Already?

Yesterday we returned home from our last trip of the summer. When we got home we headed outside after dinner, the kids anxious to play with their neighbourhood friends. As we sat there visiting with our neighbours in the cul de sac, it occurred to me just how chilly it was. It smacked of fall. Where has time gone?

Unbelievably enough,  next week we begin the school year, being teachers, with a couple of days of work. Sigh. I know work is necessary for survival, but really, it does get in the way of a lot doesn't it?Certainly it doesn't lend itself well to maintaining my pastimes this summer: cooking lots of new things, constant play dates and trips to the beach, reading stacks of books as high as my head, gardening. This summer was lovely. I think I'd love retirement.

Last night I also picked through my garden, and pulled out MONSTER carrots. Lots of monster carrots. See, I've never had much luck growing carrots, so this year I planted a ton, in hopes some of them would grow. And grow they did. This begs the question, what does one do with a bazillion monster carrots?

Well, add together impending busy schedules, and monster carrots, and the sum is clear: soup. I grew up hating soup. HATING soup. You know the kid that takes a mouthful of food, then runs to the bathroom claiming a desperate need to pee, then spitting the food into the toilet for a good flush? That was me with soup. I still am not a huge fan of soup, but I'm certainly more amenable to it than I was in my youth. These days I'm happy to make my own brodo, chicken soup and pureed veggie soups. They are handy to have in the freezer and really, when eaten with a big thick piece of lovely bread and butter, are delicious.

Where else does one go for inspiration these days than Pinterest? Want a million recipes for soup- there's your source. There I found this one which looked great:
http://joythebaker.com/2011/04/carrot-apple-ginger-soup/

This became my guide for what went in the pot. It turns out I'm more like my mum than I realized, and in went the kitchen sink. You have to use things up somehow right?

Here's what I came up with:


Ingredients: (serves a lot. When I make soup, I make soup. There will be enough to freeze at least 4 freezer portions to serve 2 people). 
-6 large carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
-2 small yams, peeled and chopped into chunks
-1 medium onion
-3 large cloves of garlic, grated
-4 inches of fresh ginger root, grated
-Optional: beets (I used 1 small red beet, and 2 medium golden beets)
- 3 apples, peeled and chopped into chunks
- Vegetable broth (I used 2 tetra packs 900ml each)
-cinnamon to taste
-nutmeg to taste
-salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large pot, heat 3 or 4 tbsp of olive oil. 
2. Saute onion until translucent and fragrant. (About 3 minutes)
3. Add garlic and ginger. Saute another 4 minutes or so. 
4. Add carrots, yams, beets and saute about 5 or 6 minutes. 
5. Add broth and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes, until veggies are soft. 
6. Transfer the soup into the blender and puree in batches. 
7. Return the pureed soup to the pot and add the spices, tasting as you go. 

Because I was making this with the thought of feeding it to an upcoming guest who is vegan, I opted not to saute the onion and veggies in butter, but used olive oil instead. I like butter though, as it is creamy and smooth. Also, I didn't use chicken broth, which I would have most likely otherwise. 

Using yams makes it very creamy and smooth. The apples lend sweetness to the soup, but not distinct apple taste. The beets are nice for colour, but don't taste at all, which makes it possible to feed it to my dad (who does not have the beet gene). It is delicious. It would go down nicely with a grilled cheese sandwich with prosciutto and pickle in the middle (not to toot my own horn but, I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world- ask my sister). There is something that makes the things you grow yourself taste better than that which comes from the grocery store. Those carrots are deeeeelicious, and the beets are so tender and yummy too. Try it out, you won't be sorry. 



Happy trails!