This soup is somehow hearty enough for the winter and yet light enough for the summer. Who knows, maybe this recipe will be added to the blog for soup and stew recipes…if so, I only hope they keep the name “RxMike’s Rustic Vegetable Soup.”

Here is the recipe…

What you need:

• 1.5 qt of vegetable broth (I use organic, vegetarian vegetable broth)
• 1 can of corn, drained (or better yet 2 ears of fresh, sweet corn)
• 1 can of cut green beans, drained (again, fresh is always better)
• 1 can of navy beans, drained (or your favorite kind of bean)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes, drained (fresh…fresh…fresh)
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 3-4 medium russet potatoes, cubed (you can also use red potatoes – just adjust qty)
• 4-6 carrots, sliced
• 4-5 celery stalks, sliced
• 1 white onion, diced
• 1-2 zucchini, sliced or diced
• 1-2 yellow squash, sliced or diced
• 2 tbsp. garlic (the real stuff…no powder here)
• thyme (I use fresh herbs from my garden, and just add until it tastes good)
• oregano (see above)
• 1 bay leaf
• olive oil
• salt/pepper

Directions:

1. Using a large soup pot, saute the garlic and onion until almost transparent, then add the carrots and celery and saute for several minutes.
2. Add the vegetable stock and tomato sauce; mix well.
3. Add all of the vegetables, herbs, seasonings; mix well.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove the bay leaf…serve with some cornbread and sweet tea…and your in heaven!

Makes approx. 4 quarts (8-12 servings)

Read on for directions!

Peel and cut 3lbs. of apples into bite sized pieces. Toss the apples in 1/2c of sugar, 1tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4c flour.

In a bowl, combine 1c. of brown sugar with 1 stick of butter until fully mixed and crumbly. Add 1/2c of chopped walnuts, 1c of flour, 1 tsp. of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Place the coated apples in a coated baking dish and top with the brown sugar “crumble” mixture. Bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes.

RxMike's Stuffed Eggplant

What you need:
1 eggplant
1c cooked rice (I use brown, whole-grain)
1 zucchini (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1/2c brown mushrooms (chopped)
2TB tomato paste
1/2t. basil
1/2t. oregano
olive oil
salt
mozzarella/parmasan cheese (optional)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350. Slice the eggplant in half (lengthways), scoop out the insides and save the “shells.” You can substitute the eggplant insides for the zucchini if you prefer. Sautee the zucchini, onion and mushrooms in a large skillet until the onions are clear. Add the cooked rice, tomato paste, herbs and salt. Sautee the mixture for 5 minutes. Place the eggplant shells into a large baking dish and then fill them with the sauteed vegetable mixture. You can top the eggplants with shredded mozzarella or parmasen cheese if you prefer. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 additional minutes. Makes 2-4 servings.

As always, I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Keep in mind that since I am a pescetarian (vegetables + fish), none of my recipes will feature beef, chicken or poultry…not to say that you couldn’t experiment on your own with adding meat to these recipes.