I've never been one to stop eating when I’m under stress.
In fact, I’m just the opposite. The more stress I feel, the more I want to eat.
The only time I loose my appetite is when I’m sick, and I make up for the food
I missed once it all starts to taste “right” again.
Then my husband died.
For the first time in my life, I didn't feel hunger. Didn't feel it at all! The only clue I had that I might be hungry was when
Mom would say, “Linda, you need to eat
something,” and when I did, I felt a bit better. I remember thinking, “Hum, I must have been hungry.”
Normally I decide what to eat by asking myself, “What are
you hungry for today?” In those early days after
The Picky Eater was gone, the
answer was, “Nothing.” Actually, I didn't even ask the question. The only thing
I remember eating that tasted somewhat enjoyable was Chinese food with Mom at a
restaurant one evening, plus a donut from the box my neighbor,
Jan,
brought me. That was it. I know I ate more, but I don't remember what.
After about a week passed, I was looking through my freezer and saw
a bag of diced zucchini from last
summer. That was when I experienced my first
craving—for minestrone soup. In spite of it being summertime, minestrone fits
the season for me since I like it made with lots of zucchini and summer squash.
I mixed up a big batch of the soup in the slow cooker and ate it every
day for a week—sometimes twice a day. Each bowl, with Parmigiano Reggiano grated
liberally over the top, not only gave me the nutrition I needed, but it also
brought me a sense of comfort as I began my new “normal” life. It is soup to
sooth the soul.
Minestrone Soup
Makes a lot! I ate a bowl or two every day for a week and
still had enough for two containers in the freezer.
1 medium onion
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 summer squash, cut in large dice
2 zucchinis, cut in large dice
2 cup shredded kale
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15-ounce cans great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (I use McCormick.)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onion and celery
until the onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic
becomes fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and transfer the
onion/celery/garlic mixture into a slow cooker.
Add the remaining ingredients, except for the ditalini and Parmigiano
Reggiano. Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the carrots and
other vegetables become just soft. The kale will always be a bit chewy. If you
don’t like this, just omit it or choose a different greens variety, such as
Swiss chard. If the tomatoes and broth don’t give you enough liquid in the pot,
just add more broth or water.
Towards the end of the cooking time, heat a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add salt
to the water, and then boil the ditalini until it is just al dente. Drain the pasta and
add it to the soup in the slow cooker. Let the soup continue to cook for another
30 minutes.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and liberally grate
Parmigiano Reggiano over the top.
My wine choice was an un-oaked chardonnay I had in the
fridge, but use whatever white wine you like. A rosé or red wine would work,
too, but I picked white so I could also taste the tea.
