Zuppa Toscana

What a great day for Home Skills Fellowship! Perfectly sunny, perfectly warm … well, maybe a little too perfectly warm if you ask some of us. But since we only have to endure a few of these very hot, too hot, hot, hot, hot days here in the Pacific Northwest, we who believe 75 degrees should be the temperature cap everywhere in the world will try to muffle our whimpering.

Let’s get straight to the Zuppa Toscana. I know a lot of you are waiting for it (because I’m getting emails telling me so). Now, I have to give you a little disclaimer. I was typing up notes on my iPhone while Lindsey walked us through the process, but about midway through her demonstration, she mentioned that the batch she was making for us was smaller than what she made at home. So I’m going to finagle the ingredients I already typed and try to figure out what a normal-sized batch would include. But no worries … this is one of those “add a little more, add a little less” kind of recipes. I don’t think you can ruin it.

Here’s Lindsey …

… and here’s what she shared:

Zuppa Toscana

• about 8 cups of stock (she used one box of chicken, one box of beef)
• 3 oz Italian sausage
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3-4 russet potatoes, halved and cut in very thin slices (don’t peel)
• 1/2 head kale, stem removed, sliced in small pieces
• 1/4-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3-5 slices bacon
• shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a frying pan, cook the sausage and the onion till both are browned. At the very end, add the minced garlic and cook only about three minutes (otherwise, it will become bitter).
2. Add sliced potatoes and stir around for a few minutes.
3. Transfer to a soup pot, add stock and bring to a boil.
4. Add kale and cook 15 minutes, then turn to a simmer and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.
5. While the soup is simmering, cook the bacon, then dice into very small pieces. Set aside.
6. Heat cream in microwave or in a small pot just to warm.
7. Add cream and bacon to soup just before serving. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
8. Ladle soup in bowls and top with shredded Parmesan cheese

You’re going to love this one. I promise. Thank you, Lindsey!:

UPDATE: I recently revamped this to make a version that is a little hotter and a little less good-for-you. 🙂 If interested, check out this recipe.

And here are some pictures of our gathering:

Some of the kids like to run around outside, and some like to sprawl on the floor and watch. 🙂

Lindsey showed Pam how to make a rag rug at our first HSF, and look at her now!

Look at this beach bag Diana is making … she’s crocheting it out of recycled plastic bags! These are all Fred Meyer bags, which are tan with black writing. It makes the bag look wickerish. Stay tuned for instructions. I’m saving Fred Meyer bags as we speak.

Let’s have lunch on the patio …

Samantha, our Children’s Ministry Director, works on the books for K-Roc (our Wednesday night kids club). Although you can’t really see her, because she’s hiding between Emilie and Pam.

Soup and knitting.

Zuppa!

When we get together next (September 5th), we’ll be learning how to can blackberry jam. Want to join us? 🙂

And in other news!

This is what was waiting for me at the top of the driveway when I came home last night.