Baby, Its Getting Cold Outside!

I’m not sure if I am a true believer in “old wives tales”, the Farmer’s Almanac, or, for that matter, the weatherman. I will tell you this….

1. Today, all of the cattle between my house and my studio in Paola were lying down. (a sign of an approaching change in the weather)

2. Johnson County, Kansas is home for thousands and thousands of Canada geese, and today they were all heading south. The sky was full of huge waving Vs as they were fleeing the area before the stuff hits the fan! (that’s what geese do….head south)

3. I just saw a woolly worm in my garage….he looked like he was wearing his mothers mink coat! (they say that only happens when we are going to have a tough winter) A researcher actually tested the woolly worm for accuracy.....results?  80% right!

4. As for the weatherman, he is predicting yucky weather.
(Okay, I usually don’t pay very close attention to him, I think I'll stick with Mr. Wooly Worm.

All things considered, I think our beautiful autumn is over here in the Midwest! We may have snow by Sunday. I’m very glad I hung the wreath on the front door when it was in the mid-50s…the temperature is going to drop like a rock!


I suppose it is foolish to hope for a mild winter…they are very rare here in Kansas.
So, I am prepared to spend the winter close to home. I’ve moved into my studio here at home….I used to refer to that room as the kitchen! But I have found the aromas of a pot of simmering soup and bread baking is quite a creative stimulant. I love being in my kitchen, …cooking, baking and painting!

I am delivering 10 paintings to ARTichokes Gallery next week in preparation for the show opening on the 16th (PLEASE COME!) My latest painting is of a small village on the shore of Lake Como in Northern Italy, in the state of Lombardy, the home of my ancestors.
So, it seems fitting for a pot of Pasta e fagioli, or what you might call “pasta fazool”, to be filling my studio/kitchen with the aromas of this famous soup. I hope you enjoy the recipe! Stay warm!

Pasta e Fagioli

6 cups of chicken broth                  
4 to 6 clove of crushed garlic
2  15oz cans of cannellini beans
2  150z cans of crushed tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
3 Tbls extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup of Somerset Ridge Flyboy Red wine
1 box of elbow or ditalini pasta

Saute onions and garlic in a pot. Add the broth, wine and tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil.
Add beans and reduce heat and let simmer for around 15 minutes.
Add pasta and simmer for ten minutes, until done.
Cover and remove from heat and let it thicken up for around 30 minutes.

Serve with Flyboy Red wine and bread or nice toasted garlic bread.