Woodland Ramp and Potato Soup

Happy Earth Day everyone!

Nothing tastes better than a good batch of wild leeks (ramps)

and potato soup on this cold and sunny Earth Day.

The farmer dug a small batch from a neighbouring woodland

for this earthy soup ...

3 slices uncooked bacon - diced

2 slices cooked ham - chopped

1 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion - chopped

10-12 ramps, peeled cleaned and chopped (heads only)

6 potatoes - peeled and diced

4 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

salt and pepper to taste

1 Cup milk

1/4 Cup sour cream

a few ramp leaves chopped - for garnish

In Dutch Oven, fry the chopped bacon until crisp, remove, set aside and pour off the fat.

Add butter, onions and ramps - saute for a few minutes

Add the broth and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the chopped potatoes and simmer till fork tender

Mash or puree the potatoes and broth.

Return the bacon and add ham to the soup, reserving some for garnish. Heat through.

Add the milk and sour cream and serve.

Garnish with chopped ramp leaves and crumbles of bacon

The soup was tasty - however, now the house has that
lingering "old people's" pungent garlicky smell.
Oh well, no one is coming over for a visit any time soon
and besides - we are the old people - smile!

The sourdough bread turned out really good today.
It may have upstaged the soup!

In spite of not having any of the "required" equipment,

such as the proofing bannetons (baskets) etc.,

I think I'm finally getting onto it?

So glad I didn't give up on this fermented goodness.

It tasted delicious with the soup.

Hosta Leaf design?

I think sourdough baking could become my distraction during this pandemic?
As long as I can find flour ... the store shelves are still scarce on baking supplies.


Do you have a covid-19 distraction these days?
Are you and your loved ones managing OK?

Till next time  - trying to stay positive! 

Main Course Cabbage Soup

It has been my privilege to be on our church's

food committee for the past several years.

Sometime's it's a lot of work but there are always so many

wonderful folks who step up to the plate

to volunteer their time and talents in this department!

Today we served a luncheon to our local ESL

(English as a Second Language)

ladies and their preschool children

who meet weekly on Thursdays to learn English

and have some much needed time with their peers.

These dear ladies belong to local Old Colony Mennonite churches

and many have come directly from Mexico.

They speak Low German and are eager to learn English and other

skills such as computer work, self care, and all the things 

that come with living in such a different environment and location!

Peeking into the Nursery Class 

window where games are

played, stories are read,

and lots of fun is had by all,

while mom's are learning

English!

Teaching and Learning

Our food committee serves lunch to this program a few times a year.

Today our menu was Cabbage Soup, dinner rolls, cheese slices,

raw veggies and cupcakes. 

A simple but wholesome and delicious lunch.

The recipe we used was from our sister church's cookbook,

Family Favourites - Mapleview Mennonite Church,

 and was submitted by Idella Leis, a former well loved

pastor's wife at that church.

If you need a delicious hearty large pot of soup - try this one!

Main Course Cabbage Soup

(serves approx. 10 people)

1 lb. hamburger

1 medium onion – chopped

½ Cup Diced Celery

½ Cup Green Pepper

2 Tbsp. Oil

2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

¼ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. paprika

1 28 oz. (796 mL) can of diced tomatoes

4 Cups hot water

2 cubes or sachets of Beef Bouillon

2 Cups Diced Potatoes

1 Cup Diced Carrots

3 Tbsp. chopped parsley

7 Cups coarsely chopped cabbage (packed)

Brown the beef, onion, celery and green pepper in oil until all redness is gone. Add all the ingredients except the cabbage. Cook for 1 hour.

Add the cabbage and cook for an additional hour.

Beautiful voices in prayer before the meal.

Kudos to Shirley Bauman and her team for organizing this worthwhile program!

How was your Family Day?

Ontario celebrated this day on Monday and we had some

fun sledding down the barn hill ...

Here is the link to the video

(Blogger doesn't seem to like videos so I've made a Youtube one too):

https://youtu.be/QOQEBDiFFTs

"There she goes"

Till next time ........ stay warm and healthy. Spring is on it's way, right!?

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

It's the perfect time for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

and Beer Bread Muffins!!

There's snow in the air ...... and on the pumpkins!

This is my favourite butternut squash soup recipe:

Peel and seed a Butternut Squash

Cut it into large chunks.

Add 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic and toss with 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil.

Pour this onto parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle with fresh chopped Thyme and Summer Savory.

Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Roast at 425F for 25 minutes.

This smells so good while it roasts!

While the squash roasts, prepare the soup base by bringing 4 Cups of broth (vegetable or chicken) to a simmer.

Add 1 chopped apple, 2 Tbsp. grated ginger and a sprig of Thyme.

Continue to simmer till squash is roasted and apples are tender.

