Grandma Grace's Zucchini Soup

When I was 13, my grandfather passed away. We used to go every weekend to visit my grandparents in their home in Shirley, LI. They actually had two houses on one piece of property. My grandfather's parents lived in one of the houses and my grandparent's lived in the other. When my great grandparents passed on, my grandparents moved into their house. The other house became a weekend house for my family and my cousin's family. We had some great times in that house! I remember hunting easter eggs and squashing one under the couch cushion (after that year we started to use plastic eggs) I always used to think that the house was haunted. I am not sure why, but I was convinced. So, when my Papa passed away, I was sad to learn that my Grandmother was selling both houses.

My parents decided that my grandmother should be closer to us, so they added an extension onto the house. It was a spacious two bedroom apartment, with a beautiful kitchen. My grandmother LOVED to cook, and was CONSTANTLY working on SOME dish. She used to bring a lot of the food she cooked downstairs to share with my family. She ALWAYS had this soup on hand, and it was one of my all time favorites. I still make it at least once a month now, and it lasts for several days.

* 1 Tbsp. olive oil
* 3 cloves garlic minced
* 1 large onion halved and sliced
* 5 medium zucchini halved and sliced
* 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
* 6 cups water
* 4 chicken bouillion cubes
* 1 tsp. dried oregano
* 1 tsp. dried basil
* 1/2 tsp. black pepper
* 2 dried bay leaves
Heat the oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add the garlic and onions, saute until translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until zucchini is tender, 30 to 45 minutes.

Note: Sometimes grandma would slip some raw eggs into the soup towards the end of its cooking time and allow them to poach in the tomato broth. I ALWAYS loved an egg in my bowl of soup. I usually add a spoonful of parmigiana or pecorino romano cheese to the top. Sometimes grandmas would add a box of frozen peas in the last few minutes as well.