The Vegetable Broth and the Minestrone — Le bouillon de légumes et la minestrone
“What on earth are you doing?” P. asked when he heard the noise of pots and pans clanking.
“Looking for a large stockpot,” I replied as I was kneeling on the kitchen floor, busy checking the bottom shelf of the kitchen island clearly overloaded with too much stuff. Where on earth was my large stockpot indeed?
“What for?”
I paused, wondering whether I should tell him then, or later.
“Minestrone soup,” I said. “For lunch.” I knew well what he was going to say, but let him say it all the same.
“I have to tell you, I don’t really like minestrone soup,” he said in a quiet tone, an indication that he was trying to be nice about it.
“Ca tombe bien, moi non plus !” I replied with a loud laughter (Good, me neither!)
“But wait until you try this one.”
This is how Sunday started: a conversation revolving around minestrone soup, and my determination to have the memory of poor-tasting minestrone soup disappear for both of us. Gone! Pouf, disparu, as if it had never existed.
But tell me one thing first. Are we the only ones to feel this way about minestrone soup? When my friend R. and her boyfriend J. stopped by to see us late on Sunday morning — and eventually stayed over for lunch — R. told us that she did not like minestrone because of the beans.
“There are just too many types of beans in a minestrone. But Béa, I have to say. This one is really nice. Actually, maybe you should not call this a minestrone soup, but something else” she continued.
“Really?” For a second, I did not know what else to answer. It was a minestrone soup in my book, after all.
“Well, I will call it My minestrone soup then. How does this sound?”
Unlike R., it is not necessarily the beans that I used to mind in a minestrone soup, but the flavor of the broth. I suppose that I must have eaten too many bad minestrone soups, in average restaurants where it was the only attractive dish on the menu, or at the canteen where I would have lunch every day when I was in middle and high schools; minestrone was on the menu every Wednesday during the fall.
In a minestrone more than with any other soup, I believe that the broth is really the backbone that supports the entire soup. A good broth needs to have a clear fragrant flavor, not overwhelmingly so, but one that will bring the dish a step up. If it is poor in quality, then the soup will too. I realized this simple thing once I started to prepare my own vegetable stock. From that time on, I went from hating minestrone soup to loving it, from finding some risotto recipes average to craving them every day.
Maybe you will think that you clearly do not have the time to make homemade vegetable broth. And, in the case we were talking about chicken, fish, beef or veal stock, perhaps I would join the crowd. The story of a vegetable broth, however, is a complete different one, because a vegetable stock is quick to make. The key? Be a touch organized in your shopping.
I always make sure to add the ingredients necessary to making a vegetable broth to my shopping list, should I have a spontaneous urge to making one. In fact, I no longer need to remind myself because these ingredients systematically end up in my cart. It has become a shopping habit, and for once, a good one.
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 to 3 carrots
- 1 to 2 celery branches
- 1 onion or 1 shallot
- 1 leek
These are the basic vegetables that I like to use to prepare a simple, scrumptious vegetable broth. Ten minutes to prepare, and twenty minutes to cook. It is so easy that it almost happens on its own. And the good news? It can be prepared one or two days before.
The rest, thyme, peppercorns, coriander and fennel seeds should be basic spices in your kitchen pantry. They are in mine.
You need:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 5 to 6 coriander seeds
- 5 to 6 fennel seeds
- 2 to 3 thyme twigs
- A few peppercorns
- 1 fennel bulb, cut in big pieces
- 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery branches
- Salt
- 6 cups water
Steps:
- Peel the vegetables and cut them in big pieces.
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic and spices. Cook for a few min, without browning.
- Add the vegetables and cook on medium to low heat for 10 min, until soft.
- Add the water and season with salt. Cover and bring to a simmer, and cook for 20 min. Remove from the heat and let rest for a few hours (or even overnight in the fridge) for the flavors to develop even more. Strain the broth and use when needed. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days.
