Summer Visits Winter Soup

Wind blew fierce and wild onto the cold winter’s morning, scattering wayward snow like sand along the jet black streets. Our blinker clicked, and the windshield wipers squeaked hard against the glass, which was tired from fighting chilly winter battles. The rhythmic back and forth of the wipers unveiled lighter shades of morning continually until we were paused at the airport terminal. We eagerly scanned the smiling, red-faced travelers for signs of our own family. An icy shell encased our car, and there was a sound of shattering glass as we cracked the trunk open...

I am caught between a memory and a premonition, rhythmically stirring the vegetables and lavishing the pot with salt and basil. The holiday storm has unloaded banks of red and white Starbucks cups unto the garbage cans lining our town. The grocery stores are sampling eggnog and the flower shops carry wreathes and poinsettias. Everyone lingers a little longer at the coffee shop, weighing in with the Year’s Christmas card milestones. We cheer each other into the conversation, as though the finish line to 2009 stretched right around our circle of chairs. I will miss this place when it goes.

“Do you have to squeeze the tomatoes and make a mess like that when you make a tomato based vegetable soup?” Christina asked. “Shhhhh” I whispered, as though trying to convince her not to discourage the soup from going through this process of transformation. For some reason, she obliged and looked apologetically at the soup. It was a funny moment.

Summer Visits Winter Soup

4 cups vegetable stock (here is my recipe for vegetable stock)

3 onions

1 bunch celery

2 cloves garlic smashed

1 Tbsp peppercorns

salt

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 bunch carrots, peeled

2 cups mushrooms chopped

8 cups water (or to cover

2 bay leaves

Simmer vegetables for 1 hour in cold water (add the water and the vegetables in increments. Simmer the three onions in about 2 cups of water for awhile. Then add the celery and more water..etc..) Strain into the vegetable soup.

The Soup

3 medium potatoes

1 large yellow onion

8 peeled diced carrots

3 summer squash diced

2 cloves garlic minced

Basil

Salt

Pepper

2 cups green beans

2 cups kidney beans cooked

2 cans peeled whole tomatoes

Dash of Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Dash of hot peppers (optional)

Cook the potatoes, onions and salt in a little oil. Add the remaining vegetables and cook, uncovered (about 10 min). Add vegetable stock and tomatoes (squeeze them in). Cook covered until tender.