Physically, I was very much present in the now. Mentally, however, I was in the streets of medieval Florence — the rebel among Italy’s states, the queen of intellectual, political, artistic and economical growth, and the birthplace of Renaissance.

While much of Italy was sinking under tyranny and losing their territories to the Duke of Milan, Florence resisted — and so did its citizens and artists.

So did my stomach. It was dinner time and I had no clue what to cook, but I wanted something different, warm, and rich in herbs. As most of my recipes, this one happened spontaneously, in the presence of God and through His guidance.

It was only after I served it — with a History of Art book still on the dining table — that I knew it deserved its own page in my cookbook and a title.

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 medium baby potatoes
• 1 large carrot
• A handful of green peas
• A handful of couscous (or another grain by choice)
• Dried soup mix (celery, onions, carrots, and parsnip)
• 1 vegetable bouillon
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes and one tbsp. tomato sauce (fresh or canned)
• 4-5 walnuts, crushed
• 1/2 tsp. paprika seasoning
• A pinch of ground marjoram
• 1/2 tp. dried dill
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt, to taste
• 500 ml water

Steps:

Peel and cut the potatoes and the carrot, then cut them into medium-sized pieces and add in a large pot with boiled water. Add the peas. Let everything simmer over medium heat, and begin adding the seasonings and the bouillon one by one. Gently mix and let it cook, then lower the heat as the vegetables start to soften.
Once the vegetables are tender but slightly firm in the center, add a handful of couscous, the crushed walnuts and the cherry tomatoes and paste. Mix everything and let it cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the stove and let it cool for a few minutes. Add about two-thirds of the soup to a blender, leaving the rest in the pot. Blend until you get a thick, creamy texture.

With a wooden pestle, roughly crush the remaining vegetables in the pot — the texture should be slightly coarser than the blended portion. Pour the blended soup back into the pot, stir well, and adjust with a little water if needed.

Serve warm with crushed walnuts on top and thin slices of toasted bread. I paired it with potato bread, and it was just perfect.