My favorite time of year for cooking is early fall. Most of my garden’s summer vegetables and herbs are still hanging on—tomatoes, peppers, basil—and all the fall goodies are finally ready to harvest. I made up this stew to celebrate fall and to use up a bunch of the veggies that are crowding our kitchen counter and the crisper drawers in the fridge.

I relied on herbs—rather than broth—to deepen the stew’s flavor. Winter savory, thyme, sage, and basil are called for in the recipe, but most any combination of herbs would complement the squash, tomatoes, onions, and beans that make up the heart of the stew.

Fall Vegetable Stew
The secret ingredient in this stew is a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. I use a lot of this cheese and rather than tossing the hard rinds, I wrap them tightly in plastic and store them in the freezer. The rind softens up when added to soups and stews and lends them a subtle, savory, cheesy taste. Just remember to fish the rind out of the soup before serving.

What you’ll need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh winter savory, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme, minced
2 tsp sage, minced
2 cups roughly chopped Roma tomatoes
2 ½ cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
2 cups water
1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch greens (chard, kale, spinach, or beet greens), cut into ½ inch wide ribbons
1 4-inch chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
¼ cup fresh basil, slivered
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until very soft and just beginning to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and herbs and cook until the garlic softens.

Add the tomatoes, squash, Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, and water. Bring to a soft boil and cook until the squash is just tender and smaller chunks of tomato begin to fall apart, about 8 minutes. Add in the beans and return the soup to a simmer. Then, stir in the greens and cook until they turn bright green and just begin to wilt. Remove the cheese rind, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately. Garnish each bowl with the basil, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.