Sunday dinners everyday

Ah, autumn! Football season is in full swing, the air is crisp and the leaves are just starting to turn a brilliant array of colors. I spotted the first pumpkins and squashes in the market last week and soon I will share recipes for fall produce.

I like to spend a Sunday watching the Eagles win while cooking a soup, a stew and a roast. These three dishes yield delicious leftovers for all-week dining. All I do is change the salads and the sides.

Soup au pistou may look familiar. It is the French version of minestrone with a special ingredient. This soup hails from Provence in the warm, sometimes blustery, south of France. A dollop of pesto makes this soup unique. I always make enough pesto to dress a pasta for a mid-week supper.

Beef stew is a favorite in our house. Once the cool weather arrives, Edward always asks for this dish, which I make with red wine. I like to serve it with noodles or potatoes. Always buy chuck for a stew recipe. An inexpensive cut with some fat is needed.

Pork loin with apples is the quintessential fall dish. Leftover meat can turn up in salads, which can be enjoyed for lunch at home or at the office.

Here are recipes for Sunday cooking — while the Eagles win.

Soup au Pistou

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 leeks, split down the center, thoroughly washed and sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 ribs of celery, sliced
4 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
2 (15-ounce) cans chicken or vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
1 large bunch of basil, stemmed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 cloves of garlic, optional
Grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium in a 4-quart heavy pot. Add the onion, leeks, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté for about five to 10 minutes or until the onion and leeks are translucent. Add the stock and tomatoes with their juice.

Raise to high, bringing to a boil. Lower to simmer and add the beans. Stir well. Place the lid askew on the pot and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes or until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork.

Remove from the heat. Add the spinach and blend well.

While the soup rests, make the pesto. Place the basil in a food-processor bowl fitted with a steel blade. You can also make the pesto in a blender. Process the leaves for about two to three minutes. While the processor is running, add the oil in a slow steady stream. Turn the processor off and add the pine nuts and garlic, if preferred. Process until smooth. If the pesto feels a bit dry, add a teaspoon of oil.

Place the pesto in a bowl and add grated Parmesan to taste.

When ready to serve, reheat the soup. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and top with a dollop of the pesto.

Serves six.

Note from Phyllis: You can substitute handfuls of elbow macaroni for the beans. As a change of pace from spinach, shredded Swiss chard or escarole works well. Leftover pesto makes a fine topping for pasta. The great Italian cookbook author and teacher Marcella Hazan recommends adding 1 tablespoon of softened butter to the pesto before using. She also recommends mixing a tablespoon or two of the hot water from the pasta before serving. The pesto recipe can be easily doubled.

Beef Stew

Ingredients:

3 pounds of chuck, cut into 1-and-1/2 inch cubes
Vegetable oil
Flour for sprinkling
1 (15-ounce) can beef stock
Red wine
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
1 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced

Directions:

Wipe the beef cubes with paper towels. Pour in the oil to coat the bottom of a heavy 4-quart pot and heat over medium-high. Add the beef in batches and brown on all sides, about 20 minutes. Make sure the cubes are seared and the juices are locked in. Remove each finished batch with a slotted spoon.

When all the cubes are browned, return them to the pot. Sprinkle flour evenly over the beef and sauté for a few minutes to make sure they are well coated. Add the stock and enough wine to thoroughly cover the beef. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Bring the stew to a boil and cover with a lid. Lower to simmer and cook for about two-and-a-half to three hours, or until the beef is very tender.

While the stew cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms and sauté over medium for about 10 minutes. Add to the stew during the last half hour of cooking time.

Serve with potatoes or buttered noodles.

Serves six to eight.

Note from Phyllis: Watch the stew carefully as you want to keep it thoroughly covered with liquid. You may have to add a bit more red wine. I prepare this recipe with a Cotes du Rhone. This stew can also be made in the oven. Simply cook at 375 degrees for two-and-a-half to three hours. I also make this dish on top of the stove during my Sunday cooking when I have a roast in the oven.

Roast Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 (3-pound) pork loin, rolled and tied
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh rosemary
White wine for deglazing
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Bring the pork loin to room temperature. Place the pork loin in a shallow roasting pan. Rub the oil all over the pork loin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scatter rosemary from one sprig over the roast.

Place the pork loin in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes. When done, place on a warm platter.

Pour about 1-and-1/2 cups of dry white wine into the pan. Place on the stove and raise to high. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits on the pan’s bottom. Lower to medium.

Place the butter and flour in a small bowl and blend well with a fork.

Raise to medium-high and add the butter/flour mixture. Blend well until the sauce slightly thickens. Add a bit more wine, if needed, as the sauce should be reduced, but not thick.

Serves six to eight.

Note from Phyllis: Any dry white wine works well here, but I like a Macon Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.