Zuppa Toscana

These pictures are for you to enjoy just because I love my chickens!  Ok, maybe they were really for me to enjoy, but I like to share.  You know the saying, Sharing is Caring!  Now doesn't this just make you love farming!  

 

Big Daddy!

Curious George....one, out of 8, new Buff Orpingtons.

Our Dominickers do not have names yet, but they are beautiful, and oh, their eggs are beautiful too!

 

 

 

The weather has caused me to drag out of all my favorite soup recipes!  Soup is probably the only reason I love winter.  If you know me well, you know that I am very cold natured, so during winter I think I must surely be freezing to death.

 

Zuppa Toscana (Olive Garden's Potato Soup) is my favorite recipe of all times.  It's great for wintry days!  I found that even during summer, when our gardens are ripe with New Potatoes, Zuppa Toscana is just as enjoyable!  This is definitely one of my go-to recipes if we have guests coming over, or I am bringing a meal to someone that has been sick or lost a loved one.  (I have never messed this recipe up, so I think it is safe to say, it probably can't be done!)

 

ZUPPA TOSCANA

 

1 lb. Italian Sausage (Really, any pan sausage will work!)

1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (If you have kids that don't like spicy food, use about 3/4 tsp. or omit altogether.)

4 Tbsp. butter

1 large diced onion

4 Tbsp. bacon pieces

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

10 c water

5 cubes chicken bouillon

1 c heavy cream

1 lb russet potatoes ( This just isn't enough potatoes for my likin'!  I normally use 10 medium New potatoes.)

 

*Optional:1/4 bunch of kale.  My kids don't want anything green floating in their soup, so I don't normally add it.  It doesn't really add to the flavor anyway.  It just makes it look pretty!

 

DIRECTIONS:

Brown sausage, drain excess fat, and refrigerate.  Sauté bacon, onion, and garlic in butter for about 15 minutes.  Mix bouillon and water and add to the pot.  Bring to a boil.  Add potatoes and red pepper flakes and cook until soft, which will be between 15-30 minutes depending on how thick you slice your potatoes.  Add cream and cook until thoroughly heated.  Stir in sausage.  (Add kale right before serving.)

 

 

1.  Because Janet and Naomi have added pictures for their recipes, I felt like I better join the club!  In this step, gather all your ingredients.  (Then, put them in front of your most picturesque wall and admire!  Or not...whatever you think!) 

 

2.  If you love yourself, go ahead and get some bread sticks ready to go with your soup.  You can't enjoy the full experience without them!

 

3.  Brown your sausage.  Just as a side note, if you don't have one of those handy dandy meat chopper thingies from Pampered Chef, you are just missing out!  You will thank me later for that tip!  When browned, place your sausage in a bowl and set in the refrigerator.

 

4.  Put butter, onion, bacon, and garlic in pot to sauté for 15 minutes. 

 

5.  While my house is starting to smell wonderful and my goods are sautéing, I chop my potatoes, measure my water, and put my cube of chicken bouillon in.  (Truth be told, I normally measure my water and throw the cubes in the pot when everything is coming to a boil because I almost forget to add them every time!)

 

 

 

6.  This step is very important.  Do you hear me: IMPORTANT!  Find the cutest little assistant chef and get them in on the action.  Preferably, they need to be missing a front tooth or two!  She added the water to the pot and let it come to a boil.  Then, she carefully added the potatoes.     

 

7.  Next, we added the red pepper flakes.

 

8.  After about 15 minutes, our potatoes were done.  The heat was turned down to about medium low and we added the cream.  The directions say to let it warm thoroughly, but I have not found that a pot of just boiled broth and potatoes will be cooled by 1 cup of cream, so we just move directly to the next step.  (Ain't nobody got time for that!)

 

9.  Add your sausage back to the pot.

 

10.  DIG IN!  Don't forget your bread sticks.

 

All I can say for today is, YOU'RE WELCOME!