From Squash to Minestrone

Aside from the acorn squash, I had no idea what the rest of them were piled high on the cart in front of the market. The pinkish-tannish one just in front of the acorn might have been spaghetti squash, but my ignorance didn't matter. It was a perfect subject for me--all forms positive, all negative spaces positive too. It was an intense still life. The colors were exhilarating. The air was crisp. The crowd was light. Honey had forged ahead with his shopping list in hand. Everything was perfect for a quick draw in the open air.

THIS IS NOW THAT




HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED:

I took 2 large carrots chopped, 2 stalks of celery chopped, one medium onion chopped and a tablespoon of minced garlic and cooked it all in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil in a dutch oven for 3 minutes. I added 32 ounces of beef broth, two and a quarter cups of water, one can of tomato paste, one can of diced tomatoes,a teaspoon each of oregano and basil, a quarter of a teaspoon of pepper and brought it to a boil. Then I added three quarters of a cup of elbow macaroni, turned down the heat and let it simmer for ten minutes. When the timer went off, I added one 15 ounce can of garbanzo beans, one 8 1/2 ounce cans each of string beans and corn--ALL CANNED VEGETABLES HAD BEEN DRAINED. Then last, but not least, I added three quarters of a cup of frozen okra. Brought it to a boil again. Turned down the heat and let it simmer ten minutes more. ALL INGREDIENTS WERE LOW SODIUM, but if sodium isn't an issue for you yet, it doesn't matter. The pot makes 8 to 10 one cup servings of minestrone pending how you use your ladle. And it's good for you too: 200 calories; Sodium 609; Protein 9.3mgs; fiber 6mgs; carbs 32 mgs per cup. The soup's dinner in a bowl. So goodbye Beef Broth. Hello Minestrone, my first homemade soup of the season.