Peas and Meatballs Soup

 Looking for a hearty soup to warm you up on a chilly day? This tomato-based peas and meatball soup perfectly fits a cold day.

My cousin Jimmy and his wife Carmie are just as passionate about preserving old family recipes as I am.

My cousin sent me this recipe about a year ago, and honestly, I wasn't that impressed. But Jimmy was persistent and insisted that we try this soup. We finally gave in and gave this recipe a try, and we're so glad we did. 

It was so good especially served it with fresh Italian bread. This recipe makes a large enough pot of delicious soup to have leftovers for another day.

We come from an Italian family and have many favorite recipes from our parents and grandparents. I never remembered this soup from our family, but this is a recipe that Carmie grew up with. Carmie's mother Anne made this soup and Carmie carries on the family tradition of peas and meatballs soup.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

• 1 lb. of ground beef
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (moistened with water or milk to form a paste)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of basil
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup oil for frying

Ingredients for Soup:

• 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 2 (15-ounce) cand of regular sweet peas undrained
• 4 cups of water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Moisten the bread crumbs then add to ground meat. Add the egg and mix well.
2. Add the remaining seasonings (except the oil) and mix thoroughly.
3. Form miniature meatballs (as for wedding soup) about the size of a marble.
4. Fry the meatballs in the oil until they are brown and cooked through.
5. In a large saucepan place the the meatballs with the oil they were cooked in and all other ingredients.
6. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer and cook until the sauce thickens. (About 1 and a half to 2 hours)
7. Serve with fresh Italian bread.

The photo above shows the size of the meatballs. You could make them a little smaller than this. You can also bake the meatballs in the oven, but you won't get the added flavor from frying them in the soup.

More recipes on my blog from my cousins Jimmy and Carmie:

Canning and Preserving EggplantsHow to Make Roasted Red Peppers

 

Little Neck Clams and Linguine

 

Enjoy this fine dining dish of Littleneck clams and Linguine right in your own home. Most people would think you can only enjoy this dish in a fine Italian restaurant. Well, that is not true, this is so easy to make at home, I know you can do it.

This elegant dish is made with creamy garlic, and white wine sauce, you'll wonder what took you so long to try it.

We recently vacationed in Folly Beach South Carolina. In Folly Beach you will find Crosby's Fish and Shrimp Co.  We stopped there one day and picked up six dozen fresh littleneck clams. We steamed them with white wine, butter, and garlic. We served these with butter and crusty bread, and they were so delicious.

After our vacation, I couldn't wait to pick up some littleneck clams and serve them with linguine. You can find littleneck clams at your local grocery store.

Preparing the Clams:

I bought 100 littleneck clams, we severed half of them with the linguine and the other half with just butter and some hot sauce.

The first thing you need to do is rinse the clams to remove any sand. Discard any of the calms that are opened or cracked. Then, soak them in a large bowl with tap water and some sea salt for 20 minutes.

Ingredients for Linguine and Clams:

1 lb. of linguine

2 shallots chopped

4 cloves garlic minced

3 tablespoon olive oil

4 tablespoon butter divided

1 cup white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

40 to 50 littleneck clams

Instructions:

   Start the water for the linguine.

1. In a large skillet ( with a lid) I used my 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, add the shallots and garlic. Cook this for about one minute until tender.
2. Add the wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the clams and top with parsley and cover.  Steam for about 8 to 10 minutes until the clams open.
4. Drain the pasta (do not rinse the pasta) and add it to the skillet. If the skillet is too crowded remove some of the clams. Add the remaining butter and mix. Discard any clams that do not open.

The buttery garlic and wine sauce was a perfect choice for this Little Neck Clams and Linguine dish. This recipe easily satisfied four people and is so easy to prepare.

As always thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy it!

Lodge 12