onion soup granitee

to ensure a golden crust forms on this gratinéed soup, do not push the croutons into the soup. simply float them on top.

 

 

 

 

 

ingredients:

• 2 tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup port
• 8 cups vegetable broth
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1-lb. loaf country-style white bread
• 1/2 lb. grated gruyère cheese

directions:

in a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the butter. when the foaming subsides, add the onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and golden, about 20 minutes.

add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. add the white wine and port, bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook for 5 minutes. add the broth, return to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

position a rack in the upper third of an oven and preheat to 400°f.

cut the bread into 1-inch-thick slices, arrange on a baking sheet and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

remove the bay leaf from the soup and ladle the soup into 6 ovenproof soup bowls or crocks, filling them to within 1 inch of the rim. trim the croutons as needed to fit inside the bowls, then top each portion with 2 croutons and sprinkle generously with cheese. place the bowls on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes. serve immediately.

serves 6.

oven dried tomato and lentil soup

if you are fortunate enough to have a vegetable garden that yields a big tomato harvest, you can dehydrate the excess in the oven as directed in this recipe and use them later in soups and stews. the tomatoes taste best if they are still a bit moist and pliable when dried. store any you don’t use in the freezer. they will keep for up to 3 months.

ingredients:

• 6 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
• coarse sea salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups french green lentils
• 3 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 carrot, peeled and minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 6 cups rich vegetable broth or canned broth
• 1 lb. red new potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
• 1 tbs. minced fresh rosemary
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

directions:

preheat an oven to 250°f. place the tomatoes, cut sides up, on a rack set on a baking sheet. sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven for about 2 hours. the tomatoes will dehydrate and intensify in flavor, but should still be a little soft. remove from the oven and set aside.

meanwhile, pick over the lentils and discard any misshappen lentils and stones. rinse the lentils. place in a bowl and add water to cover generously. let stand for 1 hour. drain and set aside.

in a saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. add the onion, carrot and celery and sauté until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. add the broth, drained lentils, and potatoes and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the lentils and potatoes are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

add the reserved tomatoes and the rosemary and continue to simmer, stirring gently to retain the shape of the tomatoes, until the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes more. season with salt and pepper.

ladle into warmed bowls and serve hot.

serves 6.

wet felting

wet felting is the traditional way of making felt, and wool fibers have been felted this way for thousands of years. no special equipment is required to make felt at home using the wet felting process, and even beginners can produce great looking results.

what is wet felting?

wet felting is the term used to describe the method of making felt by wetting and agitating wool fibers. most types of animal fibers will felt, although some fibers are easier than others. merino wool, for instance, felts easily and is often the preferred choice of felters. manmade and silky fibers will not felt although they can be added to wool, either combined with the wool fibers or applied to the surface as decoration. there are three elements required to make felt:  water, agitation and heat. the felting process works best in a slightly alkaline liquid, and soap or detergent is all that is required to create this condition. the finished felt shrinks by over 50%. 

how to wet felt at home 

the process of making felt at home is very simple. unlike other crafts, felting is not a precise art…much of it is done by ‘feel’ rather than using a method that has a prescribed set of rules, and many felt makers adapt and develop their own techniques. if you’re a beginner, don’t worry about getting things wrong. the combination of wool fibers, heat, agitation and wetness is almost guaranteed to produce felt. a textured surface such as an old bamboo blind or bubble wrap is perfect for felt making. the textured surface helps to work the fibers into each other and speeds the felting process. tip: watch out for machine washable or pre-shrunk wool fibers…these will not shrink and therefore will not produce felt!

materials needed:

wool fibers (wool tops or roving are the best to work with)

an old bamboo blind or bubble wrap

piece of nylon fabric

old towel

hot water

soap or detergent

beginners may prefer to make a small piece of felt to start with. a piece about the size of an a3 piece of paper is easy to work with. while this is a simple process, it is a wet process. a kitchen is good place to make felt, as water is close at hand and the work surfaces are likely to be waterproof. work on an old towel to catch any water.

