Minestrone on the Egg?? YOU BET!!!!

mad max beyond eggdome

so i have the day off today (thanks vets!!!) and i'm watching my favorite italian hottie, giada de laurentis, on food tv. . she is making this great looking minestrone, and i'm thinking, man, i should make that tonight!!. ..so off to the store to buy the ingrediants. . .i made it all up on the stove in my big green le creuset pot, and now its simmering in the egg at around 350 degrees for about an hour or so to absorb some 'egg magic', then i'll bring it back in to finish on the stove prior to serving. ..i just sampled it and it tastes great. . .here is the recipe, direct from foodtv.com. . .[p]winter minestrone[p]2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves coarsely chopped
1 russet potato, peeled, cubed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 (14-ounce) cans low-sodium beef broth
1 ounce piece Parmesan cheese rind
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper[p]Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Saute until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato; saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rosemary sprig. Simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes break down, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, blend 3/4 cup of the beans with 1/4 cup of the broth in a processor until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan cheese rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer until the potato pieces are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the whole beans and parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Discard Parmesan rind and rosemary sprig (the leaves will have fallen off of the stem.) [p]Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. [p]