Ingrédients :
- 2 càs d’huile d’olive
- 1 oignon
- 1 gousse d’ail
- 5 à 6 graines de coriandre
- 5 à 6 graines de fenouil
- 2 à 3 brins de thym
- Quelques baies de poivre noir
- 1 bulbe de fenouil
- 1 poireau
- 2 carottes
- 2 branches de céleri
- Sel
- 1,5 litre d’eau
Étapes :
- Épuchez les légumes et coupez-les en gros dés.
- Dans un grand faitout, faites revenir l’oignon, l’ail et les épices dans 2 càs d’huile d’olive (sans brunir).
- Ajoutez tous les légumes et faites-les suer pendant 10 min.
- Versez l’eau, salez et couvrez. Faites mijoter pendant 20 min. Arrêtez le feu et laissez reposer quelques heures (ou toute la nuit au frigo) pour que les saveurs se développent encore plus. Filtrez le bouillon et utilisez-le de suite ou réservez. Le bouillon se conserve bien pendant quelques jours au frigo.
You probably know that a minestrone is a thick Italian soup made with various seasonal vegetables (such as tomatoes, celery, carrots, onions, beans, fennel, peas), to which pasta or rice is often added, as well as sometimes meat. There are probably as many minestrone soup recipes as Italian cooks. While some like the soup thick and dense in texture, others prefer it thin with more broth. Perhaps a minestrone (from minestra in Italian) is to the Italians what a bouillabaisse is to the French: an unpretentious substantial soup once considered food to feed the poorest families.
I like to add a touch of pesto in mine, like in a Genoese minestrone, use pecorino instead of parmesan, and then alternate the grains added to the broth. Sometimes I also prefer to sauté the vegetables in olive oil before adding the broth. I play with one variant, then with another one. In fact, over the past two weeks, I was so taken by this cooking project that I made it a few times for lunch. Crazy me or obsessive me? Let’s just say that I did so as a way to test and improve the recipe, and to try different variations using the same basis. Needless to say that it made my lunches pretty happy, with the soup tasting even better the next day.
In my first one, I used Red Rice of Camargue and quinoa, and added fava beans and cannellini beans. In the second one, I used rice pasta, and for the third penne. I keep so many grains in my pantry that the possibilities were in fact wide open — and you will probably see that rice is a king ingredient in my pantry. Is it in yours too?
- Forbidden black rice
- Red Rice of Camargue
- Wild rice
- Brown rice
- White Jasmine rice
- American long rice
- Carnaroli rice
- Sushi rice
- Wild rice
- White quinoa
- Red quinoa
- Millet
- Israeli couscous
- Couscous
- Polenta
- Farfalle
- Penne
- Ink Spaghetti
- Quinoa Spaghetti
- Spaghetti
The types of vegetables added to the minestrone depends on your taste, and seasonability. I particularly like minestrone with snap peas, zucchinis and fennel finely sliced, and like to keep these vegetables on the crunchy side. If the vegetables are not in season but I am still craving them, I then simply convince myself that there are worth crimes I could commit. N’est-ce pas ?
And the bottom line is?
J. and R. loved the soup, and P. was asking for more. We enjoyed it with extra shaved pecorino, and fried slices of Spanish chorizo on the side — the next day, I topped the soup with more.
And no matter how I decided to call the soup, it really tasted heavenly. Especially with a nice piece of crusty bread to dip in, and good company to share it with on a lazy Sunday lunch.
So when is a day like this one coming next?
On another note, P. and I are quite lucky to be invited to S.‘s wedding, one of our Italian friends, in April. I like when our friends get married, especially if it happens in Italy! We will be off to Milan, driving to Rome. Any tips you might have are welcomed. Our plan is to visit and walk in Cinque Terre, amongst other things.
