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Ritchie Wallace, in Maine, sent this recipe in--an Italianate beef-vegetable soup, credited to Bonnie Vawter (a pastor's wife) in Missouri, that she found years ago in a magazine. It's rich and substantial, perfect for an evening meal or a pot luck. Ritchie--who lives in the woods of Maine with husband Tim, their great dane Gisburn, and two cats, Hillery and Tawanda--testifies that it helps "stave off the winter cold"...which got down to 19 below about the time she wrote. Serve hot to 12 people.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large (28-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped and undrained
• 1 can (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, undrained
• 2 cups water
• beef bouillon cubes or concentrate, undiluted, that would dilute to make 5 cups of stock
• 1/4 cup parsley, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano, crushed between your palms
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup green beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup small elbow macaroni
• 1 Tablespoon pesto (or 1/2 teaspoon dry basil, crushed between your palms). You can often find pesto in the stores now--and just freeze it to use as you need it for a wonderfully fresh basil flavor.

Garnish: Parmesan cheese, freshly grated into a bowl.

Brown the beef in a large heavy kettle, draining off any fat. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cabbage, green beans, macaroni, and pesto. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the cabbage, green beans, and macaroni. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the vegetables are tender--about 20 minutes.

When ready to serve, stir in the pesto (or basil), then serve up with a big ladle and point your friends to the bowl of Parmesan as a topping.