Here's what I take to work for lunch every week:
1. Consider what was too wonderful to miss at the farmer's market (freshly-shelled beans or peas, veggies).
2. What is in the fridge threatening to grow mold?
3. What did you just bring in from the backyard garden?
4. Do those tomatoes on the windowsill need eating NOW, but you're sliced-tomatoed out?
5. Saute an onion in your Dutch oven or soup pot with lid. Add carrots, celery, or potatoes here, when onion is soft.
6. Pour in a box of broth of your choice (or use veggie juice or water with more spices).
7. Add the beans and cook until almost done. then add tomatoes, squash, eggplant, etc.
8. Add veggies as needed by cooking time. Leaves, like spinach, go in a few minutes before serving.
9. Add spice blends (Julie Sahni has some awesome ones in her cookbooks) at the appropriate time (some can be cooked a long time, others lose their flavor as volatile oils evaporate) and herbs at the very end.
10. Salt as you will once the beans are done. Adding water may be necessary if they need to cook for a long time.
This isn't a recipe. It's a way of life. You learn what smells good to you by practice, trial, and error. If you use fresh ingredients, it's really hard to go wrong. You can make a stew so thick you could eat it with a fork, or a smooth soup if you puree part or all of it. What goes in is up to you.
