Chicken Meatball and Tortellini Noodle Soup
(from Tyler Florence)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Take a large mixing bowl and add loose ground chicken meat (discard cases if using sausages), breadcrumbs, milk, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan. Season with salt and pepper then mix until fully combined. Using an ice cream scoop, make balls and set out on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and caramelised.

While the meatballs are cooking make the soup. Set a large stock pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and thyme and gently sauté until fragrant – about 2 minutes. Add carrots, onion and celery, season with salt and cook for 5-7 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and add peppercorns, parsley and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Once meatballs are cooked, scrape into the pot of chicken soup and add tortellini so everything is back in the pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. Give it a final season with salt and peper and serve in shallow bowls with a small shower of parsley and grated parmesan. Garnish with a parsley stem and serve with some torn pieces of crusty bread.

(so good. wm)

Roasted Fruit a la Martha
We roast vegetables all the time (the asparagus has been soooooooo good this year, but we’re avoiding the frittatas, mmmmmmm frittatas…) but I never roast fruit. This is on my to-do list, after seeing them do it up on Everyday Food:

Chop into hunks and mix up: nectarines, plums, peaches (or apples and pears).

Sprinkle with two or three tablespoons of sugar (more if fruit isn’t very ripe); cube a couple of tablespoons of butter and dab it on top; add springs of rosemary; squeeze some lime juice over.

Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or so. Serve with ice cream, whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Bon appetit!

ps if you’re looking for a great “how-to” guide for roasting vegetables, click here.

WM