this is a good start.

okay.

heidi and i would weekly talk about starting a food blog with all of you, and really never did much... but we did come up with a creative name: walnutheartsfood... because of the the word picture we all can draw to mind... and because walnuts will always remind me of us.

so a food blog it is.

heidi shared the first recipe. yeah for stone soup. i was there for lunch that day, and it was rainy-day-cozy-delicious.

I took this picture at the santa cruz farmer's market... and thought it was pretty... and here, then, is a recipe for stuffed bell peppers:

take 4 bell peppers that stand up well alone...

cut out the top and clean out the insides... seed free...

sprinkle salt on the inside of the pepper, and turn it upsidedown to draw out the moisture (or "kosher"....)

meanwhile,

heat 2 tbs. oil in a large skillet or pot with a lid

toss in 1/2 diced white onion and saute until soft

toss in 1 c. white rice and saute until starts to turn goldlen

put in 1 small can tomato sauce and 1 c. chicken stock and 1 handful lentils of you want.

cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is soft.

add salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

drain and rinse one can of black beans.

grate your favorite cheese... the sharper the better....

begin to fill the pepper with rice, beans, cheese... repeat. Top with cheese...

place in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min or until the bell pepper is soft.

remove from oven and set to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

serve with sour cream or guacamole... yes.

ENJOY.

i love you...

more to come.

Stone Soup

Ladies!  Welcome to the first post for the Walnut Hearts!  I thought to open it up I'd share one of the most simple recipes I know:  Stone Soup.  I'm sure you all remember the book from elementary school about the selfish townspeople who ended up coming together and sharing what small things they had to create a large and lovely meal.  We wanted to enjoy something cozy in the post-blackout storminess, and so we made it today for lunch.  I'm sorry there's no picture (I forgot to take one).

Stone Soup:

1 quart Chicken Stock  

1 can of White, Red, or Black Beans

1         Small Sliced Zucchini

4         Potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/2    Onion, chopped

3        Carrots, sliced 

3        Stalks of Celery, sliced

1         Bell Pepper, chopped

1         Hunk of Parmesan  (optional)

1         Bay Leaf

1         Stalk of Rosemary

1         Pinch of Basil

1         Sprinkle of Nutmeg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring Chicken Stock  to a low boil.

Add Potatoes, Carrots, Celery, Bell Pepper, Onions.  You can add/detract any vegetables you have on hand.  Leek is a milder substitute for Onion.  Squash and root veggies are usually best.  Maintain a high simmer.

Add Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Basil, Nutmeg, Salt, and Pepper.  Add hunk of Parmesan.  (This adds a really delicious, subtle creamy/nutty flavor.  I add it to almost ALL my soups or sauces.)  Maintain high simmer for 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.

Add can of Beans and Zucchini.  Maintain high simmer for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Soup is ready when vegetables are tender and you are ready to eat.  Before serving, be sure to fish out the Rosemary stem, Bay Leaf, and now melted hunk of Parmesan.  Serve with cracked pepper and Parmesan (or any grated cheese) on top.   Makes 4 - 6 servings.

We had some leftover French bread on the side.  The great thing about this recipe is that you really can substitute ANYTHING and it will still be delicious.  I usually go a little heavy on the potatoes and light on the salt (the broth is usually a little salty for me already).  It's rustic and simple and so lovely for a cold day.  

Enjoy!