Farmer's Market Soup

This is one of my very favorite soups! And this time of year is

perfect for it. I just bought some lovely fresh vegetables and

with this soup, you can use just about any combination you like.

Add a heavenly slice of crusty home made bread and you've got

a perfect little supper. Can you tell I'm celebrating the empty

nest cooking?

Farmer's Market Soup

3 tbsp olive oil

3 leeks chopped

pinch of saffron threads

3 large carrots, diced

3 medium turnips, peeled and diced

3 zucchini or other summer squash, chunked

3/4 lb green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 quarts vegetable stock

1 cup dried pasta, I like bowl shaped Orecchiette

The Pesto

3 cups loosely packed basil leaves

1 garlic clove

3 tbsp pine nuts

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

2 tbsp grated Romano

1/2 cup olive oil

Warm oil in a wide soup pot over medium heat. Add leeks

and saffron and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes.

Add vegetables, garlic and salt, cook 5 minutes and add

stock. Bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer until vegetables

are tender, 20 - 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water, drain and rinse with

cold water.

Make the pesto. Mash the garlic in a mortar with 1/4 tsp salt

and the pine nuts (I use a mini food processor) then add the

basil a hand full at a time. Grind until you have a fine paste.

Briefly work in the cheeses and stir in the olive oil. Taste for

salt.

Add the pasta to the hot soup, ladle the soup into bowls and

stir a spoonful of pesto into each serving. Season with pepper.

NOTE: Don't skimp and leave out the pesto! And don't

use that nasty store bought kind. It is the key ingredient

that gives the soup it's rich fabulous flavor, when stirred

into each bowl full!

*photo by Willow*