A close, good friend of mine, Lynn, asked me to host a cooking class/luncheon at her home. Without hesitation, I said yes! Her home is located in Orlando’s historic district. A Lady’s Luncheon at Lynn’s Home was the perfect place for Lynn and her friends, Marian, Jean, Diane, Gloria, and Sandy, to spend some quality time together. My Kale And White Bean Soup, what I call beans and greens, would be delicious.
I thought it would be a great idea to put a menu together, to show the girls some tips and cooking techniques they could take home and use when they’re cooking for their families.
Earlier in the week, Lynn and I met to iron out all the details. We came up with a plan and set it in motion. Gifts for the girls, a tablescape that would complement the Italian theme, and then, of course, the menu. The day before the luncheon, I went shopping and found some great seasonal ingredients at the local farmers’ market. I wanted the centerpiece for the table to also echo a few of the ingredients I was using, such as a large rustic bowl filled with pink grapefruits, lemons, fennel fronds, and fresh bay leaves.
I set up a small cheese board filled with shards of different types of Parmesan cheeses. The saltiness of the cheeses paired well with the Peach Bellinis made with fresh peach purée mixed with Prosecco, finished with a strawberry garnish. A traditional cocktail that originated in Venice, Italy.
I went through the steps for each course step by step. The ladies were taking notes, which made me feel pretty special. They asked great questions, and I think they went away realizing that when you use fresh and seasonal ingredients, cooking can be super fun as well as satisfying.
These were some of the sweetest ladies. I hope that we’ll be able to get together again shortly. Lynn, I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to help you with this amazing luncheon.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time 35 to 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Equipment: 2 (6-quart) Dutch ovens with lids, cutting board, chef’s knife, vegetable peeler
The Menu:
Peach Bellinis
Cheese Board: Parmesan, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Grana Padano
Fennel Salad with Grapefruit, Shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, Garnished with Edible Flowers
Kale And White Bean Soup
Homemade Ciabatta Croutons
Eton Mess By Way Of Italy
Mint and Peach Iced Tea
Ingredients For Kale And White Bean Soup:
(better known as Beans And Greens Soup)
All ingredients below are divided evenly into 2 (6-quart) heavy-bottom pots
2 bunches (approx. 12 cups chopped in total) of organic kale, center ribs removed, roughly chopped
4 (15.5-ounce) cans of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 ribs of celery, 2-inch dice (include leafy tops)
2 large onions, 2-inch dice
8 carrots peeled, 2-inch dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of nutmeg, freshly-grated
2 Fresno chilis, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 quarts of vegetable stock, unsalted
8 cups of water (amount of water may vary slightly)
2 (2-inch) pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds
2 tablespoons of kosher salt (1 tablespoon per pot)
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground (1/2 teaspoon per pot)
2 fresh bay leaves (substitute dried)
2 teaspoons of rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Garnishes:
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-ground
*E.V.O.O (drizzle on top as a finish to the soup)
Homemade Ciabatta Croutons
Instructions for the Kale and White Bean Soup:
Turn the burners to medium-high heat, and allow the two heavy-bottom pots to heat up. Remember that all the ingredients will be evenly divided into the two pots. Once the pots have come to temperature, adjust the temperature to medium. Add in the olive oil, diced onions, minced Fresno chili, celery, diced carrots, and tomato paste. Stir all the ingredients together and cook until the vegetables start to soften, around 10 minutes. Make sure to season as you go by adding kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, and chopped rosemary leaves while continuing to stir. About 3-5 minutes in, add the unsalted chicken stock and cheese rinds. Slowly add half of the chopped kale leaves to each pot. Using a spoon, start to submerge the leaves in the liquid. Next, slowly add the water and the remaining chopped kale. This is the point at which you’ll be able to see if you have enough liquid (refer to the pictures above), allowing 3 inches of space at the top of each pot.
The kale will wilt as it cooks, and most of the ingredients will also release their water. Not to worry, (cooking soup uncovered) as the soup comes to a boil, water will also evaporate as the soup cooks. Now, the drained Cannellini beans. Next, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the freshly grated nutmeg to each pot. Stir all the ingredients together. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the kale and carrots are tender. Once finished, cover the soup pots until ready to serve.
