Eggs for Tomatoes

This year I'm feeding eggs to my tomatoes.

Eggshells, I mean. Tomatoes love calcium, which eggshells are full of. Calcium helps prevent blossom end rot, and contributes to general health. Since I did so damned badly with my tomatoes last year, I'm hoping that this helps.

Grind the shells into a very fine powder, using a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or a mortar and pestle. Then MIX 'EM INTO THE DIRT.

I've been washing my used eggshells, and then baking them on low heat (about 300 degrees F) for a while, until they're hot and brittle (and, importantly, sterile). I have a granite mortar that I pour them into, and every time I go into the kitchen, I give it a few good grinds with the pestle. Eventually I get them ground into a fine powder.

Today I planted some tomato seeds (Principe Borghese plum tomatoes, if you're wondering). I washed out an empty plastic cat litter container, which I'll be using to mix soil from now on. I put in some of the soil I'm using in my containers this year, and thoroughly, by hand, mixed the eggshells in. If you're doing this, you'll be able to see the fine white specks of it throughout the soil when you're done. I then mixed the eggshell-enriched soil in with the regular, by layers, as I filled the pot up. I used about four eggs' worth of powder in this. Peppers like calcium, too, so I'll be sprinkling ground shells around the plants as they grow, since it's too late to mix them into the soil now.

I've also read suggestions of soaking clean eggshells in water. Apparently the calcium easily leaches into the water, which can then be used to water plants. It sounds very convenient, but I still prefer the powder. There's just something I love about getting my hands right into the dirt.

Quick Tortellini Soup

This is the first recipe I've improvised in a long time, especially since I'm trying to get some use out of all the cooking magazines I keep buying. It's very quick, simple, and delicious, exactly what's needed for a weekday night.

Tortellini Soup (for 4):

4 c. chicken broth (if you want to go vegetarian, replacing with vegetable broth will do so)

1 large package of tortellini

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced

1/2 c. diced shallots or onions

1/2 c. diced tomatoes

4 generous handfuls of washed, chopped spinach

1/4 c. white wine

1 tsp. sea salt (or to taste)

generous pinch of pepper

For the croutons:

eight slices of day-old baguette

enough olive oil to brush over the tops of each slice

pinch of parmesan cheese per slice (about 1/4 c.)

1. Preheat oven to 300'C. While it does that, heat olive oil in large, heavy pot.

2. Add shallots to the oil, cook until beginning to turn translucent. Add garlic and cook a minute longer.

3. Deglaze pot with white wine; cook down for a minute.  Add broth and simmer for another minute. While it does so, prepare the croutons: place each slice of bread on a baking sheet. Brush the top of each with a bit of olive oil, then add a pinch of parmesan cheese. Place into the preheated oven.

4. Add tomatoes to the broth. Simmer another minute, then add the tortellini. Cook according to the time indicated on the packaging.

5. Taste the broth. Add the salt, adjusting to taste, then add the pepper. Take the soup off of the heat and add the spinach immediately and all at once, stirring in thoroughly.

6. Ladle soup into four bowls. Remove croutons from the oven (they should be crisp and lightly golden brown) and place two atop the soup in each bowl. If desired, garnish with a bit of extra parmesan.

Enjoy!

Note: this soup makes tasty leftovers, too!