Though I’ve been on the East Coast for almost ten years now, every so often I find myself missing the warm southern California weather I grew up with. As a child I spent late December splashing through the ocean, early January running around green fields with my dogs. “Winter” really never existed until I moved out here, and boy what an adjustment that was! I don’t think about it too often, but then 21 degree fahrenheit mornings (like the one we had today) jog the memory.

And yet… I have to admit, there are some things about the colder months I would miss if I moved back to the West Coast. I’d miss all those stunning colors that appear as the leaves embrace Fall, the majestic beauty of a snow covered landscape, and the crisp smell of cold nights. I’d also miss winter comfort food. Sure I could make these dishes on a sunny afternoon but it just wouldn’t be the same. There’s a certain something about drinking a cup of hot mulled cider when it’s freezing outside. Especially if it’s snowing. I especially like to sit by the window and watch the snow fall while holding a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. What do you love to eat or drink when it’s chilly out?

In addition to drinks, one of my favorite things to eat when it’s frosty outside is soup.

Jamie Oliver’s Early Autumn Minestrone

Food historians estimate that soup has been a part of our diet for about 5,000 years. It was around this time that people began making earthenware and animal skin containers in which water could be boiled and, being an inventive race, we soon began throwing things in with the water to see what happened. The nutritional benefits of eating soup - not to mention its delicious flavor - soon made it a popular dish among both sedentary and nomadic cultures. No matter where you were, all you had to do was boil some water, throw in whatever you had available, and in an hour’s time you had a great meal on your hands. Medieval Magyar warriors had a kind of portable soup that they carried with them during wartime, and in the late 1700’s an American physicist named Count Rumford invented a “pocket soup” that was carried by colonial travelers. In both cases a dehydrated soup base was added to boiling water and - voila! - dinner.

The word “soup” originates from the word “suppa,” which refers to a Medieval dish consisting of a thick stew poured over slices of bread, called “sop.” The bread was then used to soak up the liquid, an important task since this meal was often served to the poorer classes who needed to maximize the nutritional value of their meal. Minestrone - from the Latin word “minestrare,” meaning “to serve or dish up” - is an Italian soup made with fresh seasonal vegetables. Rice or pasta are often added to the mix and the result is a hearty and satisfying meal. The Roman army is said to have marched on minestrone and pasta fagioli. It is interesting to note that tomatoes, now considered a staple ingredient in minestrone, were not added to the dish until the introduction of new ingredients from the Americas.

The recipe for this dish is from Jamie Oliver’s new book, “Jamie’s Italy.” When I want a good minestrone soup I generally go for my Moosewood recipe, but as I was browsing through this book the photo of “Minestrone D’Inizio Autumno” (Early Autumn Soup) caught my eye. I’m happy to report that we were pleased with the results: the soup has a satisfying earthy flavor to it, each spoonful wrapped in the aroma of fresh herbs. I’ve included the original recipe below but I should mention that I made two modifications when I made it. First, I omitted the smoked pancetta/ bacon that he uses to make the soffrito. Second, I used canned cannellini beans instead of cooking dry beans for an hour with a bay leaf, a tomato and one small potato. I made this last change both for convenience and because Jamie tells you to toss the bay leaf, tomato and potato when the beans are done, which struck my frugal student self as a bit wasteful. Nevertheless, the finished product was absolutely fantastic. I loved the combination of red wine, fennel, spinach and zucchini - not to mention all the other fresh ingredients!

Early Autumn Minestrone
Adapted from “Jamie’s Italy”

• 7oz. cannellini or borlotti beans, fresh or dried and soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tomato, squashed
• 1 small potato, peeled
• sea salt and ground pepper
• olive oil
• 4 slices smoked pancetta or bacon, chopped (we skipped this part)
• 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 a head of fennel, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves and stems separated
• 2 14-oz cans of good-quality plum tomatoes
• 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
• a glass of red wine (I used 1 cups worth)
• 1/2 Swiss chard or spinach, washed and roughly sliced (I used baby spinach, roughly sliced)
• 2 cups chicken, ham or vegetable stock
• 2 oz dried pasta
• extra virgin olive oil
• a block of Parmesan cheese, to serve

Add your fresh or dried and soaked beans to a pan of water with the bay leaf, squashed tomato, and potato - this will help to flavor the beans and soften their skins. Cook until tender - check by tasting. They must be soft. Dried beans can take up to an hour, but check fresh ones after 25 minutes. Drain (reserving about half a glass of the cooking water), and discard the bay leaf, tomato and potato. Now season with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil.

While the beans are cooking, make your soffrito. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped pancetta or bacon, onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and the finely sliced basil stems. Sweat very slowly on a low heat, with the lid just ajar, for around 15 to 20 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add the plum tomatoes, zucchini, and red wine and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Now add the chard or spinach, stock and beans. Put the dried pasta into a plastic bag, squeeze all the air out, and tie the end up. Bash gently with a rolling pin to break the pasta into pieces. Snip the end off the bag and empty the contents into the soup. Stir and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked.

If you think the soup is looking too thick, add a little more stock or some of the reserved cooking water to thin it down a bit. Then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the torn-up basil leaves and with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top. Put a block of Parmesan and a grater on the table for everyone to help themselves. Heaven!