Zuppa

This soup is great. Bread in soups is a good old peasant contribution, adding some density and creaminess to it. The pancakes are also much better than one might suspect. And if you are thinking about leaving out the yogurt, DON'T, it's awesome.

Zuppa Arcidossana

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 lb sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 cup .5 inch diced carrots

1 large onion chopped

3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and black pepper

1 cup stale bread (use coarse, country-style bread), cut in 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 lb spinach, trimmed, washed and roughly chopped

1/4 to 1/2 cup ricotta salata, cut in 1/2 inch cubes (feta may be substituted)

1. Put oil in a large pot or deep skillet and brown sausage over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. When sausage is cooked through and leaving brown bits in pan, add carrots, onion and garlic, and continue to cook until vegetables begin to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add bread to pan and stir for a minute or 2; add spinach and continue cooking just until it wilts, a couple of minutes.

3. Add about 2 cups water and stir to loosen any remaining brown bits from pan. This is more of a stew than a soup, but there should be some broth, so add another cup of water if necessary. When broth is consistency of thin gravy, ladle stew into serving bowls and top with cheese and some freshly chopped parsley if you have it.

Zucchini Pancakes

For the Pancakes:

3 medium zucchini, shredded

Salt and pepper

3 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

3 scallions, finely chopped

1/3 cup finely chopped dill

1 tsp baking powder

4 to 6 Tbsp vegetable oil, more as needed

For the Yogurt Sauce:

2/3 cup plain yogurt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 250°. Place zucchini in a colander over a bowl, and mix with 1/2 tsp salt. Allow to drain for five minutes. Transfer to a cloth kitchen towel, and squeeze hard to extract as much moisture as possible. Squeeze a second time; volume will shrink to about half the original.

2. In a large bowl combine zucchini and eggs. Using a fork, mix well. Add flour, 1/2 tsp salt, olive oil, feta, scallions, dill and 1/2 tsp pepper. Mix well, add baking powder, and mix again.

3. Place a cast iron skillet or other heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and heat.

Fry 5-6 minutes.