Week 140: Autumn Minestrone
Happy Thursday!
When I shop for supplies, I draw a lot of interested stares and funny comments. And, of course, all the cashiers at Kroger are very familiar with me and my obscenely large carts. My favorite cashier and I always talk about food, recipes and my weekly menu. When I saw her this week, she assumed I was very happy with the weather cooling off. And she's right ... I am so happy to see the weather turn, mostly because it gives me the opportunity to cook with different seasonal ingredients. The change in seasons always renews my interest in the kitchen! Which leads to a fall classic on this week's menu :-)
On the menu for TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6th is AUTUMN MINESTRONE with SPICY CHEESE BREAD. Minestrone means "Big Soup" to Italians .... a healthy and hearty soup packed with lots of goodies, like seasonal veggies, pasta and beans. The word minestrone orginated from Minestra, which means to "dish up" or "serve".....and I'm happy to dish up a big pot of this to your family!!
The soup begins with browning Italian sausage in the pot along with onions, carrots and garlic. Once the meat is browned and veggies are softened, homemade chicken stock, butternut squash, zucchini, diced tomatoes, fresh rosemary and thyme are added. After the soup simmers, ditalini pasta, bright green kale and red kidney beans are dropped in. The soup is garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan cheese. This minestrone can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using homemade vegetable stock, please just comment on the order form.
My bread companion this week is my Spicy Cheese Bread. This chewy, cheesy bread is legendary in Wisconsin and incorporates red pepper flakes into both the dough and the topping to give it a spicy kick.
On the menu for dessert this week are REESE'S SINFUL SECRET BARS. This is a brand new offering for all of you to kick off the month of October! The bars have a delectable chocolate cookie base and a “sinfully” delicious peanut butter filling, with “secret” chopped up Reese’s inside. They are finished off with a drizzle of peanut butter icing on top. Needless to say, these are perfect for the chocolate peanut butter lover! - Jenny from Jenny Sue Delights