Feed Your Belly ... and Your Heart

It's been a weird week here. One of those where you get emotionally tired due to a hundred different things tugging on you, some little, some bigger. Weeks like we all have every once in a while.

In the middle of all of it, I had a dream where my dad popped up. I always look forward to these surprise appearances because it's so nice to see him ... even if it's only in my imagination or subconcious or whatever.

But because of my situation this week, his visit just made me miss him. Terribly.

So I made soup.

Does that sound strange?

Now I imagine you're wondering ... was his favorite food soup? No. Do I have a special memory of the two of us making soup together? Nope. Maybe one of us eating soup together? Nah.

But I did spot a bag of noodles in my pantry as I was doing a "what should I make for dinner" scan and I couldn't help but think of him.

Here's the story:

My dad was raised in southwestern Wisconsin. God's country, he'd tell you. Our pilgrimages to Boscobel, Bagley and Prairie du Chien happened year-round, but the ones in the fall were perhaps his favorite. And mine.

You see, fall meant two things. First, it signalled the close of Pete's Hamburger Stand (http://peteshamburgers.com/) on the main drag in Prairie du Chien. My grandparents took my dad to this summer-only hamburger stand when he was a kid and he took us. There was a push each fall to get there for one last burger before they shuttered the trailer, leaving us without the "withs and withouts."

The second thing fall required was a stop at Peck's Farm Market outside of Spring Green on Highway 14/60.

If you've been here, you know that it is all things quintessentially Wiscsonsin/Fall/Farm Market. There is a petting zoo, pony rides and lots and lots and lots of squash. You'll see hay bales, corn shocks and bags of apples. You'll find locally made jam, fresh cheese curds and a surprising volume of Halloween decorations.

Rocky would load up on squash. (He'd long since stopped growing his own and driving the trailer full of extras around the block with his lawn tractor, handing them out to the neighborhood.) He ALWAYS bought a bag or two of squeaky cheese curds and the biggest caramel apple he could find to eat in the car. And he always insisted on buying you whatever you managed to find.

That last year, I found a bag of goofy looking dry noodles. Their shape was somewhere between quadrefiore and ondule. He bought, I took them home and I think I remember making a simple bowl of buttered noodles once upon a time. There was not much left in the bag, so I must have made something else, too.

Quadrefiore Pasta

Ondule Pasta

Then they sat in the pantry. Giving up white flour for the better part of two years will do that to a noodle.

This week, when I spotted them, I remembered that whole big story I just told you. Then I dug out some chicken stock, cut up some onion and carrot, found leftover chicken in the freezer. I tossed in those last few funny-shapes, along with a handful of whole wheat egg noodles to round it out.

And then I had lunch with my dad.

It was perfect.

Chicken Noodle Soup
1 small to med onion, diced
Same amount of carrots, diced
Minced garlic
Same amount of corn (mine was frozen off the cob earlier this summer, but any kind works)
1-2 C leftover chicken
1 box reduced sodium chicken stock
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning
Thyme
Red pepper flake
Juice of half a lemon
1-2 big Tbsp of pre-made pesto
Noodles

Sautee the onion and carrots in a little olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, salt and pepper to your taste. Toss in the corn and chicken. Pour on the chicken stock. Add poultry seasoning, thyme to taste. (Or whatever spices you like ... all spice is always good with chicken, as is rosemary. This is just what I had on hand.) Squeeze lemon and add pesto. Adjust seasoning, then add noodles right to the pot.

If you're going to eat it right then and there, let the noodles cook all the way through. If you're going to stick it in the fridge and eat it tomorrow night, don't take it all the way. Leave some bite in the noodles so they can finish when you reheat.

You could also add mushrooms (cook with onions/carrots), substitute celery for carrots or include both, throw in some zucchini, etc. Your soup, your choice.

Miss you!