#VittlesandVino Friday!
Hey Hey, it’s Friday again! Time for a tasty recipe and wine pairing for your weekend fun from Amusée.
This week I’ve selected a really tasty winter warmer for your weekend pleasure. Because we are about to experience a Polar Vortex within the next few days in the Midwest, and the east coast is about to get its hiney handed to it by a big ass blizzard, I thought I’d go with a recipe this week that was good and hearty just in case you’re trapped in for the weekend.
Recipe compliments of my buddy, Mario Batali (I love his recipes!), and gorgeous photo by Con Poulos (who incidentally, takes lovely food pics!).
I gotta tell ya, I made this recipe just last night but did add a teeny bit of my own housemade chicken stock to it and added 1# of ground turkey to give it a bit more protein. Man, it was good!
Mixed Vegetable & Farro Soup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium leek, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
1 cup farro or wheat berries
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 quarts water
One 15-ounce can borlotti or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
In an enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the celery, onion and leek and cook over moderately high heat, stirring a few times, until softened, 5 minutes. Add the farro and tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the grains are coated and shiny, 30 seconds. Add 1 quart of the water and the beans and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add the carrots and the remaining 1 quart of water. Cover and cook over low heat until the carrots are tender, 30 minutes. Add the peas, cover and cook until tender, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, top with the basil and serve
My Wine Pairing:
Vietti Roero Arneis
Literally, one of my favorite white wines on the planet and one of my favorite wineries in Italy. Everything they make is truly spectacular. I can’t tell you how many times a year I actually consume their Arneis.
The wine, approx $28 retail.
What is Arneis? An Italian white varietal, literally found amongst the hills of Roero in Piedmont, Italy.
Why I love it? This is one white that keeps me ALWAYS wanting more when its done correctly. Sometimes very floraly, but generally crisp, clean with a tinge of round, mango fruit.
Why it worked with the Vege and Farro Soup? The hearty bits of the ground turkey and vegetables of this soup needed a little ‘pick me up’ to keep the dish a bit lighter. The sweetness of the carrots came alive as the wine encapsulated the natural sugars of the vegetable. At the same time, the well rounded, earthy and more minerally parts of the wine nicely snuggled into the natural farro grains. Just lovely!
A great recipe and an outstanding wine for your weekend in.