Celebrate Columbus Day with Tuscan Bean Soup

Why not some Italian food? Columbus Day is as good an excuse as any. So:

Tuscan Bean Soup

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (home made if you have it)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon garlic
1 bunch chard, stems cut into 1" pieces and leaves coarsely chopped, or coarsely chopped Tuscan kale (or really any "winter" green, like spinach, mustard, escarole)
4 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 pint home canned)
2 carrots, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil, if you can still get it. 1/2 tsp dried, otherwise.
1/4 cup orzo or broken spaghetti
2 cups cooked white beans, such as Cannellini beans (or one can drained)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion in olive oil until soft.  Add garlic and saute for another minute.  Add the stock, chard stems (if using), tomatoes, carrots, and bring to a boil.  Turn down the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Bring to a boil again. Add the pasta, chard leaves, beans, parsley, basil, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil again.  Turn down the heat and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.


Pesto Foccacia

1 recipe foccacia dough from whatever bread machine cookbook you have
pesto (made with basil, fresh from the farm)

Roll dough into a circle.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.  Brush with pesto.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.