Serve in porcelain bowls with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, croutons, and a drizzle of good *E.V.O.O.
There you have it, my Kale and White Bean Soup.
Notes:
1) The croutons and dessert you see in the pictures above, “Eton Mess By Way Of Italy” and “Homemade Croutons” recipes, can be found by clicking the links below.
2) I love to save the cheese rinds and add them to soups. They add so much flavor!
3) Smoked sausage is an option to add to this soup (sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick pieces)
4) *E.V.O.O. is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
5) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.
A Ladies Luncheon At Lynn's
Equipment
- 2 Dutch ovens 6- quart with lids
- 1 cutting board
- 1 chef's knife
- 1 vegetable peeler
Ingredients
Ingredients For Kale And White Bean Soup: (better known as Beans And Greens Soup) All ingredients below are divided evenly into 2 (6-quart) heavy-bottom pots
- 12 cups organic kale Center ribs removed, roughly chopped
- 4 15.5-ounce cans Cannellini beans Drained and rinsed
- 4 tbsps olive oil
- 4 ribs celery 2-inch dice (include leafy tops)
- 2 large onions 2-inch dice
- 8 carrots Peeled, 2-inch dice
- 4 cloves garlic Minced
- 2 tsps nutmeg Freshly-grated
- 2 Fresno chilis Seeded and minced
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- 2 quarts vegetable stock Unsalted
- 8 cups water (amount of water may vary slightly)
- 2 2-inch pieces Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds
- 2 tbsps kosher salt (1 tablespoon per pot)
- 1 tsp black pepper Freshly-ground (1/2 teaspoon per pot)
- 2 fresh bay leaves Substitute dried
- 2 tsps fresh rosemary leaves Finely chopped
Garnishes:
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese Freshly-ground
- *E.V.O.O (Drizzle on top as a finish to the soup)
- Homemade Ciabatta Croutons
Instructions
- Instructions for the Kale and White Bean Soup:Turn the burners to medium-high heat, and allow the two heavy-bottom pots to heat up. Remember that all the ingredients will be evenly divided into the two pots. Once the pots have come to temperature, adjust the temperature to medium. Add in the olive oil, diced onions, minced Fresno chili, celery, diced carrots, and tomato paste. Stir all the ingredients together and cook until the vegetables start to soften, around 10 minutes. Make sure to season as you go by adding kosher salt and black pepper to taste.Add the minced garlic, bay leaves, and chopped rosemary leaves while continuing to stir. About 3-5 minutes in, add the unsalted chicken stock and cheese rinds. Slowly add half of the chopped kale leaves to each pot. Using a spoon, start to submerge the leaves in the liquid. Next, slowly add the water and the remaining chopped kale. This is the point at whichyou'll be able to see if you have enough liquid (refer to the pictures above), allowing 3 inches of space at the top of each pot.The kale will wilt as it cooks, and most of the ingredients will also release their water. Not to worry, (cooking soup uncovered) as the soup comes to a boil, water will also evaporate as the soup cooks. Now, the drained Cannellini beans. Next, add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and the freshly grated nutmeg to each pot. Stir all the ingredients together. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 35-40 minutes or until the kale and carrots are tender. Once finished, cover the soup pots until ready to serve.Serve in porcelain bowls with freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, croutons, and a drizzle of good *E.V.O.O.There you have it, my Kale and White Bean Soup.
Notes
1) The croutons and dessert you see in the pictures above, "Eton Mess By Way Of Italy" and "Homemade Croutons" recipes, can be found by clicking the links below.
2) I love to save the cheese rinds and add them to soups. They add so much flavor!
3) Smoked sausage is an option to add to this soup (sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick pieces)
4) *E.V.O.O. is an acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
5) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/11/08/eton-mess-by-way-of-italy-3/
https://lindalouhamel.com/2015/11/02/homemade-ciabatta-croutons/
