Hearty vegetable soup with fresh herbs

         Hearty Vegetable Soup

  Ingredients:

    15 oz can red kidney beans

      32 oz canned whole tomatoes, cut up

      15 oz canned great northern beans 

       15 oz garbanzo beans

       15 oz canned diced new potatoes

       2 c  water  

       2  ea onions, large, chopped

       3 ea green peppers, medium/large,  chopped   

       3  ea  celery stalks, sliced

       1 large Zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into inch long chunks

       3  carrots sliced in ¼ inch rounds

       3 ea Cloves garlic, minced

        Fresh herbs (chives, oregano, basil, rosemary, tarragon, sage and thyme.) 

        or 2 ts each dried basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon crushed   

        14 ounces Little Smokies, diced (optional)

        1/4 ts Pepper

        1 ea Bay leaf      

         ½ cup ditalini pasta      

Directions:   

  

Combine the undrained tomatoes, undrained beans, water, all of the vegetables, except for the zucchini 

in a 4-quart Dutch oven.  Bring to boil and add the sausage and reduce the heat to simmer. Mince the fresh herbs and garlic and add to the simmering soup.

Cover and simmer for about 1 hour or until vegetables. are tender.  

Uncover, add the zucchini and ditalini and simmer for another 20 minutes.

Buttermilk Cornmeal Muffins

Ingredient:

1 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

2  eggs

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Have ready 12 greased and or paper-lined muffin cups.

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk and cornmeal; set aside.

In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and melted butter; add the cornmeal mixture and mix well.

Add to the flour mixture just until combined; do not overmix.

Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 cup full; bake 15 minutes.

Serve warm.