You need:
For the soup:
- 1.5 quarts homemade vegetable broth
- 4 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, cored, seeds removed, then diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 2 thyme twigs
- 3 oz Red Rice of Camargue**
- 3 oz quinoa, red or white**
- 1 small fennel bulb, sliced thinly
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 small zucchini, sliced thinly
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
- Homemade pesto*
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil
- Extra pecorino, shaved
- Dash of olive oil
** or 5 oz pasta to replace quinoa and rice
*Simple Basil Pesto :
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1 oz pecorino cheese (or parmesan), grated finely
- 1/8 cup (or more) olive oil
- Dash of salt and pepper
Steps:
- To prepare the pesto, if you use a mortar and pestle, add the ingredients in this order: salt, garlic, basil, pine nuts, pepper, cheese and olive oil, and work with the pestle into a coarse paste.
- If doing by hand, chop the pine nuts and basil. Chop the garlic thinly and mix the ingredients together. Then add the cheese and pour the olive oil slowly while mixing.
- To prepare the soup, pour the broth in a large pot and bring to a simmering point. Add the garlic cloves, thyme, basil leaves, salt and pepper, and add the rice and quinoa (or pasta which you might want to add a little later, depending on how long they need to cook for. Check on the package).
- Add the tomatoes and simmer covered for 20 min or so.
- Add the carrot and fennel slices and continue to cook for 3 to 5 min before adding the zucchini, snap peas and peas. Cook for an extra 3 to 5 min. Season to taste.
- Serve the soup in large bowls with a dash of olive oil, 1 full tsp pesto (or more), extra shaved pecorino and fresh basil.
Ingrédients :
Pour la soupe :
- 1,5 l de bouillon de légumes maison
- 4 tomates, ébouillantées, pelées, épépinées, et coupées en petits dés
- 2 gousses d’aïl, pelées, degermées and coupées en deux
- 2 branches de thym
- 80 g de riz rouge de camargue**
- 80 g de quinoa, rouge ou blanc**
- 1 petite bulbe de fenouil, émincée finement
- 1 carotte, pelée et coupée en rondelles fines
- 1 petite courgette, coupée en rondelles fines
- 100 g de pois mange-tout
- 60 g de petits pois surgelés ou écossés
- Pesto maison*
- Sel et poivre
- Basilic frais
- Copeaux de pecorino pour servir
- Filet d’huile d’olive
** ou 150 g de pâtes, selon votre choix
*Pesto au basilic tout simple :
- 1 gros bouquet de basilic frais
- 2 càs de pignons de pin
- 2 gousses d’aïl, pelées et coupées en deux
- 30 g de fromage pecorino (ou parmesan) râpé finement
- 30 ml (ou plus) d’huile d’olive
- Pincée de sel et de poivre
Étapes :
- Pour préparer le pesto, si vous disposez d’un pilon avec mortier, ajoutez les ingrédients dans cet ordre : sel, aïl, basilic, pignons de pin, poivre, fromage et huile d’olive versée en filet tout en pilant, afin d’obtenir une pâte de la consistance souhaitée. Mon pesto est en général assez humide.
- Si vous le réalisez sans mortier, hachez les pignons de pin et le basilic avant, et râpez l’aïl finement. Mélangez ensuite les ingrédients ensemble, sauf l’huile que vous versez en dernier en filet.
- Pour préparer la soupe, versez le bouillon dans une grosse cocotte (ou un faitout) et ajoutez deux gousses d’aïl, le thym, quelques feuilles de basilic ciselées, les tomates et assaisonnez de sel et de poivre. Amenez à peine à la première ébullition, puis ajoutez le riz et le quinoa (ou les pâtes). Si vous utilisez des pâtes, faites attention au temps de cuisson qu’elles nécessitent, et ne les ajoutez pas trop tôt (voyez le temps de cuisson nécessaire sur le paquet).
- Laissez mijoter à couvert pendant 20 min.
- Ajoutez ensuite les rondelles de fenouil et de carotte, et poursuivez la cuisson pendant 3 à 5 min avant d’ajouter la courgette, les petits pois et les pois mange-tout. Poursuivez la cuisson pendant 3 à 5 min. Rectifiez l’assaisonnement.
- Servez la soupe en assiette creuse. Arrosez d’un filet d’huile d’olive et servez avec 1 grosse càc de pesto (ou plus) des copeaux de pecorino et du basilic frais.