Remove the garlic peel. Combine the squash and garlic with the broth.  Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender or stand blender to blend the mixture to a smooth and silky consistency.
My vitamix blender made short order of the blending - smooth as silk!

Heat thoroughly and serve with a splash of fresh cream or sour cream.

Serve with a quick bread muffin (we enjoy Beer Bread Muffins from the Muffin Mania Cookbook)

3 Cups flour

5 tsp. baking powder

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Bottle of Beer

Shredded Cheese - optional

Combine dry ingredients.

Pour in the beer and stir with a fork till combined.

Scoop into greased muffin tin (makes 12 muffins)

 Top with some grated cheese.

Bake at 325F for 15-20 minutes.

Till next time .......... find some golden warm recipes to fight the dull drums of a snowy November day! 

Organic Vegetable Soup

The farmer went to pick up a wood splitter from,

James Harrison, a local organic vegetable farmer

and brought home a nice sampling of his

delicious and nutritious harvest!

Fresh picked kale and dragon kale,

purple and deep red potatoes,

purple, red, white and orange carrots,

some heads of the best garlic in the land,

a huge leek, onion, and pretty edible flowers.

Have you ever seen such beauty?

I've never tasted Dragon Kale.

Dark purple carrots and

solid red potatoes,

packed with vitamins

and nutrients.

Pretty edible flowers

and some of James' famous

juicy garlic!

This calls for a healthy energizing vegetable soup.

Just a quick picking of parsley, thyme and sage from

my herb garden and I'll be all set!

Wonder what colour this soup will be?

Saute an onion in a splash of Olive Oil,

add in 3-4 cloves crushed and chopped garlic,

add in some chopped carrots and 2 - 3 diced potatoes.

Add fresh or dried herbs and seasoning to taste.

Pour in 4 - 5 Cups of chicken or Vegetable broth

and simmer until vegetables are tender.

Chop and add in 3 Cups of Kale and cook

for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove a few cups of the soup and blend with

hand held blender if desired - add back into soup pot.

Serve with a wee garnish of chopped green onion and Enjoy!

That soup should give me enough energy to get out of my pjs and

help the farmer chop some wood - right!!?

BTW - the soup turned out to be a lovely
slightly lavender colour - so yummy!

Till next time ...... gathering some more kale recipes .... do you have a favourite one?

Stalking the Wild Leeks

Every Spring my dad would go back to 

the "home farm" where he grew up

and find his favourite patch of wild leeks!

Those pungent smelling,

full flavoured "bush onions" or "ramps"
as they are sometimes called.

He loved to eat them raw, wrapped in

a buttered slice of fresh bread.

These potent little bulbs are known to

hold powerful medicinal properties,

but,

the lingering odour is very real!!!

It's a beautiful thing!

The dog tooth violets are blooming too - so pretty!

It was a great day to stalk through the bush
and see it come alive!

Here's to good health!!!

Till next time - I'll let you know how the smelly healthy soup turns out.....

Pot 'o Gold

Yukon Gold spuds it tis!!

St. Patty's Day is just a few days away,

thus a "crock" of golden leek and potato soup!

We love this soup.

It's easy to make - no real recipe but

this is how I make it.....

Leek and Potato Soup

2-3 leeks - trimmed and cleaned thoroughly.  Leeks are grown in sandy soil and need to be washed well. Just use the white and pale green parts. Chop them quite fine.

6 or soYukon Gold potatoes - chopped

2 carrots - chopped

1/2 sweet onion - chopped

2 stalks carrots - chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. thyme

4 Cups chicken stock

3 Tbsp. butter

1 Cup cubed cooked ham (optional)

Parsley for garnish

Melt butter in a large pot. Add the leeks, onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt, pepper and thyme and sweat the veggies till softened. Pour in the chicken broth and add the chopped potatoes. Simmer till the potatoes and vegetables are soft and tender. Taste test for seasoning. Put some of the soup into the blender or use a hand blender to blend the soup slightly - leaving some chunks of potatoes and vegetables. Add in the cubed ham if using. Garnish with parsley and enjoy with some fresh baked bread or biscuits!

Now I should head off to bake me some

Irish Soda Bread....

to go with that soup!

Top 'o the Mornin' to ya!

Have a fabulous St. Patrick's Day Weekend

Pure Gold Memories of Ireland 2011
that have been transformed with my Waterlogue app!

Till next time - eat something green and/or Irish this weekend if you can ....

Split Pea Soup - Memories of NFLD

The other day I made

a bone-in ham supper

and we've been enjoying

the left-overs!

This cold stormy weather is
perfect for making

split pea soup,

reminiscent of one that

we enjoyed several years

ago on a fun trip

to Newfoundland!

