A Good Food Day: Reboot Your Health with Food That Tastes Great (18 page)

1
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil is hot and slides easily across the pan, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, anchovies, and a couple of pinches of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

2
Add the tomato paste, stirring well to coat the vegetables. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened and darkened, about 10 minutes.

3
Stir in the beans, 10 cups water, the bouquet garni, and a couple of pinches of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a gentle simmer (there should only be a little movement in the liquid). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are soft and creamy, anywhere from 1 to 2 hours. (This is a forgiving soup, so don’t worry about overcooking it.)

4
Remove the bouquet garni. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender and add to another large pot over medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust the consistency with more water or broth, if needed.

5
To serve, put 2 generous tablespoons of farro in each serving bowl, ladle a cup of soup over it, and garnish with fresh thyme, freshly grated Parmesan, and a few dots of olive oil.

1
For the lentils: Remove the outer layers from the head of garlic and cut off about ¼ inch of the stem end to expose the cloves. Add the lentils to a large pot and cover them by 2 inches with water. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, the head of garlic, and a couple of pinches of salt. Bring the lentils to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are creamy and tender, about 40 minutes.

2
Remove and discard the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and garlic. Using an immersion blender, puree about one-third of the lentils. (Or scoop one-third of the lentils into a standard blender and puree, then add back to the pot.)

3
For the soffrito: In a food processor, combine the red onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, and thyme and pulse until the vegetables are minced. Add the mixture to a separate large soup pot along with the olive oil. Turn the heat to high and fry the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they soften and color slightly, 10 to 12 minutes.

4
Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes with their juice, and a couple pinches of salt to the soffrito and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 10 minutes. Add the kale and another pinch of salt, stirring to coat the leaves. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, until the kale is soft.

5
Pour the lentils into the pot of vegetables and stir. Add about 2 cups water, a little at a time, to thin the soup (it can be more or less water, depending on the level of thickness you prefer). Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Taste and add salt, if needed. Serve with black pepper, Parmesan, and a drizzle of olive oil.

1
Make the chickpea crepes.

2
In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. When the first wisps of smoke come off the pan, add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Pile the onion on top and cook the vegetables without stirring until you begin to see color on the edges of the zucchini, about 2 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until the vegetables are soft and nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Fold in the chopped basil.

3
Top each chickpea crepe with one-fourth of the zucchini mixture, 2 slices of cheese, and a handful of tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, then fold the crepe around the filling and eat it like a taco.

1
In a large bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, arrowroot flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk in ¾ cup water. Then continue adding water, ¼ cup at a time, whisking between additions, until the batter’s consistency is smooth and velvety with no lumps, thinner than pancake batter, but still thick enough to coat a spoon.

2
In a 10-inch skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over high heat. When the oil moves quickly across the pan, pour ½ cup of batter in the center of the pan. Quickly spread the batter into a thin circle by tilting the pan around in a circular motion or using the back of a spoon. Reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until you start to see air bubbles and holes in the crepe. Flip it and cook for another minute. Remove it from the pan. Repeat with more oil and the remaining batter, stacking the finished crepes on a plate as you go.