Potato-Eggplant Soup with Chickpeas

Sauté 2 medium chopped onions and 1 large chopped eggplant on medium heat for about 20 minutes. After about 10 minutes, sprinkle on a teaspoon of salt.

Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons ground fennel seed, 6 cups water or stock, 2-3 cups of chopped potatoes (no need to peel them) and 2 chopped red peppers. (Marinated roasted peppers work fine.) Turn the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking for an hour.

Add 2-3 cups cooked chickpeas, and cook another 15 minutes. Add water if necessary, depending on how thick or thin you like soup. When the potatoes are easily split with a fork and the eggplant is tender, the soup is ready.

Risotto with Green Beans and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

We like risotti, and this is a delicious combination.

Trim about ½ pound of green beans, and cut into 1-1½ inch lengths, making about 2 cups. Cut sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces (½ or so pieces), for about ½ cup total.

Sauté the green beans in a dry cast iron skillet until they begin to brown. Remove from heat.

Heat a teaspoon or so of extra virgin olive oil in a 3 quart saucepan. Add two cups arborio rice, and turn the heat to low after a minute.

Begin adding vegetable stock, ½ cup at a time, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until all the stock is absorbed. Continue until the rice is tender, about 12-14 cups of stock total. (I generally use a quart of stock that I had put away previously, and use water for the rest of the liquid.)

Serve with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.

It's not difficult to keep vegetable stock on hand with a little planning. In the summer, when we get fresh carrots from New Roots, I cut the greens off immediately and put them in a large pot of water to boil. I boil the carrot greens in water until the volume is reduced by 2/3, then cool and freeze in one quart containers. Anytime I cook other vegetables and cooking water remains, that also gets frozen for later use as stock.