53 Comments »
The comments for this entry can be syndicated via RSS. You can trackback from your own site.
Une belle soupe qui me ferait du bien après une bonne journée de ski… Très belles images qui annonceraient presque le printemps.
Comment by B comme Bon — On January, 29th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Moi aussi j’ai acheté des carottes violettes à la Grande Epicerie de Paris (Bon Marché)…
Comment by Fabienne — On January, 29th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Sounds heavenly Béa, think I shall give your version a try, as I was thinking of soup with some Salzbrezeln – pretzels I’m planning tonight.
Comment by bron — On January, 29th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
A poetic post with awe inspiring pictures. Do you take the pictures on a different day than cooking? I find it very hard to click, cook and serve on the same day.
Comment by Suganya — On January, 29th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
If you go to Cinque Terre do not go there by car. You will be very scared and slow moving on those steep roads. There’s a train that goes there. I suggest parking your car at the station and taking it. Also, I recommend staying at:
PENSIONE RISORANTE CECIO
VIA SERRA, 58
CORNIGLIA ( CINQUE TERRE)
LA SPEZIA
http://www.cecio5terre.com
Comment by Katie K — On January, 29th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Italy, how exciting! this soup looks so comforting, Bea!
Comment by Kat — On January, 29th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
I agree with Katie about driving in CinqueTerre: we live in Milan and we prefer taking the train rather than drive in Cinque Terre. If you don’t have a resident sticker on the car, you have to leave it outside the center anyway and walk into town… The path linking all 5 villages make for a lovely stroll, though… I’m adding you to Flickr in case you would like to know about traveling around Italy…
Comment by bananeira — On January, 29th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
À chacune de mes visites, ‘j’en prends plein les yeux. Tes compositions ont l’air toutes simples et pourtant…. Que de talent, j’admire vraiment.
Comment by Vanille — On January, 29th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
what a beautiful rendition of a staple soup! your photos are so mouthwatering and inspiring. you really capture the natural beauty of your ingredients in all their glory.
Comment by catherine ross — On January, 29th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
C’est vraiment a tomber !! bravo comme toujours
Comment by mercotte — On January, 29th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Ciao Bea – I do hope you’ll plan to stop and have a coffee in Milan with some of your blog readers! (Me and Bananeira, for example!)
If you have any specific questions, send me an email. April could be a very nice time to be in Italy!! April 25th is a holiday.
Comment by Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy — On January, 30th, 2008 at 12:16 am
HI Bea! Italy is gorgeous, I went to Cinq Terra last year, do check out my blog for places to go there. I would say not to drive in Cinq Terra as the roads are narrow and bad, pitched on steep slopes and its very stressful. Stay at La Spetzia and train (very short) up to the different towns. I was also in Tuscany if you’re interested in that area?
Comment by Weylin — On January, 30th, 2008 at 1:08 am
lovely. Those layout photos are so pretty, tidy and luminous, it makes me want to make vegetable broth right away. I did a huge batch of chicken stock yesterday, though, so I think I´m served for a little while.
Comment by lobstersquad — On January, 30th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Très beau billet, très belle atmosphère
J’ai pensé à toi quand j’ai publié un billet dernièrement, puisque on vient peu ou prou du même endroit, si tu veux un petit morceau de Lorraine pendant quelques minutes, c’est par ici:
http://beaualalouche.canalblog.com/archives/2008/01/26/7676820.html
Comment by loukoum°°° — On January, 30th, 2008 at 4:53 am
well where else would you cook!? haha. sorry couldn’t resist.
Comment by mallory elise — On January, 30th, 2008 at 7:38 am
on your way down to Roma, try to stop in the Maremma (Grosseto, Orbetello, Il Giardino = Nicky de St Phalle, south of Tuscany, still authentique… So much to see in this region !
Comment by corinne — On January, 30th, 2008 at 7:41 am
Tes photos sont de plus en plus belles. En plus, on se met à apercevoir des petits morceaux de ta cuisine (la pièce), ça j’adore
Comment by Clea — On January, 30th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Mmm…I just made minestrone yesterday from whatever vegetables I could find at the market that morning. Such a wonderful, tasty comfort food in the winter no matter how you make it or what you call it.
