Enjoy a good bowl of potato soup? It cures about everything in my world. I do have trouble keeping it white as snow because, of course, I can't stop adding things to the pot. I cure this by also adding Mr. and Mrs. T's spicy bloody Mary mix. I have elderly neighbors that are having a hard time this winter, so yesterday I had Andy take over a couple of different soups--just enough for two people in individual containers because I don't know how much spice he can endure now days. I would guess none. Today Andy can take them piping hot bowls of potato soup. I am also amassing several kinds of soup for one grandson to keep in his freezer for quick week night dinners. So, the kitchen smells great and Bob's your uncle. Our meals for the day are nearly done.
NOTE: I just have to say I cannot stay away from the soup pot today. This batch of soup is transcendental. You know how it is when you hit the mark just right? Well this is it. I have no recipe to give you, but the base was onions and bacon fried and then put into a big pot with water, Mr. T., salt and pepper, diced potatoes, fresh rosemary, a bit of chicken broth--tasting and adjusting as you go. You can add what you like. Oh, one product I have bought by the dozens from Amazon is :Crockery Gourmet. It's seasoning packets for chicken, pork or beef and normally used in the crock pot. But I use it in soups, gravies and anything I am not sure is seasoned just right. Sprinkle that in and there you have it, a fine dish: some for the neighbors, some for Matt, some for Beth, and a lot for Andy and me. (The other guys don't get any: some are skiing in Taos, New Mexico on their way to Colorado Springs for school, and one is in New Orleans.)
Another nice treat for this soup is garlic bread. Here is the recipe from Mennonite Girls Can Cook:
Quick garlic spread from Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog.
1/2 c. butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle whip, it is too sweet)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cloves garlic minced
3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
One large French bread loaf cut lengthwise, spread liberally on cut side and broil until brown and bubbly.
Or, wrap in foil and bake at 375 for 20 min. You can add plenty of Mozzarella cheese to the top.
Garlic does not like me. I do love it, but it kills my stomach. It does not bother any one else in the family. I once made Ina Garten's chicken with 40 cloves of garlic which is soooo good, but it nearly did me in. It was worth it! (recipes for forty cloves chicken and all kinds of potato soups are on the Internet, of course.)
I just started the book Blossoming in Provence. I have been under the influence of a 1000 piece puzzle here in the deep freeze of Ohio. So receiving books from Amazon is an event and a welcome change from the puzzle which keeps beckoning me back to the table.
This Looks good:
Asian-style Roasted Carrots
Serves 6
Adapted from Fortheloveofcooking.net
9 carrots (can be any color), peeled and cut into sticks (1/2" across max)
4 1/2 TBSP soy sauce
4 1/2 TBSP rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic and ginger in a large ziploc bag. Add carrots and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Tip contents of bag into a shallow baking pan, coated in oil spray.
4. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes until tender.
