Monika Blogwell

Six months ago today, I started this blog. I know six months isn’t much of a milestone, but it’s been a lot of fun so far, and I’d like to take a moment to reflect. Since Thanksgiving is about being grateful for what you’ve got, I’m grateful that I have this medium to express my thoughts (no matter how inane sometimes). And I’m grateful that it’s brought me to you, dear readers.

Six months ago, I never would have suspected that people I’ve never met before would write to tell me what they have in common with me or how much they enjoyed a recipe. Occasionally, I hear from old friends who have read my blog and want to catch up. And occasionally I post pictures of my cats and get made fun of. These moments make our big world seem small and give me the motivation to keep writing. So thank you.

Six months ago, this was just an experiment. Now, it’s something I look forward to. I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving. And for anyone wondering what this vegetarian is having for “Turkey Day,” I’m making vegetable lasagna and eating as much pumpkin pie and Reddi-wip as I can.

Being a “blogger” changes you. Last night, I dreamt that one of my posts got published in some magazine. I woke up happy.

I can’t cook a meal without taking photos of it. A good conversation with a friend is likely to wind up on the internet. The mundane can suddenly become interesting. Photos of your pets become global phenomena… well, maybe not… but one can dream.

Come on. Fish Taco SHOULD BE a global phenomenon. Look at him.

He turned Patrick’s cold, cat-hating heart into…

This.

For months, Patrick and I have talked about visiting West Texas. There’s an artist’s community called Marfa that draws people from all over the world. A stone’s throw from there is Big Bend National Park. And a stone’s throw from there is Mexico. Literally, you could throw a stone into Mexico if you stand close enough to the Rio Grande.

When I first thought of Texas, I thought of deserts and tumbleweeds and stars. West Texas meets all of these criteria.

I mean… look at this.

It’s also cowboy boots and beers and really nice people…. and a Prada “store” sitting next to the highway in the middle of nowhere.

In addition to meeting all the locals (and I’m pretty sure I met all the locals), I got to see a friend of mine I hadn’t seen for more than two years. Maggie and I used to work together in Nashville. She was my savior… keeping me sane through many nights working the graveyard shift, listening to stories about Patrick when Patrick and I were just beginning. Who would have thought that a cattle rancher’s daughter from New Mexico could become so close with a vegetarian from Ohio? That’s the beauty of life, I guess.

I love this girl so much.

There are so many beautiful places in the United States. And so many places people rarely get to see. I consider myself extremely lucky to have witnessed the splendor of this place (with wind-whipped hair and all).

If you ever find yourself in Marfa, you must eat at a place called Food Shark. Food out of a van might be one of my newest favorite things. Can you blame me?

And you must go to the Chinati Foundation, which features the work of contemporary artist Donald Judd.

Patrick and I are finding that Texas gives us a new perspective. It’s best when seen from all possible angles…

Especially when one of those angles is toward the desert sky.

Nothing warms up a home like a pot of soup simmering on the stove. Soup was almost always the comfort food my mom made for my dad whenever he came home from a long trip. It’s a food I associate with family and sharing. No matter how hard I try, I’m incapable of making a small batch of the stuff. I always wind up with tons leftover, and find myself giving it away to friends willing to take it off my hands (and by that, I mean Marianne, who has been my designated soup-taker for the last two weeks).

When an overnight frost came through over the weekend, I made a quick pesto out of my wilted basil leaves. As I looked through a magazine planning my meals for the week, a vegetable soup seemed like the perfect way to put my pesto into action.

Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic
1 to 2 stalks celery
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 32oz carton of vegetable broth or home-made vegetable stock
1/4 pound green or yellow wax beans
1 small zucchini, cubed
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup macaroni noodles or other small pasta
3/4 cup pesto (store-bought or home-made)

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots and salt and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, stock and about 1 cup water. Cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce heat and add the potatoes. Continue to simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly cooked.
2. Stir the zucchini and green beans into the prepared broth along with the white beans and the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
3. When ready to serve, whisk the pesto into the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with any remaining pesto. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan or Gruyere and serve with bread.