Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, grated
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
½ cup dry orzo pasta
1 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh parsley or dill, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the garlic, then add the broth, thyme, orzo, and beans and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.
Add the spinach and lemon juice and stir until the spinach is wilted. Season to taste and serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs, if desired.

February 22, 2026

Recipe of the Week

Frog Balls?

....yes, that is what they are called.

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussel sprouts

2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 cups water

2 tbsp tbsp pickling spice

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dill seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves peeled

Directions

Trim and blanch Brussel sprouts in boiling water for 3-4 minutes

Pack sprouts into jars with garlic, dill seeds and red pepper flakes

In a pot combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil simmer for 5 minutes

Pour hot brine over sprouts in jars leaving 1/2 in head space at the top of the jar

Seal jars and place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

Let cool / refrigerate for 48 hours ...ENJOY

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and parsley. Add breadcrumbs and ground meats, and mix by hand until well combined. Do not overmix. Form the mixture into 1½-2 inch same-sized meatballs. Cover them with cling wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

In a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp the olive oil over medium high heat and brown short ribs on all sides. Remove to a plate, then brown sausage links. Remove to a plate, then brown meatballs. You will be adding these browned meats to the sauce at intervals, once cooled down refrigerate sausage and meatballs until they go in the gravy.

Add a dash of oil if needed and sauté onion and carrots for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute.

Add red wine and deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.

Add crushed whole tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add the short ribs to the gravy. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-2.5 hours. Stir occasionally, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the sausages to the gravy and cook for 1 hour, uncovered. If at any point gravy is becoming too thick, add a splash of water. (Sunday gravy is meant to be on the thick side)

Add meatballs and cook uncovered for another one hour, stirring occasionally and making sure most of the meats are cooking, submerged under the gravy. Maintain the heat throughout so the gravy is always on a gentle simmer.

Towards the end of cooking time, skim off the excess fact. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Serve Sunday Gravy over your favorite pasta shape, along with parmesan, fresh basil and crusty bread.

February 15, 2026

Recipe of the Week

This super delicious Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is an Italian classic that is hearty, flavorful, and filling!

It’s tasty Italian sausage, fresh broccoli, lots of garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes all sautéed together and then tossed with perfectly cooked “little ears” pasta.

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a large large bowl.
In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.
Add the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the sausage and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through, breaking it up as you go along. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
Add the cooked broccoli florets, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water and the cooked pasta.
Toss everything together and cook for a couple more minutes. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and another drizzle of some good extra virgin olive oil and toss well.
Serve immediately.

February 28 2026

Lemon Orzo Soup

This lemon orzo soup recipe is a fresh, healthy, and cozy one-pot meal! One of our favorite weeknight dinners, it has a bright lemon broth filled with tender orzo and veggies. Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ medium yellow onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, grated

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

½ cup dry orzo pasta

1 cup cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups fresh spinach

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Fresh parsley or dill, for garnish, optional

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until softened.

Stir in the garlic, then add the broth, thyme, orzo, and beans and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the orzo is tender.

Add the spinach and lemon juice and stir until the spinach is wilted. Season to taste and serve topped with freshly ground black pepper and fresh herbs, if desired.

February 22, 2026

Recipe of the Week

Frog Balls?

....yes, that is what they are called.

Ingredients

2 lbs Brussel sprouts

2 1/2 cups vinegar

2 cups water

2 tbsp tbsp pickling spice

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dill seeds

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves peeled

Directions

Trim and blanch Brussel sprouts in boiling water for 3-4 minutes

Pack sprouts into jars with garlic, dill seeds and red pepper flakes

In a pot combine vinegar, water, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil simmer for 5 minutes

Pour hot brine over sprouts in jars leaving 1/2 in head space at the top of the jar

Seal jars and place in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes

Let cool / refrigerate for 48 hours ...ENJOY

Instructions

Add a dash of oil if needed and sauté onion and carrots for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for a minute.

Add red wine and deglaze, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3-4 minutes.

Add crushed whole tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil leaves, rosemary, bay leaves, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add the short ribs to the gravy. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-2.5 hours. Stir occasionally, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add the sausages to the gravy and cook for 1 hour, uncovered. If at any point gravy is becoming too thick, add a splash of water. (Sunday gravy is meant to be on the thick side)

Add meatballs and cook uncovered for another one hour, stirring occasionally and making sure most of the meats are cooking, submerged under the gravy. Maintain the heat throughout so the gravy is always on a gentle simmer.

Towards the end of cooking time, skim off the excess fact. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

Serve Sunday Gravy over your favorite pasta shape, along with parmesan, fresh basil and crusty bread.

February 15, 2026

Recipe of the Week

This super delicious Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli is an Italian classic that is hearty, flavorful, and filling!

It’s tasty Italian sausage, fresh broccoli, lots of garlic, and a pinch of chili flakes all sautéed together and then tossed with perfectly cooked “little ears” pasta.

1 pound broccoli florets

12 ounces orecchiette pasta

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound Italian sausage casings removed

3 cloves garlic minced

salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a large large bowl.

In the same pot with broccoli water add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.

Add the butter to a large skillet and melt over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the sausage and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until cooked through, breaking it up as you go along. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.

Add the cooked broccoli florets, season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add about ½ cup of the pasta water and the cooked pasta.

Toss everything together and cook for a couple more minutes. Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and another drizzle of some good extra virgin olive oil and toss well.

Serve immediately.