Split Pea Soup

2 Cups dried yellow or green split peas (I like to use the yellow ones)

8 Cups light chicken stock

Trimmed ham bone plus 2-3 Cups cooked ham

1 Cup onions – finely chopped

1 Cup celery – finely chopped

1 Cup carrots – finely chopped or sliced

2 Bay leaves

1 tsp. savory

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Butter

Preheat heavy bottom pot, add the oil and butter and the chopped vegetables, simmer for a few minutes or until translucent.  Wash the peas and strain them well – add them to the pot along with the bay leaves and savory.  Add all the stock and the ham bone – simmer gently for 1-2 hours or until peas are softened and begin to melt.  Stir often so it doesn’t burn.  Add water to make it the right consistency if it becomes a bit too thick.  Remove the bone from the soup and save any meat remaining on the bone – trim and chop or shred. Set aside.  At this point you can use a stick blender if desired to slightly blend the peas (I like to leave it a bit chunky).  Add the meat back into the soup and heat through. Serve with dumplings and chopped chives.

To make the dumplings:

2 Cups Flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking powder, 1 Tbsp. butter – crumbed together.  Knead together with a little water or milk.  Make small rolls of dough, drop balls into hot soup and cook for 20 minutes.

I can't believe that

our trip to that

beautiful island was over

6 years ago.

I'd go back anytime.

It was one of our most memorable

vacations.

The farmer and I are planning

another wee trip.

This time to a sunny and warm

spot, due South from here.

My next post may be an inspired

guacamole or perhaps some
enchiladas?

Till next time .............. stay warm wherever you are and for goodness sake - have some hearty soup!

Fisherman's Chowder En Croute

I once had a recipe for a great seafood chowder but can’t find it anywhere – does that ever happen to you? It was from a cooking show I loved to watch in the early ‘80s called “What’s Cooking”.  This is the closest thing to that elusive recipe that I could come up with:

½  sweet Onion – chopped

2 cloves garlic – minced

3-4 Tbsp. butter

In a soup pot sauté onions and garlic in butter till just tender and translucent.

Add:

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock

1/2 Cup White wine

1-2 Stalks celery – chopped

1-2 large carrots – diced

1-2 potatoes – diced

½ Red pepper – diced

1-2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Slowly cook till vegetables are tender and stock is slightly reduced

In a separate frying pan poach seafood gently in a bit of chicken broth
I like to use:

1 fillet cod – cut into bite sized pieces

1 fillet salmon – cut into bite sized pieces

1 Cup sea scallops

1 Cup salad shrimp

or

Any combination of sea food you enjoy (approx. 4 Cups)

Once poached - use a slotted spoon to remove and add to the vegetables and stock.  Reduce the poaching stock in frying pan and add to soup.

Thicken the soup with ¼ Cup water and 2 Tbsp. flour if needed or thin with extra chicken stock.

Lower the heat and add a good splash of whipping cream – stirring till warmed through – do not boil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and serve immediately or chill if serving en croute.  Can be made a day in advance.

En Croute (this is how we like it the best):

Preheat oven to 400F

Thaw puff pastry according to package directions.  Roll out dough and cut to 1” larger than each soup bowl, keeping everything as cold as possible.  Divide cold soup between 4 oven safe bowls.  Place bowls onto a baking tray.  Brush underside edges of each pastry with an egg wash and place over filled soup bowl – sealing pastry to sides of bowl.  Brush top of pastries with remaining egg wash and put into hot oven.  Bake for 15-20 minutes till pastry puffs and bakes to a golden brown.

This was the perfect soup for a cold April Saturday evening.....

Till next time ....... still hoping for Spring!

Happy St. Patty's Day!

The Stew is made and 

ready to be reheated in the crock pot

for Sunday Dinner....

Key lime pie #2 is cooling 

on the back deck - because 

it's cold out there!!!

I'm trying to think "GREEN" even though

it's white and getting whiter outside - sigh!

A batch of No-Knead bread

is rising on the cupboard

in hopes of a crusty

loaf to go with the stew!

All 'tis well .........

Key Lime Pie

Graham cracker crust:

25 crackers – crushed - 1 1/2 Cups

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

½ Cup butter – melted

Mix crumbs, sugar and butter and press into a 9” pie plate.  Bake at 350F for 12 minutes until golden.

Filling:

4 lrg. Egg yolks – reserve whites for meringue if desired

14 oz. can sweetened condensed Milk (1 ½ Cups)

12 Key limes, juiced - ½ Cup juice

2 tsp. lime zest

1 Cup Whipping Cream – whipped and sweetened for topping or use egg whites for meringue topping.

Beat egg yolks until they lighten in colour and thicken. Add the condensed milk and ½ of the lime juice, and whisk until combined. Add remaining juice and lime zest. Mix to combine thoroughly. Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes at 350F.  Top with meringue and bake for 5-7 minutes till meringue is lightly browned or chill and top with whipped cream.

Have a happy Irish day ..............