Well how did the beetroot brownies go down? A storm I bet. Here we are now at the beginnings of winter, forgotten are the hazy days of summer and the gorgeous days of autumn have arrived. Winter to me conjures up cosy soups and hearty stews, like cold hands wrapped round a big steaming mug of a hearty soup that is, a meal in itself, taking away the chills of the icy wind and snow, sitting in front of a roaring fire, getting the heat back into your fingers and toes. Soup: what can I say it’s as old as time itself? The act of taking whatever you have in the vegetable rack, the store cupboard, or your fridge, throwing into the big cast iron pot, to create a nutritious and filling meal, yet simple to make and serve.
Soup depending on what type is easily digested and for many years was prescribed for invalids; don’t you remember being ill when you were very young and being served some kind of chicken soup, as it was easy to eat, there was no effort involved, no chewing, just swallowing, oh yes and you were always brought in a bottle of lucozade (fergusade) wrapped in crinkly paper that was like a tonic for helping you recover from whatever illness you had.
During my childhood my grandfather lived with us, he was a chef and a gardener, who was very accomplished with regards growing his own vegetables and fruits, it was normal for me to be asked to go out to the garden, with my little wicker basket, and pick peas, (which I may add took a lot longer than should have, because I was eating more than putting in my basket) peas, that would be made into the most wonderful, vibrant, colourful and fragrant, green pea soup. He would encourage us to eat up our vegetables and would state that soup was the best food in the world, because it was simple and nutritious, and all the goodness came straight from the garden to the pot.
I have kept this view pretty much through my life, if I can I will use the freshest vegetables available to me. Pottering about the garden brings childhood memories flooding back, uprooting potatoes, scrubbing them clean, sitting down to a mountain of new potatoes, skin on, lashings of butter, cascading down like melting lava, my mouth is watering at the thought of that sumptuous memory. Soups in my mind should be chunky, thick heart-warming, nice big chunks of vegetables that all have different flavours and textures and yet come together like old companions; but what to accompany the soup will it be the usual bread, crusty and hot with a little dab of butter of something a little different, perhaps a muffin packed full of yet more vegetables. As you know baking is a thing of mine, so I have decided to go with this hearty vegetable soup, a muffin, a savoury muffing stuffed with courgettes and carrots, which will compliment this chunky and filling soup.
Hearty Vegetable Soup, Serves 6
You'll need:
200g, butter
5 large potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large turnip, peeled and roughly chopped
2 large leeks, cleaned and sliced
2 vegetable stock cubes
1 large pot (deep) with lid
Here’s how,
Cut off the green leafy parts of the leek, then cut it down lengthways, split open, and wash under cold water.
Proceed to chopping, from one end to another. Once you're other vegetables are peeled, chop them roughly.
Melt the butter and fry off all the vegetables until they are all well coated, cover and leave to sweat, add the vegetable stock, cover and leave to cook.
Once your root vegetables have become nice and tender, or even mushy depending on how you like your soup, salt to taste.
Serve with nice crusty bread or as suggested with some savoury muffins.
Courgette and carrot Muffins, makes 12
You’ll need:
Courgette, 200g peeled and grated
Carrots , 200g peeled and grated
S.R Flour, 250g
Baking Powder, ½ teasp
Salt, pinch
Cinnamon, 1 teasp
Nutmeg , ½ teasp
Pecans, 62g, chopped
Eggs, 2
Milk, 250ml
Butter, 80g, melted
Here’s how,
Preheat oven 180°C, gas mark 6, if fan assisted oven reduce to 160
Brush a 12 hole muffin tin with oil, and coat with flour
Grate courgettes and carrot. Sift flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a large bowl.
Mix together the carrot and courgette mix with the dry ingredients. Combine the eggs, milk and melted butter whisk until thoroughly mixed; add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, mix together.
Spoon the mixture into prepared tins, bake for 15-20 minutes until golden, cool on a wire rack.