lay out layers of wool fibers onto a bamboo blind or a sheet of bubble wrap, with each layer being at right angles to the other. about 8 layers of fibers will give a good piece of felt. make sure that there are no gaps. this will look like a big fluffy mass, however the next stage will flatten it.

take the nylon fabric and lay it over the fibers. this helps to hold the fibers in place and because it is nylon, the wool won’t felt into it.

carefully pour hot water over the wool fibers, pressing them down to expel any pockets of air and make sure that they are completely soaked. remove the nylon fabric.

rub a little soap or detergent into the hands and pat this over the surface of the fibers. some felt makers add the soap or detergent to the hot water, however adding it by hand gives a greater degree of control.

place another sheet of bubble wrap over the fibers or fold the blind over to sandwich the fibers.

start rolling the felt, back and forth in one direction. after 20 or so rolls, open out the roll of fibers, turn them and repeat the process. the aim is to roll the fibers an equal number of times in each direction.

the fibers will start to matt together. after a few rolls, carefully pinch some fibers. when they no longer come away, but have matted together the felting process has started.

continue in this way until the felt reaches the required thickness. it can be hardened and shrunk further by putting the felt into the washing machine on a hot wash cycle with some old towels.

finish the felt by rinsing it well.

tips for beginners

here are a few tips to help beginners achieve great results:

1. beginners who want to learn more about felting may find it useful to make a few samples trying different effects. for instance make a sample of a very loose felt and compare this to a very compact felt.

2. measure the size of the layout of fibers before and after felting to get an appreciation of the volume of shrinkage.

3. try adding other materials to the felt, for instance pieces of yarn, silk fabric or cotton. this will give an interesting surface texture.

felting wool sweaters

types of wool sweaters to felt

most types of wool sweaters or other wool garments or items can be felted. it is important, however, to make sure that the wool is not machine washable or preshrunk. some wool products are pre treated so they will not shrink when washed in a washing machine and as such these will not felt. other items, like say an old wool blanket, may have already felted and shrunk over the years so the finished effect may not be so dramatic.

wool mixes are likely to felt, however this is dependent of the percentage of other fibers mixed with the wool. yarns made from fibers such as cotton and silk will not felt. therefore if a wool sweater has stripes or a pattern knitted in a different yarn, when felted the wool will have shrunk and felted and the cotton or silk will remain its original size. this can create interesting textured results.

how to felt wool sweaters

felting wool sweaters is very simple…all that is required is a washing machine. place the wool sweater into the washing machine on a hot wash cycle and let the washing machine to do the rest! for best results it is a good idea to have other items in the washing machine to add friction and agitate the wool sweater. old towels or jeans will work well.

felting tips

while it is almost impossible to go wrong when felting a wool sweater or other wool item, there are a few tips that will help to ensure great results:

• remove any buttons or embellishments before felting the sweater. they will be more difficult to remove later.
• to stop the arms from felting together, thread an old pair of tights or stockings through each arm. the nylon will not felt to the wool and this will help to keep the arms open.
• the dyes used to color some wool items may run at hot temperatures. it is best not to felt deeply colored wool items with white or light colored clothes.
• use the hottest available cycle on the washing machine for maximum shrinkage.
• remember…the felting process is irreversible so be absolutely sure that felting is the desired result before proceeding.

buying wool items for felting

wool items that are suitable for felting can be found at yard sales and thrift stores.  as pure wool items are regarded as luxury and long lasting items, they are sometimes sold at a premium…but damaged, stained or flawed items are all perfect for felting! simply cut away any damaged or stained pieces after felting. ebay is also a good option for people looking for items to felt. the popularity of this craft, however, means that wool items can often be sought after and therefore this might not present a cost effective solution. why not hit up your family and friends?  once they know that someone is collecting wool items for felting and crafting, they are often delighted to be able to pass on their cast offs.

