I know it’s kind of strange thinking about soup on a lovely sunny afternoon in June, but I just came in from spending about 4 hours pulling weeds. And one of the “weeds” (it now falls into that category as far as I’m concerned) that has spread all over our yard I actually planted myself! It was just such a cute little feller in a 4-inch pot when I brought it home from the nursery 5 years ago and innocently stuck it into my new herb garden. When we lived in Bellevue my herb garden was in the shade most of the time, and this herb did OK, but never got out of hand. But here, where this gardener’s nightmare gets sun all day long, along with soothing salt water breezes, it has gone crazy and is trying to devour every bit of earth on our property. Even the blackberries can’t keep up with it. And I was so sure it would be the blackberries that eventually inherited the earth (after mankind finished wreaking havoc, that is!)  But now, I’m not so sure. I think it might be the horribly insidious edible Origanum vulgare (vulgar, they got that right!), better known as oregano.

Now, I love to cook with oregano. (That’s why I planted it in the first place. Duh!) But please learn from my experience and don’t let oregano loose. It must be kept confined. (Think jail cell.) Oregano is related to mint, and if you have ever planted mint then you know what I mean. If not, go online and let the experts scare you into not going anywhere near either one of these spreading disasters.

But as an herb for cooking purposes, oregano is delightful. And in this lovely soup, it is perfect. So next time you want an easy weekday soup that everyone in your family will love, give this recipe a try. And if you live near us, come on over and I’ll let you have as much oregano as you would like. Free of charge. Of course you’ll have to go find it, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Oh, and while you’re at it, I have this fence that needs painting……..

• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage, pork or chicken
• 1 ½ c. chopped celery
• ½ large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 14.5 can chopped tomatoes
• 8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 qt. chicken broth
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ½ tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried
• 1 T. fresh oregano leaves or 1 tsp. dried
• ½ c. fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 c. orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• shaved Parmesan, for garnish

Sauté sausage in a large soup pot, breaking the sausage into bite size pieces as it browns. When the sausage is good and browned, add celery, onion, and garlic and cook until vegetables are crisp tender, about 10 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, pepper, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, parsley, and sugar. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the orzo and cook until just done, about 6-7 minutes. Stir frequently as pasta cooks. Serve soup hot, garnished with shaves of Parmesan. This soup is great served with good, hearty bread and a glass of red wine.