A good week of noodle soup: rabe, sow thistle, yuca

 This is a broccoli rabe noodle with tiny meatballs in beef broth. The rabe is chopped, dehydrated, ground and then worked in 50-50 with flour and egg to bind. Rolled and cut by hand. The meatballs are just rolled and tossed in the pot, no seasoning, since the noodles are all fresh and green.

These are ravioli made with wild sow thistle harvested from my yard, rolled into pasta sheets, stuffed with ricotta and moistened with chicken broth. A little parm on top. I really thought they were dandelions, but was told otherwise. All the same very tasty.

These are hand cranked rigatoni made from fresh yuca/cassava with some chopped kale. Very chewy and aromatic. And gluten free of course.

Pine Noodle Soup

Pine was speaking to me all day, it was in my dreams last night, I noticed some in a vase in the kitchen, and then some pine tar soap arrived in the mail. I had to try to turn pine into noodle soup. The broth is very simple, just chicken broth blended with pine nuts, which is stunningly delicious. Then I thought, much as mastic is used in baked goods, I would crush hard pine resin (i.e. gum) with sugar and just add it to flour and water. I tried pounding pine needles to make them green, but that didn't work, so I used matcha tea powder.

Noodles rolled out, cooked for a minute or two in the broth and garnished with a sprig. It's alluring if you like pine, though I admit, I used 6 small grains with a cup of flour, next time I would use 3. It's a little overpowering, but interestingly chewy exactly like mastic spoon sweets. Hmm.

Need something to do with your Christmas Tree??