Foggy Summer Vegetable Stew

Fresh ingredients:

6 yukon gold potatoes
carrots, chopped
4 cloves of garlic (smashed)
2 lbs tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 lb brown mushrooms
1 bunch swiss chard
1 meyer lemon (juice and 1/2 of the peel)
basil ribbons
oregano, chopped
shallot

Pantry ingredients:

1 bay leaf

sea salt
ground black pepper
olive oil
white beans, pre-cooked
2 dried red chili peppers, ground

ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
parmesan

Directions:
In a french oven, saute leeks in olive oil with bay leaf, garlic, ground pepper, sea salt, oregano, thyme and red chili flakes for 5 minutes.
Boil water in kettle.

Add wine, hot water and lemon. Bring to a boil.
Remove bay leaf.

Add potatoes, carrots and tomatoes.
Simmer 20 minutes.

Add beans, basil, swiss chard leaves and corn.
Simmer 5 minutes.

Serve with olive oil and parmesan.

Taiwanese Chicken Soup v. 3

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or 2.25 lbs chicken legs)

1 handful of dried goji berries

1 carrot, peeled

2 bunches of green onions (white parts chopped)

1/2 lb shitake mushrooms (whole, rinsed) OR handful of dried black mushrooms, rinsed in hot water

1 large ginger root (peeled and sliced diagonally)

4 garlic cloves (smashed)

baby bok choy, chopped

kosher salt

ground black or multicolored pepper
red chili flakes

sesame oil

1 meyer or eureka lemon
1/4 cup xiaoshing rice wine

Cook:

Heat up cast iron pot.

Saute first batch of chicken until browned (about 6 minutes each side - don't crowd pan).
Season with kosher salt, ground black pepper and red chili flakes while sauteing.
Saute second batch. Don't let any bits on the pan burn.

Remove chicken.
Add lemon juice to deglaze.
Saute white part of green onions, ginger and garlic with sesame oil for a few minutes.
Add xiaoshing rice wine.

Put back chicken.
Add mushrooms, goji berries, carrot, bok choy.
Add enough water to cover everything.
Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 45 minutes.

Serving notes:

- After the soup is done, remove ginger and carrot and shred the chicken.

- Serve with rice or noodles.

Tim's Pasta a la Frank Sinatra

Sauce:
red wine, to taste
pasta water
one carrot, shredded
roma tomatoes, pre-roasted (see separate recipe)
basil, fresh ribbons
oregano, chopped fresh
meatballs or sausage
mushroom or chicken stock, 1/4 cup
shallot or onion, diced

Sauteed separately:
garlic
dried red chili peppers
salt, to taste
olive oil
yuchoy or broccoli rabe

Pasta:
spaghetti, boiled and then shocked with cold water
olive oil to keep it from sticking together