Simple Measure

Wow wow wow. Jared and I just got back from a special wedding in a very amazing place. This Sunday, Kyle and Rivkah got hitched among the Redwoods of Monte Rio, California, the Russian River winding lazily in the background.

Great people, crazy dancing, breathtaking surroundings. Somewhere during it all, I had this revelation: Oh my god, I’m getting married in exactly ONE year. What? The ideas… the details… it all started mushrooming. Suddenly, just knowing the where and the when wasn’t enough anymore.

Time to get to work. Right now Jared’s sitting next to me, sketching out some ideas (sorry, top secret for now). I know one thing: it’s gonna be a great party.

While we start mulling over the details, here’s a recipe that uses up the last of summer’s fresh tomatoes and corn. A nod to grilling season’s end (although don’t think we won’t try sneaking a few more cookouts in), the special ingredient in this soup is smokey barbecue sauce.

Don’t forget to grab a bag of blue corn chips to sprinkle on top!

Texas Two-Bean Soup

From Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

2 cups chopped onion

6 garlic cloves, pressed

2 Tbs olive oil

½ tsp. salt

1 cup diced celery

2 cups chopped mix of red and green peppers

1 small jalapeno, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. ground black pepper

2 cups water

3 large tomatoes, chopped, with juice reserved if possible (or one 15 ½ ounce can)

1 ½ cups black eyed peas, cooked

1 ½ cups black beans, cooked

(if you don’t want to take the time to cook dried beans, use one 15 ½ ounce can, drained and rinsed)

¼ cup of BBQ sauce (we used Smoke Daddy’s Sweet and Smokey sauce)

salt to taste

Garnish with crushed blue corn tortilla chips and grated Monterey Jack cheese (we used Cabot’s Pepper Jack). Sour cream would also make a nice topping.

1. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and salt over medium. Add the onions and garlic and cook, covered for 8 – 10 minutes. Stir occasionally until the onions are soft.

2. Add the celery, bell peppers, jalapeno, oregano, thyme, cumin and black pepper. Saute for another 10 minutes – don’t forget to stir it now and then to prevent sticking.

3. Pour in the water and tomatoes and simmer, covered, until the celery is tender, about 10 – 15 minutes.

4. Add the black eyed peas, beans, BBQ sauce and stir well. Slap the cover back on and enjoy a beer while the soup enters it’s final 10 minute simmer. Remove from heat and add salt to taste. Add your choice of garnish and enjoy.

Serves 4