Glen Campbell recently released his last album. If you are
old enough to remember, Glen had a string of syrupy pop
country hits and a TV show called “The Glen Campbell
Good Time Hour.” It was an inoffensive balm of a show that
served as diversion from the first televised war. This is, at
least, how I remember those times and Campbell’s reputation.
Last summer, I was with a group of musicians who were in
a mourning of sorts as the ailing Mr. Campbell decided to
make this album his last. They spoke in hushed tones of his
masterful skill as a session man and how he will be missed.
Now, excuse me if I seem a little disrespectful here, but I
always thought of Glen Campbell as the butt end of a music
industry joke and I was caught off guard by my friends’
words of reverence. I mean, really, the guy who sang
“Rhinestone Cowboy” was a musician’s musician?
I had no idea that Glen was a well respected studio
musician long before his smiling face and aw-shucks good
humor shimmered from television sets from sea to shining
sea. Back around the time I was born, he played the guitar
with the Champs and recorded that frat house anthem
“Tequila” (you know the one, da-doo, dada doo-da,
doo-da) and played with the Wrecking Crew on gigs with
the Beach Boys (even replacing Brian Wilson on tour)
and Ph l Spector.
Oh, that voice, smooth as silk, a little masculine but
sa’weeeet! He was able to make the ladies swoon yet
somehow the guys still wanted to take him out for a beer.
He was everybody’s friend and the schmaltzy hits just
kept on coming.
Commercial success was a double edged sword. His smooth
voice and good looks (in a white bread, good-guy kinda
way) allowed exploitation and overexposure. Suddenly,
he projected an unhip aura to an audience grooving to the
edgier vibe of the Stones and Led Zep.
Now, just as my recollection of Glen Campbell was biased
by his commercial years, I am sure there are many people who
are biased by the Merlot of the overproduced, commercial
years. Yes, the hit-maker wine with the smooth as silk reputation, sensitive enough to make women swoon, yet masculine
enough to persuade men to put down their beers, suffered
from exploitation at the hands of greedy producers.
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M E R L O T , L o s C a r n ero s , 2 0 0 8
Few know that Merlot was a great session player before
becoming a slick, solo act. Merlot backed, and occasionally
soloed, with the Right Banks’ biggest names and was a
featured lead for a few upstart artisan Napa Valley
wineries. However, its greatness hastened its fall as
emphasis was placed on making it inoffensive for the
palates of the fleeting masses, allowing edgier wines to
capture aficionados’ imaginations.
If Glen Campbell is the musician’s musician, Merlot is the
winegrower’s grape. While no one was looking, respectful artisans returned to strip away the embellishments that almost
ruined its reputation to allow the true voice of Merlot to shine
and just as Merlot has a refreshed, pure voice in its recent
incarnation, Glen Campbell’s last album, “Ghost on the
Canvas” exhibits a pure talent. Instead of looking backwards
to his old production team, Mr Campbell was aided by a crop
of edgier, respectful songwriters, musicians and producers
who crafted songs to showcase a talent. Granted, my shaky
thesis is based on one revelatory song that played on the
radio that fateful Merlot sipping afternoon - “Nothing But
the Whole Wide World” by Jacob Dylan - but maybe just
one song is enough to redefine a career. With this tune, the
embellishments were stripped away to allow a peek at the
craftsman behind the commercial façade. It is refreshing
to find greatness where you least expect it and, even with
memories of rhinestones, you are able to ignore the glitzy
past with a new appreciation for a raw talent that, though
tarnished in reputation, always existed.
Green Merlot grapes begin veraison.
Ribollita
This simple, hearty vegetable soup is a perfect one-pot
meal. For a vegetarian soup omit the pancetta and use
water instead of chicken stock. If desired, add additional
vegetables like sliced Romano beans and diced summer
squash with the kale. Make the full amount and enjoy for a
few days or freeze the rest for a later repast. Its quality will
not suffer.
Serves 8 to 10
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
8 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 medium celery ribs, trimmed and sliced finely
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup tomato puree
1 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
4 cups rich chicken stock
3 cups water
Parmesan rind, 1 medium piece or more if you l ke
1 bunch Lactina kale, sliced in 1/2-inch strips (about 5
packed cups)
6 cups cooked cranberry beans, about 1 pound dry
6 cups divided day-old artisan bread, cubed and lightly
toasted
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish
1 cup grated Parmesan for sprinkling
1. Heat a 5 quart sauce pan over medium high heat. When the pan is hot,
add 1 tablespoon olive oil and then the pancetta. Cook the pancetta until
lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat if the pan gets too hot
and starts to smoke. Remove the pan from the heat and drain off the excess
fat, but leave enough to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
2. Place the pan back on medium high heat and add the garlic, onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly
browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper.
3. Add the tomato puree and white wine and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, stock and water. Return to a boil, reduce the heat
to a simmer. Add the Parmesan rind and simmer for 40 minutes until the
vegetables are meltingly tender.
4. Add the kale, beans and 3 cups of bread. Cook for another 30 minutes until
the kale is tender. Stir occasionally to keep the soup from scorching on the
bottom of the pan and to “melt” the cubes of bread into the soup to thicken. Thin the soup with a little water if it becomes too reduced and thick.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and fold in the parsley. Ladle into
bowls and top with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmesan. Add the remaining 3 cups of bread to the leftover soup if making fried soup the next
day, otherwise reserve for another use.
Fried Soup
You must make this leftover dish after a meal
of Ribollita. It is a completely different and
delicious experience. It can be eaten on its
own or served as a side dish for grilled sausages, roasted pork and chicken.
Extra virgin olive o l
Leftover Ribollita
Grated Parmesan
1. Per serving, heat an 8-inch nonstick pan
over medium high heat. When the pan is hot,
add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and
one six-ounce ladle of soup. Press the soup to
flatten into a patty.
2. Cook over medium heat until the soup is
crusty and golden on one side. Flip and continue to cook until the other side is golden.
3. Slide onto a plate and top with grated
Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.