A Great Veggie Dish for Fall

Now that autumn is in full swing, it's a great opportunity to eat more vegetables in dishes like soups, stews and casseroles. This morning, I got a reminder from the food website Epicurious (www.epicurious.com) about an Italian vegetable dish a friend had given me the recipe for years ago: giambotta (Epicurious says "ciambotta," but it's the same thing). Basically a vegetable stew, giambotta takes advantage of all the leftover veggies in your fridge and turns them into a delicious, warm stew that marries well with pasta or crusty bread (whole grain, natch). Low in calories and fat, yet satisfying, giambotta is perfect for a chilly fall night, and the leftovers just keep getting better. Give it a whirl: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Italian-Vegetable-Stew-em-Ciambotta-em-355473?mbid=RF. Also try making your own vegetable-based soups--there are scores of recipes online to get you going. They're so much better than the canned version, and you can always freeze what you don't eat.