Week 115: Mediterranean Meatball
Like many people, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's a day where we celebrate food and family ... two of my favorite things. I just read a book where the Jewish immigrant father talks about why Thanksgiving was his favorite holiday. He liked the Jewish holidays but he cherished the holidays where his family were the same as everyone else in America, not the ones that underlined their difference.
Those sentiments really hit home for me ... while I love what makes us unique, it's also special to celebrate the ways we are all the same. I am so very thankful for all of you and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. And as the old proverb says, "May your turkey be plump, May your potatoes and gravy never have a lump, May your pies take the prize, and May Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs."
On the menu for MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25th is MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALL SOUP with ITALIAN HERB BREAD. This was a new soup last spring and it was very well received. The ingredient list for this soup isn't long, which means they really shine through. The soup begins by assembling the meatballs, which contain ground beef, fresh mint, breadcrumbs, egg, and garlic. The meatballs are browned in the oven to intensify their flavor. Meanwhile, thinly sliced fennel is sauteed in olive oil in the pot. Fennel is actually in the carrot family, even though it looks like a feathery cousin of celery. It originates in the Mediterranean and has a slightly sweet anise flavor, which adds a tasty dimension to the soup. Once softened, homemade chicken stock, garbanzo beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and pomegranate juice are added. The pomegranate juice adds a little bit of tart background flavor and beautiful red hue to the soup. The soup simmers until all the flavors are blended together and is finished with fresh chopped kale. It's garnished with pomegranate seeds, which add a slightly sweet, slightly tart crunch. The bread companion this week is my Italian herb bread...this fresh bread filled with herbs and garlic will taste fantastic dipped into the soup.
On the menu for desserts from Jenny Sue Delight are ANDES MINT COOKIES - back by popular demand! If you are a fan of mint and chocolate, these cookies are for you. They are soft, chewy and loaded with Andes Mints.
Those sentiments really hit home for me ... while I love what makes us unique, it's also special to celebrate the ways we are all the same. I am so very thankful for all of you and I wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. And as the old proverb says, "May your turkey be plump, May your potatoes and gravy never have a lump, May your pies take the prize, and May Thanksgiving dinner stay off your thighs."
On the menu for MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25th is MEDITERRANEAN MEATBALL SOUP with ITALIAN HERB BREAD. This was a new soup last spring and it was very well received. The ingredient list for this soup isn't long, which means they really shine through. The soup begins by assembling the meatballs, which contain ground beef, fresh mint, breadcrumbs, egg, and garlic. The meatballs are browned in the oven to intensify their flavor. Meanwhile, thinly sliced fennel is sauteed in olive oil in the pot. Fennel is actually in the carrot family, even though it looks like a feathery cousin of celery. It originates in the Mediterranean and has a slightly sweet anise flavor, which adds a tasty dimension to the soup. Once softened, homemade chicken stock, garbanzo beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and pomegranate juice are added. The pomegranate juice adds a little bit of tart background flavor and beautiful red hue to the soup. The soup simmers until all the flavors are blended together and is finished with fresh chopped kale. It's garnished with pomegranate seeds, which add a slightly sweet, slightly tart crunch. The bread companion this week is my Italian herb bread...this fresh bread filled with herbs and garlic will taste fantastic dipped into the soup.
On the menu for desserts from Jenny Sue Delight are ANDES MINT COOKIES - back by popular demand! If you are a fan of mint and chocolate, these cookies are for you. They are soft, chewy and loaded with Andes Mints.