I’m much further south in Italy than you’re headed, but buon viaggio
Comment by bleeding espresso — On January, 30th, 2008 at 9:45 am
I never thought of putting the pesto in soup, but it does make sense. These are some great soup making tips and of course the pictures are so beautiful as usual! : )
Comment by Anali — On January, 30th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Lovely! I don’t like minestrone soup either, but I bet I would love yours. Quinoa spaghetti?!? That sounds amazing, but I’ve never seen it anywhere! And I love the idea of adding fennel and leek to a vegetable stock — so much better than just a mirepoix!
Comment by katy — On January, 30th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Such a perfect soup for these cold days. I like the thought of adding grains to it! I happen to love minestrone but yours seems like such a lovely take on it.
Comment by EB — On January, 30th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Beautiful photos, Béa. Your minestrone looks delicious, I’ll try your recipe as soon as posible. Thanks for sharing
Comment by Julieta — On January, 30th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
les cinque terre est un lieu magique, il faut les découvrir à pied par les sentiers qui longent la mer et relient les 5 villages, c’est un enchantement pour le coeur et l’esprit
Comment by lisa — On January, 30th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
What a beautiful composition! You know Bea, I’m not too fond of minestrone soup either but I’ll be happy to have this.
Comment by veron — On January, 30th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
You are in my list for “You Make My Day Award”.
Come in my blog… if you want!
Comment by cipolla — On January, 30th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
delicieux! I think this would go really well with fried chorizo…
Comment by J — On January, 30th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Sounds (and looks) lovely. My main thoughts of minestrone are too-salty, too-tomatoey, and too-fake-soupy; those thoughts could certainly do with a revival.
Comment by Annemarie — On January, 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I have yet to try a good cup of Minestrone. But I can almost get a whiff of yours coming through
Comment by Pooja — On January, 30th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I’ve never had a bowl of minestrone that I truly enjoyed, only minestrone that was tolerable.
My pantry has a lot of overlap with yours, so I must be doing something right!
Us vs. Food
Comment by michelle — On January, 30th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Minestrone has such a bad reputation — maybe from so many school cafeterias when we were kids! Not one of your variations reminds me of any of the minestrone we were served in school — in fact, I’m inspired to make a pot this weekend!
Comment by Lydia — On January, 30th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
yummy~
Comment by YOYO Cooking — On January, 31st, 2008 at 2:47 am
Mais comment fais tu pour rendre de simples legumes sexy? Des fois, quand je vois ca, je me sens decouragee. D’autres fois, je me contente d’admirer, tout simplement.
Comment by gracianne — On January, 31st, 2008 at 10:09 am
Man, I so want to hire you to take photos for my blog! Beautiful!
Comment by Aran — On January, 31st, 2008 at 11:51 am
You know, we had a restaurant in town that made the BEST minestrone soup, but then they burned down when I was about 12 or 13, and ever since then nothing has measured up. Too many beans bland broth, not enough veggies, all of the above. I thought I was just picky because I had tasted what it could be, and nothing would ever measure up again. Glad to see I am not just overly picky!
Comment by courtney — On January, 31st, 2008 at 11:53 am
Delicious! This is certainly the time for soup.
Comment by Anticiplate — On January, 31st, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Many thanks everyone, once again. Sorry that I do not have the time to answer each of you individually, but know however that I appreciate every single one of you comments. There will be more Kitchen shots (hint hint Clea), I am in the mood for that these days, just do not know why…It is simply nice to try different things, and play with them to see what happens.
Comment by Béa — On January, 31st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I have a minestrone soup I love already but I am so going to try it with your broth!!! Sounds lovely.
Comment by MyKitchhenInHalfCups — On January, 31st, 2008 at 7:45 pm
Toutes ces photos sont terribles!! C’est la première fois que je passe sur ce blog. Je suis passionnée de cuisine et de photos. Je me régale! Et je dévore toute cette beauté avec mes yeux!
