Indian Summer Bean Soup and Blueberry Buttermilk Corn Muffins

Gosh I am just crazy about the ending days of summer!  Even rainy days like today.  Not stormy just 70's and a nice rain you really don't even mind going out in.  Actually I did run to the store this morning for a head of cabbage and a handful of kale to add to the beans I soaked overnight.  Plus, I was out of gas for the car and I hate that.  So first thing in a gentle rain I was off.

Ingredients for Indian Summer Bean Soup:

1 pound white beans soaked overnight and drained (I used great northern)
3 qt. stock or water
1 quart tomatoes
2 C. diced onion
2 T. chopped garlic
6 oz. kale stems removed and sliced
1/2 head savoy cabbage shredded
1 C. small carrots
2 russet potatoes peeled and diced
1/4 C. shredded basil leaves
salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 rinds hard cheese, optional

Combine all of the ingredients by late morning and simmer all day until you can no longer stand it!  Taste and correct the seasonings.  Serve with Blueberry Corn Muffins spread with butter and sleep well tonight!

Yield about 4-5 quarts and it just gets better every time you warm it up.  Keep refrigerated between serving times.

Ingredients for Giada De Laurentiis' Blueberry Buttermilk Corn Muffins, my version:


1 1/3 C. buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 1/3 C. flour + 1 T.
1 1/3 C. yellow cornmeal
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. honey
1 T. baking powder
1 t. kosher salt
1 1/2 sticks cold butter cut into dice
2 C. fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the rack in the center of the oven.  Line muffin tin with cupcake papers and set aside.

Using a large bowl whisk together the buttermilk. eggs, and vanilla.  Combine the dry ingredients in the food processor.  Add the cold butter chunks and buzz in bursts of about 30-40 seconds until the butter is the size of grains of rice.  Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together until just combined.

Mix the remaining 1 T. of flour with the blueberries tossing to gently combine.  Add them to the batter folding them in.

Use a 1/3 C. measuring cup to dip out the batter into the paper liners and position a berry or two on top!  Bake 20-25 min. until a toothpick tests clean.  Yield 12-16 muffins.