Home (from our honeymoon) Cooking

Hey, did you hear? We got married!

Officially Mr. and Mrs

On October 13th, 2012, a perfect fall day, my best friend and I were wed! And two weeks before that, I passed my registration exam to become a credentialed dietitian! My husband whisked me off to Monterey, CA for a blissful week of cruisin' on the coast in a convertible, kayaking with sea otters, biking the famous 17 Mile Drive around Pebble Beach Golf Course, wine tasting, visiting the Earthbound Organic Farm Stand, and of course, eating. This was a true coastal California food fest, and we ate our fill of fresh seafood- mussels, salmon, crab, king prawns, scampi fra diavolo, saffron and wild mushroom risottos, fanciful salads, green goddess dressing, truffle fries, gourmet cheeses, wine, wine wine, mimosas! You could say we let loose... with no better reason than celebrating our new marriage.

we'll take a little of this, a little of that, and all of the vew

Although we were sad to say goodbye to the west coast, we couldn't wait to get back to our place and start our new, real life together. (With lots of new kitchen-y gifts, oh yeah!) I could not wait to get back into the kitchen after a week of rich food and dining out. Our first meal back was a Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup, inspired by a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis' latest cookbook- Weeknights with Giada.

Throwback: Did you know I met Giada in high school? Here I am staring at her while she gives me a speedy high-five. #enamored 

Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup
In a fabulous Le Crueset dutch oven, or large pot, saute 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 1 parsnip, all peeled and diced, over medium heat. Cook until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add 1 diced zucchini, 1 cup sliced portobello mushrooms, 1 can drained diced tomatoes, 1 can drained cannellini beans, and a few handfuls of torn kale leaves. Saute 1-2 minutes. Cover with 4ish cups vegetable stock (I use a tsp of vegetable base + water) and bring to a simmer. Slowly stir in 1/2 cup cornmeal, stirring well until incorporated. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Season with cracked black pepper and perhaps some crushed red pepper, to taste. Garnish with fresh Parmesan!

Oh, we loved this warm and wholesome soup, and will surely make it again. Hopefully you will get the chance to make this one on your own... or better yet, stop by and visit us, we'll make it for you. We have guest towels and an air mattress! See you soon!