By End of July. The haying is done and the hay shed is full and the cattle have more than enough to get through winter. The grass is better than last summer — we had more rain in June — and I don't think I'll need to buy supplemental hay. Patrick, who worries about the hay the way some people worry about money, said, "We're good on hay." Coming from Patrick, this is close to jubilation.
I started physical therapy for real this week — not just the at-home exercises the VA gave me, but in-person sessions at the Billings VA on Mondays. The PT is a young woman named Martinez who works with a lot of veterans and who has an organized, no-nonsense approach I appreciate. She looked at my leg Tuesday and said, "This is well-managed for ten months of home exercises." I said I'd been consistent. She said, "Most people aren't." I said the ranch had made me consistent — if you miss a morning chore on a ranch, the consequences are immediate and concrete. She said, "Maybe I should recommend ranching to my other patients."
The farrier business is at seven accounts now — Karen called and referred me to a friend who has a small equestrian center outside of Billings, five horses, monthly maintenance. Seven accounts. Tom Whelan has nine and has been doing this for forty years. I'm not comparing. I'm noting.
One hundred and ninety-four days dry. Mom made her cold cucumber soup for a hot evening — yogurt and diced cucumber and dill and a little garlic, served cold in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil. You don't cook cucumbers in Montana ranch kitchens generally, but summer is the exception to everything.
Mom’s cold cucumber soup that evening — yogurt and dill and garlic served in a bowl with the olive oil pooling on top — was one of those summer dishes that doesn’t follow any of the usual ranch kitchen logic, and that’s exactly why it worked. It got me thinking about other light, bright soups that belong to summer the way that one did: not hearty, not warming, just clean and good after a long day in the heat. This Lemon Orzo Chickpea Soup is what I landed on — simple enough that it doesn’t ask much of you, lemony enough that it tastes like summer said something worth remembering.
Lemon Orzo Chickpea Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3/4 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice)
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Saute the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme, and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Build the broth. Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas and stir to combine. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Cook the orzo. Stir in the orzo and reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender but not mushy.
- Finish with lemon and greens. Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the spinach and let it wilt for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and lemon as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish each serving with a light drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately — the orzo will continue to absorb broth as it sits, so reheat leftovers with a splash of additional broth.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 275 | Protein: 10g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 42g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 510mg