Cabbage Soup....

Tomorrow is December 1st. Soup season is upon us. Comfort food...... Here is a recipe for a yummy, hearty soup using ingredients you can find at the market with a few pantry staples thrown in.

Market purchases: sausage,cabbage, leeks, carrots, parsley, rosemary

Italian Tomato, White Bean & Cabbage Soup with Sausage.

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 12 ounces fully cooked sausages (about 4), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 4 cups thinly sliced green cabbage (about 1/2 small head)
• 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise (about 3 cups) OR use onions instead.
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped fine
  
• 2 cups carrots, chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste concentrate
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley or regular (if dried, use less)
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 8 cups low-salt chicken or veggie broth
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed,
  

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat.

Add sausage and sauté until brown around edges, about 5 minutes.

Add cabbage; sauté 2 minutes. Transfer sausage and cabbage to bowl.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to same pot and heat over medium heat.

Add leeks, celery, carrots and sauté until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste, parsley, and rosemary and stir 1 minute.

Add broth, sausage/ mixture, and beans and bring to boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

*For a Vegetarian version, use a can of chickpeas or some firm tofu to replace the sausage*

Living History and a recipe

Meet Seymour LaPierre, aged 11, standing at the Halifax Cheapside Market in 1903........
Now, meet Mary Ann Lapierre, his daughter, still selling at the Halifax Market 113 years later!!!!
Yes , she is a treasure. A bit of living history! You never know what wonderful stories a person has until you chat to them. Mary Ann's grandparents had a small farm near the number 7 hwy in Preston. Seymour and his mom and sometimes dad would fill the wagon and before midnight to make the long trek to the market at Cheapside.(Just below Province House)
They would arrive at the Dartmouth ferry terminal and settle their horse in at the livery stable next to the ferry. ( It was 3 cents extra to take a horse over) they would push the wagon onto the ferry and then it was only an easy block to push it to the Cheapside market. There was also a livery on the Halifax side of the ferry terminal. This is Catherine, Mary Annn's grandmother, standing over her baskets of goods to sell. She retired from selling in 1934 and Seymour and his wife took over.
They sold turnips and potatoes, tomatoes and flowers and eggs,poultry and anything that they might be able to make a few pennies from. Knitted and sewn goods too. This is their turnip harvest!
Mary Ann told a story of the huge uproar in 1916 when the market was to be moved up the hill to "market" street where it remained for many years. The farmers were wondering how to get their produce up the big hill. The horses and oxen were their main concern.
The LaPierres have been selling at the market all these years, moving fom location to location, finally now here at the Halifax Seaport Farmers Market. Say hi to Mary Ann next time you visit us. Her booth, HillCrest Farms is in the North corner. These wonderful pictures are hers and there are many more in this treasure trove.

Here is Mary Ann's recipe for

Boiled Dinner

1 (5 1/2 pound) corned beef brisket
2 large onions
1 parsnip, chopped
1 turnip, chopped
8 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 heads cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
5 potatoes,chopped

1.Rinse the beef brisket under cold water, and place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover the roast by 6 inches. Peel the onions, and place them in the pot with the roast. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 30 minutes at a rolling boil.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low so that the water is at a gentle boil, cover, & cook for 3 1/2 hours.

3. Remove the lid from the brisket. Remove onions, and cut into wedges. Return them to the pot. Add carrots, turnip and parsnip to the pot, then place the cabbage over the roast. Place the lid back on the pot, and cook for another 30 minutes, until veggies are tender. Cook the potatoes separately.

4. Remove the vegetables from the pot, and place in a separate serving bowl. Keep the corned beef in the pot until ready to slice and serve because it dries out quickly.

Kale is in Season!

Wondering what to do with kale? Here is a popular recipe served up at Norbert's Good Food at Selwood Green. Kale Scramble! The taste is delicious! and good for you too!

Chop up some kale, any kind is fine, about a large handful per person and steam it until soft. About five to ten minutes. Use a tiny bit of oil in a nonstick pan or griddle and saute about half a chopped onion per person. Put the kale in and form a ring around the onion. Next, beat two eggs, add some salt and pepper and pour into the center of the kale ring.
Next you add some grated cheese, Norbert uses Gouda, but any kind will do and as much as you like.
Take two spatulas and start flipping and agitating the scramble to help it mix through and cook the egg.
Form it into a round, sprinkle some more cheese on top and let it sit and finish cooking. the egg must be white and the cheese melted.
While you are waiting for it to finish cooking, slice some bread and pop it into the toaster. Hannah is doing a great job:).Gently lift it off the griddle and on to a plate.
Voila! Kale Scramble! Serve with toast and a side salad or bacon if that is your preference:)
Want more recipes for kale? Look here.