knitting or crocheting items for felting

items knitted or crocheted with wool yarn can easily be felted to make a sturdy felt fabric.

when wool fibers are agitated in hot water they shrink and lock together to form felt! this is an interesting technique to learn and can be used in many ways.

types of yarns for felting

one of the key things to remember when felting knitted or crocheted items is that they will shrink, and the amount of shrinkage depends on the yarn that they are knitted with.  pure new wool is likely to shrink to less than half its original size.  yarns that are a wool mix–for instance, a wool and silk blend–will shrink a lot less.

knitters and crocheters should watch out for easy-wash yarn or any yarn that is sold as machine washable, as this will have been processed to stop it from shrinking, which means it will not felt. before proceeding to knit or crochet a large item for felting, it’s smart to make a sample first and then felt it.  the measurements before and after felting should be taken so the precise amount of shrinkage can be measured.

stitches for knitting and crochet felting

while almost any stitch can be used when knitting or crocheting items to felt, they can alter the finished effect.

lace stitches will give felted fabric a cool hole-y effect. textured patterns such as cables may get lost in the felting process, giving a gentle textured effect rather than being obvious cables.

good stitches for textures in both knitting and crochet projects are bobble stitches…the bobbles get emphasized as part of the felting process. 

knitting and crochet does not felt the same in both directions. a square of knitting or crochet, for instance, will not necessarily end up as a square when it is felted. this is another reason why making samples is an important part of the planning process.

how to felt knitted and crocheted items

felting knitted and crocheted items is very simple, but can be nervewracking. as making felt is not a precise art, if you’ve spent weeks or months knitting or crocheting a large item and expect the final felted product to look a certain way, you may end up disappointed. 

to felt a knitted item, put the item into a washing machine on a very hot washing cycle. the washing process will felt and shrink the wool fibers. other items should be included as these will agitate the knitting or crochet and this will help the felting process. once an item has been felted the process cannot be reversed.

finishing it off

when the felted item is removed from the washing machine it is likely to look like a misshapen lump. this is when many knitters and crocheters vow never to felt anything ever again, but don’t panic…you can pull the finished item into shape.  just as knitting and crochet benefits from being blocked as part of the finishing process, felted items also benefit from shaping.

the finished felt fabric is likely to be sturdy and robust and can take quite a lot of shaping. three dimensional items such as bags or footwear can be packed with plastic bags when they are drying to keep their shape.  hats could be placed on a head-sized ball to dry, if a head form is not available. flat items should be pulled into shape and laid flat to dry.

what is felt and how is it used?

felt is a non woven textile made by compressing and matting fibers together until they connect to form a sturdy fabric.  felt has a long history and is the oldest form of cloth known; it has been used in many cultures as a material for clothing, footwear, rugs and even tents. the distinctive kazakh yurt was traditionally made from felt. but borat’s mustache was not.

today, felt is used in many craft projects and one of the reasons behind the renewed popularity of felt for use in crafts is its sheer versatility. from pieces of economical, commercially manufactured felt that’s made from manmade fibers to pricey handmade felt that uses the finest animal fibers, there’s something out there for everyone.

felt in kids’ crafts 

commercially produced felt pieces are ideal for using in children’s craft projects and unlike woven fabric, it will not fray or unravel. as such, felt is a great fabric for children to learn to sew with, and it can be cut with craft scissors. felt is also a popular material for making handcrafted products such as bags, hats and other accessories.

making felt

felt is made by manipulating fibers until they matt and then shrinking the fabric to make the fibers lock together.

handmade felt is typically made in one of two ways:  either through the wet felting process, which involves wetting the fibers and agitating them until they have locked together to form a sturdy cloth, or though needle felting. 

needle felting uses a special needle or set of needles to matt the fibers together. the needles are barbed and these barbs tangle and matt the fibers to form felt. wet felting can be done with animal fibers such as wool, whereas needle felting can produce felt from any fiber.

wet felting is the best way to produce large sheets of felt at home. needle felting is ideal for adding embellishments to projects and is also a good way to produce three dimensional work such as figures or dolls.

