Stuck between winter's bitter end and spring's slow beginning, March can be tough on the spirit.

That makes it a perfect month to make one last kitchen-warming batch of soup or a rib-sticking stew, and Domenica Marchetti would be the first to suggest it.

Marchetti, author of "The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy," grew up cooking and eating her Abruzzian mother's home cooking, and those winter-time treats are among her favorite meals.

And when she was researching recipes for her first cookbook, she says, "these dishes kept reappearing."

Marchetti didn't stop at her own family favorites, going through her mother's old Italian food magazines and cookbooks for inspiration. She also dug up regional specialties and long-overlooked recipes, like the simple breadstick, broth and cheese soup made with, Marchetti says, the Italians' amazing knack for creating something wonderful from nearly nothing at all.

But Marchetti also wanted to compile Italian soups and stews for every season: Vegetables are so good in the spring and summer, she says, "it would be a crime not to make soup."

And though her roasted tomato and vegetable soup will be ravishing come August, it wouldn't seem out of place on a chilly March night. Her light stew of lettuce, peas and artichoke hearts will shine with June's real first crop of peas, but will also deliver some much-needed spring green - thanks to the frozen kind .

Whatever the weather, these are dishes to have at the ready, from chicken soups studded with homemade cappelletti to her mother's ossobuco.

A few may take an entire Sunday to prepare, of course, but, sometimes, says Marchetti, that's exactly what we need.

Recipes excerpted from "The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy" by Domenica Marchetti. © 2006, Chronicle Books, www.chroniclebooks.com.

Zuppa di Magro alla Campagnola (Country Vegetable Soup)

Makes 6 main-course servings vegetable soup or 8 to 10 main-course servings with the ribollita

For the beans:

2 cups dried white beans such as cannellini, soaked overnight in water to cover
1 yellow onion, quartered
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife blade
3 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 cups water
Kosher or sea salt

For the soup:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 rib celery, trimmed and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced crosswise on the diagonal (1 cup)
2 yellow-fleshed potatoes such as Yukon gold, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (1-2/3 cups)
1/2 head green cabbage, about 8 ounces, shredded
8 ounces kale, washed, trimmed and shredded
4 ounces beet greens, washed and shredded
1 cup canned whole tomatoes, passed through a food mill fitted with the plate with medium-size holes
Kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the ribollita (optional):

6 large slices Italian country bread, each 1/2 inch thick
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Best-quality extra-virgin olive oil for serving

To make the beans: Drain the beans and put them in a large saucepot or saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, parsley sprigs, and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, taking care to skim off any foam that forms on the surface with a skimmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Add salt to taste during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the onion, garlic and parsley sprigs. In a blender, puree half of the beans along with some of the cooking liquid. Reserve both the pureed and whole beans.

To make the soup: In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and sauté, stirring, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to soften. Add the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, kale and beet greens and stir to combine thoroughly. Stir in the pureed tomatoes and season with salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the greens have begun to wilt and soften.

Add the whole and pureed beans along with any remaining cooking liquid. Cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the vegetables are completely tender and the soup has thickened. Add additional water (up to 3 cups) if the soup seems too thick.

At this point, the soup can be eaten as is, or cooled, covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To make the ribollita: Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bread slices on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Tear up 2 slices of the toasted bread and place them in the bottom of the pot. Ladle 1/3 of the soup over the bread. Repeat with 2 more slices of bread and half of the remaining soup. Add a final layer of bread and top with the remaining soup.

Reduce the heat to medium-low or low, as needed to maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer, stirring gently from time to time, until the soup begins to bubble and is thoroughly heated through. As the soup is cooking, taste and add more salt if necessary.

Ladle the ribollita into shallow bowls and drizzle each serving with your best olive oil.

Zuppa per Settembre (September Soup)

Makes 6 first-course servings or 3 to 4 main-course servings

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes (about 9), cored, quartered lengthwise and seeded
1 pound red bell peppers (about 3), trimmed, quartered lengthwise and seeded
2 red or yellow onions, trimmed and each onion cut into 8 wedges
2 cloves garlic, quartered lengthwise
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
6 large fresh basil leaves, cut crosswise into fine strips (chiffonade) or coarsely chopped
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups best-quality canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature

Sourdough croutons for serving

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and basil and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss with a wooden spoon or spatula to coat the vegetables evenly with the oil and seasonings.

Roast, turning vegetables with a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon every 15 minutes, for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are completely tender and well browned in places.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, and working in 2 batches if necessary, puree the vegetables with the broth until smooth. Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve or a food mill fitted with the plate that has the smallest holes. This will eliminate bits of peel from the tomatoes and peppers.

Transfer the puree to a saucepan and reheat over low heat. Stir in the cream and heat the soup just until warmed through but not boiling.

Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and top with the croutons.

Stufato di Carciofi con Lattuga e Piselli (Artichoke Stew with Lettuce and Peas)

Makes 4 main-course servings

Juice of 2 lemons
4 to 5 cups water
4 large artichokes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced fatback or pancetta (optional)
1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
4 to 5 small sprigs fresh thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup shelled fresh or frozen English peas
1 heart romaine lettuce, washed, trimmed and shredded
½ cup heavy cream, at room temperature

In a nonreactive bowl large enough to hold the trimmed artichokes, combine the lemon juice and water.

Prepare the artichokes: Working with 1 artichoke at a time, cut off the stem flush with the base. Using a paring knife, cut off the base of the stem and then cut around the outside of the stem to remove the tough outer layer. Cut the stem in half lengthwise and put the trimmed stem halves in the lemon water to prevent them from discoloring. Pull off the tough, dark green outer leaves of the artichoke, bending the leaves back until they snap off at the base. Continue to snap off the leaves until you reach the more tender, lighter-colored leaves.

With a sharp chef’s knife or a serrated knife, cut about 1 inch off the top of the artichoke. Cut the artichoke in half lengthwise and, using a small, sturdy spoon, scrape out the fuzzy choke. Cut the halves lengthwise one more time; you will have quartered the artichoke. Put the artichoke quarters in the lemon water and repeat the trimming procedure with the remaining 3 artichokes.

To make the stew: In a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil and fatback over medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and salt to form a paste. When the oil is just starting to shimmer, add the paste to the pot, stirring well. Cook for a minute or two, or until the garlic releases its fragrance.

Drain the artichokes, reserving ¾ cup of the lemon water, and add the artichokes to the pot along with the reserved water, thyme and several grinds of pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the stew for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the artichokes are somewhat tender but still a little firm when poked in the center with a knife. Uncover, raise the heat to medium, and cook until all but a few tablespoons of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the peas and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until they have lost their frosty sheen. Stir in the lettuce and the cream, reduce the heat once again to medium-low, and cook for 5 to 7 more minutes without boiling, or until the lettuce has wilted and the peas are just cooked through but still bright green.

Serve spooned on top of a basic risotto.

Originally published on March 4, 2007