Squash Soup

Another newish ingredient for us is squash, I had seen it a lot in stores and it had cropped up every now and again on cooking shows or on the internet, whilst I was searching for other recipes, I had, had no idea about it until then and I wanted to give it a try, but I wasn’t sure if we would like it, so I needed to go safe. I found a J.O recipe and decided that it was probably a safe bet, I have tried a number of his recipes and so far none have let me down. It didn’t disappoint and now we eat it fairly regularly. Our local store sells it in disposable roasting trays already peeled and chopped, ready to bung in the oven, I absolutely love it roasted with, cracked black pepper, olive oil and a little garlic. I could easily eat it all for myself yummy! Anyway this recipe is definitely worth giving a go.

Squash Soup

Olive oil

8 sage leaves

1 red onion, peeled and chopped

1-2 carrots peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 sprig of rosemary leaves

1 red chilli deseeded and chopped

Salt and black pepper to taste

1kg butternut squash, deseeded and cut into chunks

1 litre of vegetable stock

Extra virgin olive oil

1.       In a large saucepan heat about a tablespoon of olive oil, add the sage and fry until it is dark green and crisp, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper. Put the oil back on the heat and add the onion, carrot, rosemary, garlic, chilli and salt and pepper, cooking gently until the vegetables are soft. Add the squash and stock, bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes.

2.       When the squash is cooked through, using a hand blender if you have one, whizz until you have a puree, you could leave it a little chunky if you prefer, but I like mine smooth. If you don’t have a hand blender, carefully pour the stock into a jug, mash the vegetables using a potato masher and then re-add the stock. Serve with your sage leaves if you like and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top.

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Learning Something New..... Bisque

Every now and again, I like to cook something that sounds a little extra ordinary. This will give you an idea of how truly uneducated I am in the kitchen, "Bisque" sounded exotic to me - to be honest it still does, a little. At the end of each month I pick 3-4 recipe books (well I used to, I haven't done this for awhile, but I'm going to start again soon) then I choose up to 20 new recipes, then I make my shopping list accordingly. The method, procedure and cooking instructions are less important at this stage, because I am pretty certain that any kitchen equipment I may need to make it, I'll either have or can just about manage without. This makes me at times a little non the wiser to what I am cooking through out the month - I live on the edge you see? A daily tight rope walk, without the safety net, ooooh the excitement and adventure. Ok so perhaps my tight rope walk analogy was a little dramatic, sarcastic even, but I do consider my "kitchen antics" as a bit of an adventure. So bisque, I had to google, what was this strange and exotic dish, I was about to cook? It's a thick French soup, so soup... Woo wee! It's nice though and I can honestly say that I have dabbled with some more French cuisine now that is "kinda cool."

Crab Bisque

2 tbsp Butter

1 large grated potato

1 grated carrot

1 small finely diced onion

40gm can of dressed crab

3 tbsp plain/all purpose flour

900ml stock

1 tbsp brandy

150ml milk

150ml single cream

170gm can of crab

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1. Over a medium heat, melt the butter in a large saucepan.

2. Add the potato, carrot and onion. Give it a good stir, turn down the heat, cover with a lid and gently cook for a couple of minutes, until softened.

3. Add the dressed crab and the flour to the saucepan, cook for a further minute, continuously stirring.

4. Remove from the heat, add the stock a little bit at a time, whilst stirring.

5. Return to a high heat and continuosly stir until boiling, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again.

6. Add the brandy, milk, cream and remaining crab meat, heat through, taste for seasoning. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley on top.

Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup recipe has been in my family for years, certainly my Grandmother passed it on to my mother and my mother onto me, and I am pretty certain my Great Grandmother probably passed it onto my Grandmother. Originally it was a french vegetable soup, my mother adapted it to her tastes and I have done the same. My husband although not entirely adverse to having a vegetarian dish, prefers to have a little meat with his meals, so I throw in a handful of chunky bacon bits, or cut up frankfurter sausages. It kind of negates from being vegetable soup, but hey ho, if my husband is happy and it tastes good, why not right? I suppose the special thing for me in all this, despite the changes, this is a recipe from my past but it signifies my future. I realise that seems pathetic and maybe even incredibly melodramatic after all it's just soup...... But this "just soup," has been passed down for          generations and I will eventually pass it onto my children and grandchildren...                                                                    

Vegetable Soup

1 leek

1 carrot

1cm wide slice of celery root or a 1/4 fennel

1/2 a turnip

1 onion

2-3 potatoes

butter

500ml vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

 100ml sour cream

1. Wash, peel and chop all the vegetables, into bite sized pieces. Gently heat the butter in a large pan, then add all the vegetables and saute gently for about 5-10 minutes.                                             

2. Add the veg stock, bring to the boil then turn down the heat and simmer gently until the veggies are cook through.                                                                                                                                     

3. Drain and retain the liquid, mash the vegetables (mash a lot if you want a smooth soup, or leave it chunky entirely up to you) return the liquid, do it a little bit at a time, until you have the soup consistency you like, some people like a really thick soup, you can always add extra water if the 500ml isn't enough, but you can't take it out once it's in.                                                               

5. If you are adding any pre-cooked meat now is the time to do it, salt and pepper to taste and the sour cream, return to the heat and warm through, but do not boil.                                                            

The vegetables are just a guide line, as you can see from the photo I also added sweetcorn to this soup.