Gingery Turkey Meatball Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

When it's cold and blustery, as it is just about all over the country these days, I head to the kitchen to fire up a big pot of soup. Warming, soothing and comforting, a steamy bowl of soup eases the indignity of winter's grey, sodden days.

This rendition blends the concept of Italian Wedding Soup with Asian flavors such as ginger, sesame oil and spicy sriracha, to create an entirely new dish. The result is an assertive, vegetable laden broth with a burst of citrus and a streak of heat, studded with savory, tender meatballs. 

Gingery Turkey Meatball Soup with Spinach and Tomatoes

Serves 8-10

For Soup:

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 heaping cup of shallots, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, minced
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon sriracha
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

64 ounces good quality chicken stock
Zest of half a lime
Zest of half a lemon, preferably Meyer

5 oz. baby spinach leaves

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half

For Meatballs:
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/2 teaspoon sriracha
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
Zest of half a lime
Zest of half a lemon, preferably Meyer
3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)
1.25 pounds ground turkey

1/2 pound ditalini, cooked al dente

For soup: In a large stock or soup pot, saute celery and carrots over medium heat for about five minutes. Add shallots and continue to cook, until vegetables begin to soften. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic, stirring often.

After another 10 minutes, add ginger, sriracha, basil and cilantro. Combine well and add stock. Allow to simmer while you prepare meatballs. 

For meatballs: In a large bowl, add ginger, garlic, shallot, sriracha, sesame oil, basil, cilantro, lime and lemon zest. Combine well, then stir in breadcrumbs. Add ground turkey and fold until combined. Shape into 1.5-inch meatballs and drop into soup.

Gently stir in tomatoes and spinach and let soup to simmer until meatballs are cooked, about 20 minutes. Just before serving, add lime and lemon zest. 

In the meantime, cook ditalini in boiling salted water until very al dente, usually at least three minutes less then the package calls for, and add a small handful of pasta to each bowl when serving. Store leftover pasta separately from soup to preserve texture.

Spinach Salad with Apples, Cheddar and Honey Roasted Pecans

As autumn eases into winter, I want to leave you with a fall salad. This salad is hearty and substantial without being overbearing, and can serve as a main dish or first course. It blends classic seasonal flavors, but can be enjoyed all year-round. It combines spinach, apples, honey roasted pecans, bacon, sharp cheddar and golden raisins with an apple cider vinaigrette cut with Dijon, honey and lemon zest. The result is a melange of texture and flavor; crunchy, crispy, creamy, savory and sweet. See the recipe at food52.com.

This isn't a 30-minute meal; the salad takes some time. But bidding a bittersweet farewell to fall is a worthy endeavor. Try it.

Breakfast for Dinner

So, I'm cooking for one this week, which means it's a great time to eat breakfast for dinner. Cereal and milk? Not this time. I decided to make a feta vegetable frittata, which is basically a crustless egg, cheese and veggie pie. Apparently the French make omelettes and the Italians make frittata.

To get started, take a large, nonstick pan and saute some garlic and onion (scallions or shallots work well, too) with salt and pepper over medium or medium high heat until tender. I added a few handfuls of sliced grape tomatoes, cooked them for a few minutes, then some sliced kalamata olives and a big bunch of swiss chard, spinach, baby lettuce, basil and parsley, all from my garden, sliced in chiffonade. To do this, simply stack your leaves, roll like a cigar, slice very thinly and sprinkle in the pan. Love this technique. Mix the greens in thoroughly and spread everything evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Next, whisk about eight eggs (I used Eggland's Best, but you can use whatever kind you want, including egg whites), add a couple of tablespoons of milk or water, more salt and pepper, then pour evenly into the saute pan. Add a handful or two of crumbled feta cheese, or whatever kind of cheese you enjoy. If you're using feta, go easy on the salt in the veggie mixture and eggs, since feta is briney. Let the eggs sit in the pan for about eight minutes, until the edges are cooked but the middle is still wet. No touching!

Then, put the pan under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Remove, and remember to use a potholder because the handle will be blazing hot. I can't tell you how many times I've forgotten this good advice.

Allow the frittata to rest for a minute or two, slice into wedges and serve.

Frittata is delicious any time of day, and pairs well with toast or mini muffins and fruit or a green salad and a glass of crisp white wine or mimosa. It's a great brunch dish for entertaining, too. I enjoyed mine with some Rainier cherries and a slice of whole wheat toast out in the garden.

Do you eat breakfast for dinner? Doesn't everybody?

Chicken Tortellini

Work+kids+house+gym+yardwork+social life=not a lot of time for cooking these days. Sound familiar to you?

When this happens to me, I often to turn to pasta. It always delivers. Plus, I'm Italian, and pasta is close to my heart (as in, I could eat it at every meal).

I've mostly switched to whole wheat or brown rice pasta, but still enjoy a nice bowl of tortellini now and again. This time, I chose fresh chicken tortellini and paired it with shallots, garlic, prosciutto, baby spinach and white wine.

My secret: instead of boiling the pasta, I put the uncooked tortellini in a bowl of steaming hot water and let it sit for a few minutes. Meanwhile, I saute the shallots and garlic in olive oil, salt and pepper until soft, drain the tortellini and add it to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often, until the tortellini is lightly browned and hot. Then, add chopped prosciutto, the baby spinach and a big splash of decent white wine. Let it all simmer together until the wine reduces, serve and add freshly grated parmesan. The pasta will taste al dente-ish, and you'll save a few minutes and some extra clean-up.

Chicken tortellini with prosciutto and spinach is a complete meal in a bowl, in minutes, and you can feel good about serving it to just about anyone.

Tim's Garden

I've had a backyard vegetable garden for a number of years. Nothing too elaborate -- a few tomato plants, some herbs, salad greens, and whatever looks delicious or intriguing.

Every year, I get great satisfaction from the process of planting the seeds or seedlings, caring for them, and eventually harvesting, cooking and eating the final results. Circle of life and all that.

This year, my son Tim, 12, was by my side when we planted the garden. I love his curiosity and enthusiasm, and his willingness to throw himself wholeheartedly into anything he enjoys. 

Tim jumped out of bed at 7 a.m. on a Saturday to shop for plants at Eastern Market. He toured the stalls with us, inspecting the vegetables and helping us choose the best ones. He lugged the plants around the market, loaded up the car and helped unload when we got home.

And together, we planted heirloom tomatoes, romaine, mixed greens, spinach, swiss chard, green beans, broccoli, lemon thyme, rosemary, basil and a few giant sunflowers (which were immediately destroyed by a critter). He dug, he got his hands dirty, he asked a million questions. Good, thoughtful questions. Then he hand-watered the beds with a watering can, twice.

As we moved through the day, side-by-side, it occurred to me that I've never had more fun in the garden, and I felt honored and privileged to connect with him in such a meaningful way.

Because, yes, planting a garden puts food on the table, but really, it's about feeding the soul.