A NEW WHITE BEAN SOUP

Now that we are up in Northern California, it's a little bit more grey (well, a lot bit more grey), and a little bit colder than the San Diego area.    I find myself making us soup more often, which is not necessarily a bad thing.   This soup is in progress as I type....enjoy...

-2 oz diced pancetta
-olive oil to coat pan
-2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
-1 large shallot, chopped
-1 clove of garlic, smashed
-a little white wine
-2 cans drained and rinsed organic white beans (or the equivalent dried and reconstituted)
-a few sprigs of parsley
-a little thyme
-a hunk of parmesan rind about the size of a school eraser (those pink rectangular ones)
-a chunk of very lean smoked bacon (Nueske's is the best), about the size of two erasers)
-a hint of orange rind
-3-4 cups chicken stock
-salt
-pepper
-touch of cayenne

Coat your soup pot with olive oil.  Add pancetta and cook over medium heat.  Add shallots, garlic, and leeks.   Stir until translucent, and add a little white wine.    Add beans, stir.   Add chicken stock, parm, bacon, orange rind, salt, pepper, cayenne, parsley.    Let simmer.   You can eat this way or run through your blender (which is delicious).  The thing is, it has to be a good blender, like the Blendtec.   Speaking of which, those Blendtec people should pony up some sponsorship dollars for how much endorsing I do of their products, constantly trying to persuade friends and strangers who are about to buy a Vitamix to buy a Blendtec instead.     When serving, top with a little artichoke lemon pesto, or a swirl of creme fraiche mixed blended with red pepper pesto or romesco sauce. Some of my wiseass Facebook friends commented that it looked like I cut my finger and bled in to the soup in the final photo.  Whatever, it looked pretty and it tasted amazing.