Brothless Soup: The Soup for Summer

Question: When you’re feeling the need to eat something cleansing, healthy and nourishing, what food comes to mind first? I betcha most of you think of soup.

I spent last week on a canoeing and rock climbing trip with 55 nine- and ten- year olds. It was a great time in a crazy way. Nevertheless, four days of white bread, limited veggies and too much sugar had me yearning for food that is pure and nourishing. More practically, I needed to get my guts moving again.

But it’s 91 freakin’ degrees and 100% humidity here in Chicago! As wonderful as Minestrone sounds- with zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and basil so fresh this time of year- it’s just too darned hot for soup. No problem. I worked this out last spring: it’s called the brothless soup. Read more

Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Muffins

Don’t think I’m going all Jessica Seinfeld on ya, but you’ve gotta love this opportunity to sneak a little extra veggies into your family’s diet at breakfast. The sweet, warm, oozing blueberries burst with flavor in your mouth. The texture is heavenly- like a gauzy white shirt-dress on a breezy summer day. This is a healthy muffin that is light as air and yet is as filling as one of those leaden hockey-puck bran muffins.

Blueberries and zucchini are beautiful and bountiful right now. Take advantage. Read more

Spice-rubbed Grilled Chicken

This is the summertime version of Classic Roast Chicken.  This recipe is just as much about lifestyle as it is about flavor.  It’s about sitting out on the front porch with the other moms watching the kids play.  Suddenly, I look at the time and realize, ohmigosh, it’s five o’clock.  I run to the grill and light the coals with my beloved propane starter.  I pour a glass of wine, spatchcock a chicken, cleave the breast, rub it with spices, and before you know it I’ve got my bird on the grill and I’m back out with my girlfriends- breaking up squabbles about who spilled the bubbles and finding out the real reason why the folks on the next block put their house on the market. Read more

Minestrone Soup: The Reshoot

Adapted from Summer Minestrone with Pesto recipe from Bon Appetit, August 2004

When we lived in Greenwich, we had a regular Sunday night ritual of going to a local pizza place, Bella Nonna, which had a variety of Italian dishes that were very tasty and wonderful, ebullient Italian service.  They made a killer minestrone with vegetables that were never overcooked, pasta that was perfectly al dente and a fresh, vegetal flavor.  When we moved to Chicago, I yearned for that minestrone and spent about 6 months working on it until I got it.  This is a fantastic way to use the bounty of the summer garden. Read more