Zuppa Toscana Soup

Zuppa toscana is a broad based term literally meaning "soup in the style of Tuscany ". Classic zuppa toscana normally is a soup made from kale, zucchini, cannellini beans, potatoes, celery, carrots, onion, tomato pulp, extra virgin olive oil, salt, powdered chili, toasted Tuscan bread, and rigatino (an Italian bacon).

You don't have to venture out to your favorite Italian restaurant to get this classic, decadently satisfying sausage and potato soup. A tasty and comforting bowl of soup for a chilly evening packed with slices of tender russet potatoes, salty Italian sausage and bacon, fresh kale and a rich and creamy broth. Everyone will want more!

Heavy cream is one of the key ingredients to a rich, full-bodied broth--but I chose to lighten it up replacing the heavy cream with half-and-half and adding a little flour. If you're going for that signature Olive Garden flavor, the key is to use spicy Italian sausage and fennel. I added a kick of red pepper flakes to boost the flavor even more. 
Serve this hearty soup with a light salad and, if you really feel like going all-out add some savory herbed breadsticks.  

Copycat recipe Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup below was posted by cookingclassy.com  and adapted by Ever Ready. 

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp olive oil 
• 3/4 lb. Italian Sausage (casings removed if necessary) or ground sausage
• 4 oz bacon (about 4 slices), diced into small pieces 
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 small onion) 
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth 
• 2 cups water 
• 3 Russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed then sliced into halves, halves diced into 1/6-inch slices 
• 1- 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed 
• Optional sprinkle of red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 cup half and half  or heavy cream mixed with 1 TB. flour
• 1- 1/2 cups packed chopped kale 
• Finely shredded Romano cheese for serving, optional 

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into 1-inch pieces and add to saucepan. 
• Cook sausage, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Drain sausage onto a plate or baking dish lined with paper towels, set sausage aside. 
• Add diced bacon to saucepan, return to heat and saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add diced onions and minced garlic, saute mixture until bacon is cooked through and onions are translucent, about 3 - 5 minutes longer and garlic fragrant.  
• Add chicken broth, water, sliced potatoes, sugar, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Bring soup just to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and stir in cooked sausage.  
• Cover saucepan and simmer, stirring occasionally until potatoes are nearly tender, about 10-15 minutes. 
• Add in kale then simmer until kale is tender, about 5 minutes longer. 
• Stir in half and half or cream mixed with flour, and warm through. Use a spoon or ladle to remove excess fat from top of soup if desired. Serve warm topped with Romano cheese and more bacon bits. 

Cooking tips:
Work to cut potatoes into even size slices so they finish cooking at the same time.
If desired use turkey sausage for Italian sausage.

Joseph Bruchac or Green Corn Moon (born October 16, 1942) is a storyteller and Native writer of books relating to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas with a particular focus on northeastern Native American and Anglo-American lives and folklore. He has published poetry, novels, and short stories with more than 120 books and numerous awards to his credit. He began publishing in 1971 and has collaborated on eight books with his son Jim. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers"Circle of the Americas.
This is one of my favorite poems.
In The Moon of Falling Leaves
by Joseph Bruchac

I was born in the Moon of Falling Leaves
that time when summer's harvest
falls from every maple tree,
painting the forest trails
golden as sunlight
and crimson as Great Bear's blood.

Each October brings back the scent
of fires burning on the hills,
the first etchings of frost
on my bedroom windows,
the departing wings
of a thousand geese
cutting the clear cold sky.

There is no time closer to my heart,
than this season of changes
when the balance tips between
darkness and light,
when the last flowers
nod in our garden,
when so many things
are about to end,
so many about to begin.