felting knitted or wool fabrics

anyone who has ever put a pure wool jumper or sweater into a washing machine later to find that it has shrunk to a fraction of its original size will be familiar with the felting process of knitted or woven fabrics. technically, this is known as fulling, however it is more often referred to as felting. any wool item can be felted in a washing machine, including garments and wool blankets. felt made in this way is ideal for using in a wide range of projects and is considered a great way to recycle items. one of the fun things about working with felted garments is that it provides a good range of colors and patterns.

buying felt

while making felt at home is a simple process which requires little in the way of special equipment, some people prefer the convenience of buying felt.

commercially produced felt made from manmade fibers is readily available from craft stores, wool felt is less readily available.

mason-dixon knitting

practical advice, real-life knitting instruction, and irreverent humor from kay gardiner and ann shayne, the duo behind  masondixonknitting.com.

the ladies of mason-dixon knitting will take you on an adventure through knitopia, a place where knitting and creativity unite through the craziest knitted items imaginable.

kay and ann reveal that a pattern is like a starting line, a launching pad, the front doors of saks the day after thanksgiving: oh, the potential!

mason-dixon knitting is a collection of patterns, a how-to manual and  hilarious narrative all in one.  kay and ann chitchat their way through more than thirty patterns, drawing creative inspiration from their surroundings:  presenting colorful blankets, sassy nightgowns, a delicate curtain, and much more to reveal that knitting can weave its way into just about every aspect of life.

most of these projects are the epitome of ease, but you can make them as simple or complicated as you like.  use your creative vision to interpret each pattern and give it your own personal touch!  full-color photos accompany each project.

mason-dixon knitting explores the humor, fun, and outrageous possibilities of a realm in which knitting is much more than a craft—it’s a lifestyle.

ribollita

ribollita is italian for “reboiled.”

first you make a hearty tuscan vegetable soup and refrigerate it overnight.

the next day, you reheat (“reboil”) the soup with slices of bread in it, which break down and thicken it further.

ingredients:

for the white beans:

• 1 1/2 cups dried white beans, preferably cannellini
• 4 cups water
• 1 yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup chopped canned plum tomatoes
• 1 to 2 tbs. tomato paste
• 1 lb. savoy cabbage or 1/3 lb. each kale, swiss chard and savoy cabbage, tough stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped or 
  shredded
• 1 tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 6 to 8 slices coarse country bread

directions:

to make the beans, pick over them and discard any misshapen beans and stones. rinse the beans, drain and place in a saucepan with the water. bring to a boil over high heat, boil for 2 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. let stand for 1 hour. drain and return to the saucepan with fresh water to cover by about 2 inches.

add the onion, garlic and bay leaf and bring to a boil over high heat. reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender but not falling apart, about 1 hour. add the salt during the last 10 minutes of cooking. remove and discard the onion, garlic and bay leaf. set the beans aside in their liquid.

in a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil. add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. add the cabbage, the cooked white beans and their liquid, thyme, salt and pepper, and enough water just to cover the vegetables. increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the vegetables are very tender, about 2 hours. remove from the heat, let cool, cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or for up to 3 days.

remove the soup from the refrigerator. layer 2 or 3 bread slices in the bottom of a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. ladle in enough soup just to cover. repeat the layers until all the bread and soup are in the pan, ending with the soup. slowly bring the soup to a boil over low heat, stirring often to make sure that the bottom doesn’t scorch and to break up the bread, 20 to 30 minutes. it should eventually dissolve and absorb the liquids completely, forming a very thick soup.

scoop into warmed bowls and drizzle with the olive oil. serve immediately.

serves 6.

spring pea soup with veggie bacon bread crumbs

 

showcasing the garden-fresh flavors of spring, this pea soup gets a flavor boost from a crispy garnish of bread crumbs and bits of fake bacon.

ingredients:

• 4 oz. vegetarian bacon
• 2 slices white bread, processed into fine crumbs
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh mint
• 2 tsp. butter
• 2 tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 2 lb. shelled fresh or frozen english peas
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

directions:

cook vegetarian bacon according to package directions and set aside. heat a fry pan over medium-high heat and melt butter.  add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. transfer to a bowl.

in a mini food processor, process the fake bacon into fine bits. stir the bacon, mint, parsley, salt and pepper into the bread crumbs. set aside.

in a 5 1/2-quart dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. add the shallots and sauté until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. stir in the peas, broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the peas are tender, 12 to 20 minutes. stir in the cream. working in batches, puree the soup in a food processor until smooth. season with salt and pepper.

ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the fake bacon bread crumbs. serve immediately.

serves 6.

all knotted up

french knots are a beautiful element of embroidery. you can make them with bulky knitting yarn or fine thread, creating a bright polka dot or a tiny speck.  although they seem simple enough, there is a bit of a technique to making them.

years ago after many frustrating attempts at trying to learn the technique on my own, i asked my honey how to make them, and he was happy to teach me.  now i make them every chance i get!  thanks, yobo.  i never make a french knot without thinking of you!

making french knots is a two-handed job, so if you’re just learning how to make them, it helps to have your fabric secured in an embroidery hoop.  the trick is to maintain a tight grip on the thread with your left hand (if you’re right handed…reverse for lefties) as the needle is drawn through it.  this keeps the thread from tangling and creates a tidy knot. 

french knots are a basic element of embroidery and can be strung together to make lines and shapes, or they can make a field of polka dots. at some point i want to make a little gnome completely out of french knots.  one day he’ll materialize. 

how to:

thread the embroidery needle.

bring the needle up through the fabric from the back to the front. wrap the thread around the needle three or four times counterclockwise. keep a tight grip on the thread as you wrap it.

3. push the needle down through the fabric just next to where it came out, holding the thread tight in your fingers.  pull the needle through the knot to the back of the fabric. 

voila!  gets much easier with practice.  don’t give up.

lacemaking needles

skacel’s addi turbo circular needles have long been a favorite of knitters for their lightening-fast smooth texture and superior construction. skacel’s new product, addi lace needles, are designed specifically for knitting lace. 

these  needles differ from the original aluminum needles in that they have longer and more pointed tips, a raspberry colored cord, and the tip is brass instead of aluminum.

the longer, more pointed tip of the needles help to easily work lace stitches, whether you need to knit into the back of a yarn over, work a left slanting decrease or purl into the back of a stitch.

the smooth needle surface makes stitches glide easily and keep your hands from feeling cramped or tense. 

the flexibility of the cord and the long length of the needle tips also give your knitting added movement…you won’t have to constantly readjust your fingers to inch your stitches along.  

these brass-tip needles could be used for knitting things other than lace, as come in size 1 (2.5 mm) all the way up to size 6 (4 mm). 

have fun and experiment!

fight the winter blahs with borax

oh winter in california.  one day it’s pouring rain, then it’s sunny, then it’s overcast, then sunny again.  i’ve always been a winter kind of gal. love the cold (as in california cold…maybe 55 to 65?), and the rain (as long as i’m at home and watching it through a window). 

only seen snow twice in my life, and that was plenty.  but how to bring that wintery feeling indoors when the thermometer reads 75?  borax snowflakes, that’s how!

snowflakes outside will sigh with envy when they see this one in the window!  pipe cleaners are shaped into a snowflake and dipped into borax which has been dissolved in boiling water with food coloring.  as the water cools, borax forms crystals that cling to the pipe cleaners.  so easy, and so beautiful! 

how to:

twist three 5-inch pieces of pipe cleaner together to form a snowflake, then add a 1 ½” inch piece to each point. tie the flake with string to a pencil. suspend in a jar that is big enough so the snowflake won’t touch the sides. fill with 3 tablespoons borax and 1 drop blue food coloring per 1 cup of boiling water. hang the snowflake in the jar. let sit overnight; remove and admire!

