(no subject)

[hedgiewan]

I just made this. I made it up, but it's hardly the most original thing ever. Still delicious, though.

Creamy Harvest Soup

2 T olive oil
1 med onion, chopped
garlic as you prefer (I used a small head- farmer's market small, not supermarket small)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, washed and chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thickly
1 C lentils
1.5 C water
1 quart stock (I used happy chicken)
2 C UNSWEETENED apple juice
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced.
1/4 t each: black pepper, sage, thyme, ground red pepper
2 C heavy cream or preferred substitute
salt to taste

In a small pot, put the lentils and 1.5 C of broth and 1.5 C water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer until cooked (about 30 minutes).
While lentils are cooking, wilt the onion and garlic in the oil in a medium pan. Add the carrots, celery, and zucchini, cover and cook to taste over low heat. Set this aside.
In a large pot (big enough for everything), boil the squash in the remainder of the stock and the apple juice with all the spices, until squash is soft. Puree in small batches in puree-er of choice, adding heavy cream.
When all your squash is gooshed, add everything together and mix to evenly distribute the cream. Eat!


It was good and really filling. And I still have half a squash left. Jeebus!

My head is funny- there's hardly a visible mark. People keep asking me how I'm feeling, and I'm usually fine (unless I accidentally touch my head or wash my hands, forgetting the bruise there). Then my ibuprofen wears off, and I remember that I have a bruise that goes HALFWAY THROUGH MY HEAD.

I exaggerate, of course, but it fucking hurts and I get surly sometimes.

In other news, you should all be reading Little Dee. It's a very nice webcomic about a little girl who is being raised by bears. Well, a bear. And a dog and a vulture. It makes me smile. Also, the cartoonist is just releasing his second book of Little Dee strips, so you could buy that and give him money, and that would be good too. But not necessary for enjoyment!

the hedge abides.

Comments

[jhimes.livejournal.com]

pain entitles you to be surly. Thus proclaimeth Chaplain Julia.

[pants-of-doom.livejournal.com]

The soup looks interesting. I bet it would work with coconut milk.

I think your surliness is warranted. Also, it scares me that you have a bruise that goes halfway through your head. :( Feel better soon.

[hedgiewan.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Coconut milk! I bet you're right.

The bruise doesn't actually go halfway through my head- I don't have an concussion. I just pulverized some face muscle. Doesn't look too bad, at least.

[wyliekat.livejournal.com]

That does sound really good. Unsweetened apple juice, hey? I'm going to have to think about that one.

[hedgiewan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the squash is really very sweet, and apples are sweet on their own. If you used something with sugar added, I think it would be overpowering. Cider might work, though, it's got some pectin to offset the fructose.

[pygmybugs.livejournal.com]

That soup sounds awesome*. And I get paid to make soup. Heh. A little pumpkin pie spice (or similar -- cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, et cetera) really tastes good in a squash-type soup, too. But a little goes a looooong way. Silk Chai works, too (and also makes the tasty pancakes).

I love soup season. In fact, I'm making stock right now!

[hedgiewan.livejournal.com]

I'm not a big fan of the sweet spices with squash, especially given how sweet this squash was. I'll take garlic any day! Or curry- Turtle Bread sometimes has a curried apple squash soup, but again, it's really really sweet. As delicious as the apple juice is, it may need to be omitted, or replaced with a lower-sugar juice (cranberry? even orange might be good).