Provençal Soupe au Pistou

Even thought this seems complicated at first glance, this recipe from Saveur is easy. If you can't find or don't like pancetta, you can substitute cubed chicken breast that's been sauteed in olive oil if desired.

For the Pistou
4 cups packed basil
1 cup grated parmesan
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 plum tomato, cored

For the Soup
1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 oz. pancetta, minced
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 medium zucchini, chopped
1⁄4 head Savoy cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
8 cups chicken stock
7 whole peeled canned tomatoes, chopped
1⁄3 cup broken dried spaghetti
1 (15-oz.) can cannellini beans
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
Make the pistou: Process basil, parmesan, oil, salt, garlic, and tomato in a food processor until finely ground. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat; add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until fat has rendered, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery, and onions, reduce heat to medium; cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 12–15 minutes. Add zucchini and cabbage; cook, covered, until wilted, 3–5 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Mash half the beans with a fork; add to soup along with whole beans—cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; serve with pistou dolloped on top.

Eli Zabar's Egg Salad

Great recipe from the New York Times! I have started getting recipes from the times in my Facebook feed and this one is a hit! I never really liked egg salad but something sounded good about this. It's so simple. I replaced the mayonnaise with greek yogurt and it was really, really good.

INGREDIENTS
8 large eggs
⅓ cup mayonnaise
 Salt
 pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
4 slices bread

PREPARATION
Put the eggs in a medium pan and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes. Place pan in the sink under cold running water until the eggs are cool.

Peel the eggs. Remove the yolks from 4 of them (save the whites for another use). Chop the 4 yolks with the 4 remaining whole eggs.

In a medium bowl, gently and quickly mix the chopped eggs, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the dill, mix the egg salad once more, and make into sandwiches.