get creative…you can fancy pipecleaners into all sorts of shapes and use with other colors of food coloring…think green shamrocks, red hearts…

homemade bath salts and scrubs

ever made bath salts with essential oils before?  sure they’re good, but why not try using kitchen stuff instead?  works great, very simple, and making a big batch is relatively inexpensive.  adjust the oil/salts ratio to your liking — use more oil to make an exfoliating salt scrub, less to make more traditional bath salts.

materials needed:

1/2 – 1 cup extra-light olive oil
1/3 cup ground coffee
6 tbsp cinnamon (or more if you really like cinnamon!)
reusable coffee filter, or several paper filters, in a coffeemaker basket
3 lb. container of epsom salts
1 cup baking soda (optional)
2 – 4 cup pyrex measuring cup
large flat saucepan
mixing bowl 

how to:

1. warm the olive oil in the pyrex container in a saucepan of boiling water. mix in the coffee first, then the cinnamon, stirring to blend as the mixture heats. continue to infuse for 20 minutes on the stove, stirring from time to time.
2. pour the coffee-cinnamon-oil mixture through the coffee filter into the large mixing bowl, one-third at a time. careful not to burn yourself! discard the grounds and keep the oil. let it cool to room temperature.
3. mix the infused oil with the salts (and soda if you’re using it). that’s it!

variation: green tea-ginger. substitute 1/3 cup green tea and 1/4 cup powdered ginger (it’s cheaper if you buy it in bulk) for the coffee and cinnamon. 

wrapping it up:  

fill a mason jar with your salt scrub and paint the lid (hot pink enamel paint is shown here, but acrylic works well too). when the paint is dry, hot-glue assorted buttons over it and on the sides of the jar. add a piece of rick-rack around the side of the lid if you’d like. (glitter hot-glued the buttons and used aleene’s tacky glue for the rick-rack.)

of course, you could glue on rhinestones, game pieces, or any flat-backed doodads.  personalized labels could be cute…draw or print out something you like on a label, apply to the jar and then seal with delta ceramcoat gloss.

cactus garden

 

a post-valentine’s day terrarium.

because not everyone is meant to wear heels.

roasted tomato soup with soy meatballs and rice

intensely flavored roasted tomatoes and extra-virgin olive oil give this soup a wonderfully fruity flavor.

the tomato base can be made up to 1 week in advance and frozen.

ingredients:

• 4 lb. ripe tomatoes, halved crosswise
• 1 large sweet onion such as vidalia, cut into wedges
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 3/4 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 bag of trader joe’s frozen soy meatballs
• 1 tsp. salt, plus salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup arborio rice
• about 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 orange zest strip, 3 inches long and 1/2 inch wide
• 1 garlic clove

directions:

preheat an oven to 400°f. arrange the tomato and onion pieces, cut sides down, on a large baking sheet. drizzle with the olive oil and lay the thyme and rosemary sprigs on top. roast until the tomatoes begin to char and the onions are tender, about 45 minutes. remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

meanwhile, cook the rice: in a heavy saucepan over high heat, bring 1 cup water to a boil. add the rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.

remove soy meatballs from freezer at this point and let sit.

pass the tomatoes, onion and juices through a food mill placed over a large bowl. discard the solids. (alternatively, puree in a food processor, then pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.) measure the tomato mixture; you should have about 6 cups. add enough broth to measure 8 cups total. transfer to a large saucepan and place over medium heat. bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to very low and cover.

slip the meatballs into the broth, re-cover, raise the heat to low and simmer gently until cooked through, about 5 minutes. add the rice and heat through. season with salt and pepper. while the rice is heating, on a cutting board, finely chop together the parsley, orange zest and garlic.

ladle the soup into warmed bowls, distributing the meatballs evenly. sprinkle with a little of the parsley mixture and serve immediately.

serves 6 to 8.

*   *   *   *   *   *

yes folks, i love him even more than soup during soup weather.