Comment by ptitpatapon — On January, 31st, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Btw, many many thanks for the tips about Italy. I am still in the planning phase, so this is great. And if I can meet some of you while there (ex in Milan), absolutely!
Comment by Béa — On January, 31st, 2008 at 10:09 pm
[...] into the golden inside. The tabletops are sunflower colored vinyl, two with green block prints of garlic bulbs tumble in and out of wavering brown grasses. The coffee is organically grown, fair trade, [...]
Pingback by a morning « Radical Muffin — On February, 1st, 2008 at 10:33 am
The pesto photo It’s a book in the making just fab.
Comment by Natasha — On February, 2nd, 2008 at 1:02 am
[...] cups of homemade vegetable broth (or [...]
Pingback by Tartines and Broccoflower Soup, nothing else — Des tartines et une soupe au brocofleur, rien d’autre by La Tartine Gourmande — On February, 11th, 2008 at 8:40 am
[...] 3 cups water (or homemade vegetable broth) [...]
Pingback by Lunching on a Jerusalem Artichoke Soup — Déjeuner avec une soupe aux topinambours by La Tartine Gourmande — On February, 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
[...] bulb 1 celery branch 1 shallot, peeled and chopped Water to cover, or homemade vegetable broth (see recipe here) 1 sprig of thyme Salt and pepper 3 Tbsp crème fraîche 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped 2 Tbsp olive [...]
Pingback by Design*Sponge » Blog Archive » in the kitchen with: béatrice peltre — On February, 29th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
[...] a bunch of fava beans (frozen at this time of year), zucchini, potato and celery branch. I used a homemade vegetable broth made a few days before and once the soup was cooked, I added half of an avocado to give it a little [...]
Pingback by Rutabaga and Avocado Soup — Une soupe au rutabaga et à l’avocat by La Tartine Gourmande — On March, 11th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
[...] 2 cups homemade vegetable broth [...]
Pingback by Root Vegetable Chips with a Soup — Des chips de légumes-racines avec une soupe by La Tartine Gourmande — On March, 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Just found your beautiful website, full of wonderful recipes and advice! Thanks! On Italy, try to stay near the Piazza Navona. If you do this, you will be centrally located to all the best sites, plus five minutes walking from Campo de Fiori, the main food market. Try to visit the Spice guy! Rome is wonderful – have fun and visit the Trevi Fountain late at night. Magic!
Comment by pam — On April, 8th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
[...] 2 cups homemade light vegetable broth [...]
Pingback by Everyday Comfort Food — Cuisine réconfortante de tous les jours by La Tartine Gourmande — On June, 23rd, 2008 at 7:18 pm
[...] Of course, I am already thinking about making another one soon since I still have leftovers of my vegetable broth — I confess, I’ve had a thing with risotto lately since last night we ate another one, [...]
Pingback by Sunday Laziness, and Popsicles — Paresse du dimanche et sucettes glacées by La Tartine Gourmande — On July, 28th, 2008 at 6:27 am
oohh.. must try. I have been searching for a good veg broth recipe, ont that’s not too fussy. Very important for vegetarians to have.
Thank you!!
Comment by Abeille — On July, 29th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
[...] the vegetable broth, look at this post following the same steps, but using the ingredients listed [...]
Pingback by Nourishing Soups — Des soupes nourrissantes | La Tartine Gourmande — On November, 7th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hi! I just made this broth, it hasn’t had time to rest yet, but it’s fantastic already! Thanks so much for the recipe! Much better than using store bought or those full of sodium bouillon cubes… Super simple!
Comment by Laila — On January, 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
[...] minestrone – J’ai découvert cette recette différente de la minestrone « traditionnelle » et je l’ai aussitôt ajouté à mes classiques. Une soupe nourrissante avec son mélange de [...]
Pingback by Aetheriae noctes » Archive du blog » Cuisine de saison — On September, 3rd, 2010 at 9:03 pm