parmigiano to the eggs



And stir to combine thoroughly.



Spoon the chard mixture into the pastry, then bake in a preheated 375˚F oven for about 30 to 45 minutes (the filling should be lightly be lightly browned and firm.)  Remove to a baking rack to cool to room temperature, or serve warm right out of the oven.  If you serve it at room temperature ~ cut it into thin slices (it's firm enough to eat with your fingers.)  When I serve it for lunch or dinner I cut it into larger slices as shown here.
If you try this one (and I hope you will),  I hope you enjoy!



For a printable copy of the recipe head over to my recipe blog by clicking HERE.

Recommended:

Wonderful book and highly rated by those who own it; just a few good pictures, but it is LOADED with wonderful recipes and great introductions and tips from Patricia for each one. You get a lot of great recipes, and tips for your money with this one, not a bunch of "fluff".

Years ago I used to only buy the shiny tinned tart pans from Williams-Sonoma, because they looked so authentic & *French*.  Although they look lovely on display on the French Baker's rack, I quickly tired of the extra care (to prevent rust, staining, etc.) I switched over to non-stick a long time ago, and haven't looked back. Save yourself the headache ~ get the non-stick!

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Thanks for stopping by today friends.
Cheers!  ~m.