Now that a real freeze has set in and the beautifully colored leaves have mostly nestled to the ground, it’s time for some nourishing, soul-warming food. Here’s an adapted recipe for one-pot Basque “Ladies Rice” that can be made in big batches, can accommodate “empty the cupboards” ingredients, and can be repurposed into new meals on the second and third days. The original recipe comes from the cookbook pictured at right: Gerald Hirigoyen’s The Basque Kitchen: Tempting Food from the Pyrenees (click on the photo for the book’s website). My husband makes this vegetarian for me, so that’s how I’ll present it, but you can always use the “real thing” — that is, a hearty chorizo of your choosing.

Ingredients:

1 medium white onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium Anaheim chili pepper, chopped
1/2 lb. of chorizo, sliced (you can use 2-3 links of vegan chorizo!)
2C rice
3T olive oil
4C broth (chicken or vegetable work well)
1tsp. paprika (preferably smoky)
coarse salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Other goodies to try:
At our house, we often add chopped carrots, frozen or fresh peas, and whatever fresh herbs we might have on hand. You might even try other grains and seeds, like quinoa. Experiment!

Instructions:
If you have a stove-to-oven soup pot, that’s your favorite tool here! Set the oven to preheat to 450° while you sautee the peppers, onion, and chorizo in the olive oil until all are browned. Now stir in the rice and keep it moving in the pan for a minute or so, then stir in the broth and spices. Cover and put the whole pot in the oven for 25 min., then fluff to serve. Serves 4. Keeps well in the fridge and doubles nicely.