Freezer Soup - Sunshine in the Kitchen

Somehow I always buy too many vegetables. So there is the odd zucchini left, two carrots, half a red or yellow pepper, a celery stalk - you know how it is. But since I think it is kind of sinful to just discard these leftovers, I am forever chopping and freezing them. And then one day the freezer is so stuffed with little bags I don't find anything else in there anymore.
That is the day of what has become known as the "Freezer Soup" in our house, to which, I am happy to report, my OH is always very much looking forward to.
I just empty all those little bags into a big pot, add water and vegetable stock and bring everything to the boil, then let simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes. If there is a sausage lying around (think Saucisse de Morteau or Kielbasa) I cut it into chunks and add it to the soup. Even better,  if there is still some Pistou left over in the freezer from last summer, it is added just before serving the soup. Pistou is the Provençal version of Pesto, but without the pine nuts and even the addition of cheese is optional here.
But the smell! Pistou is the quintessential perfume of summer in Provence, so no matter when I serve this soup there is sunshine in the kitchen!

Cookbook Challenge # 2 Ossobucco Milanese

I am so enjoying this cookbook challenge - browsing through book after book, seeing how much the style of writing and presentation has changed, finding old,  long time neglected favorites and sometimes laughing about how we used to cook. Today's book is one of the very oldest in my collection - dating from 1984 (yes, I started cooking very young...) titled "Italian Cuisine" and I picked a real classic: Ossobucco Milanese. Had I remembered how long it takes to prep for this, believe me, I would have picked a different recipe. This should be called a chopping challenge!

 

Italian Cuisine

Cucina Italiana

 

the recipe: Ossobucco Milanese

Veal Shanks - one per person

chopped tomatoes (1 medium can)

 

tomato paste (1 tbsp)

and now the fun starts: chopped carrots (2-3)

chopped root celery (1/4)

chopped Onions (2)

chopped garlic (3cloves)

gently fry all veg in olive oil

 

dust shanks with a bit of flour then fry separately until nicely browned

place shanks on top of veg, cover and simmer in oven for 1 1/2 hrs

 

I changed one thing: Ossobucco is traditionally served with gremolata - a mix of very finely chopped flat leaf parsley, fresh garlic and lemon zest, some even add anchovies. I don't really like tasting uncooked garlic so added the garlic into the vegetables and will be serving the Ossobucco with a gremolata of parsley and lemon zest only. And I will serve it à la Française - with a crusty baguette to mop up all those delicious juices. In Lombardy where this recipe hails from it is served with risotto and a long handled spoon to dig out the bone marrow.