Trying to warm up

Ah, the trials of becoming a namby-pamby Californian, doomed to shiver uncontrollably at any temperature dipping below 60 degrees Fahrenheit! I even found myself - shock-horror - complaining about the rain this week. Me, a tried and tested Brit, who has climbed Scottish mountains in downpours a Californian would struggle to find words to describe, and probably resort to something like ‘hurricane’, thereby verbally capturing but a small percentage of the unpleasantness of the conditions, particularly when atop a large granite mountain with no cover for miles.

Anyway, I digress! Suffice to say, it is winter, and my mental image of what winter entails now involves fewer puffy down jackets and more casual debates with my child about possibly wearing long trousers to school, before I give up and let him wear his usual shorts. And since I clearly do not have my son’s constitution, and am still shivering even with long trousers, the question is how to warm up. I could, on the one hand, continue my holiday diet of kettle chips, great cheese, lots of wine and copious quantities of chocolate. That would doubtless add to my layers, and therefore insulating capacity, in one way, but I am looking for...err... perhaps a slightly less permanent solution. And the one I have come up with is soup (and fuzzy socks, but that is a conversation for different blog!)

This week’s soup was a hit with all the family, which is rare enough around here. I think the reason (apart from it being delicious and made by their beloved wife/mother of course), is that it has both pasta and beans in it, so is satisfying, even to carb-guzzling teenage boys. And I served it with some crusty bread, which, future daughter-in-law candidates should note, is the way to most boys’ hearts. A good focaccia or ciabatta, and they are yours, hook line and sinker. Moreover, the pasta in question is, in my version, orzo, which has the advantage of being able to pass for rice in appearance, thereby not alerting youngest son to the presence of pasta in his bowl. Yes, I am dastardly in my deception.

The recipe itself comes from a book I bought on a whim years ago called Veggie Feasts by Louise Pickford, which has languished at the back of my cupboard. It isn’t a bad book, per se, but having got my purchase home, there weren’t really many things I was desperate to try. Having tried this though, and enjoyed it, I may find myself reaching for it more often.

Pasta and Bean Soup with Basil Oil

2 TBSP olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 ½ TBSP chopped fresh rosemary

3 14 oz cans diced tomatoes

32 fl oz vegetable stock/broth

2 14 oz cans white beans (e.g. cannellini beans), drained and rinsed

6 oz dried orzo

salt and black pepper

grated parmesan to serve

For Basil oil:

1 ½ oz basil leaves

7 fl oz olive oil

1.     Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, add onion, garlic and rosemary and cook over a low heat, stirring frequently, until onion is softened.

2.     Stir in the tomatoes, stock, beans and some salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

3.     Add orzo, return to the boil, and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes until pasta is al dente.

4.     Meanwhile make the basil oil: Place basil leaves and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth.

5.     To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a drizzle of basil oil and grated parmesan.