This is a recipe for vegetable soup using vegetables available in April.
Ingredients:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Good stock
1 large chopped onion
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
A dash of cinnamon
A dash of nutmeg
A dash of cayenne
1 large carrot, sliced
1 handful of fresh, chopped parsley
1 15 oz can of whole tomatoes and their juice
4 large handfuls spinach
2 tbsps of brown sugar
2 tbsps of apple cider vinegar
Method:
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add onion, garlic, herbs and spices,
and salt to taste and stir over medium heat for about 5-10 minutes,
until onions are clear.
Add carrot, parsley and tomatoes and enough cold stock to cover them by
2 inches. Bring soup to a simmer, but do not boil. Skim any froth from
the top. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour.
About 10 minutes before serving, add in spinach, sugar and vinegar.
Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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It is important to protect vegetables from the cold which is predicted for the next few nights. Frost is forecast, and it looks as though we will have some seriously cold temperatures over the next few nights.
Young seedlings are tender, and vulnerable to the frost. At worst, they will be killed. Otherwise the frost will damage their cells, slow down their growth, and reduce their potential. Frosted vegetable plants will not yield so much.
Return on effort is one of TopVeg’s guiding principles – so do not allow the frost to affect potential yield, & reduce the return on all the effort put in so far.
Protect the plants from the cold temperatures by covering them over. (more…)
Courgette flowers are so beautiful, we often forget to eat them.
courgette-flowers
This Vegetable Soup is quick and easy to make. Use the Courgette Flowers
as soon as they are picked.
*Serves 4-6
*30-40 courgette flowers
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 large tomatoes (about 300g), peeled and chopped
salt and pepper
1.5 – 2 litres chicken stock
sour cream to serve
*Method
*Put 6 flowers aside for garnish
Split the courgette flowers lengthways in half and pick out the stamens.
Remove the spiky bits from around the outside of the flower base and
separate the flowers from the stalks
Chop the flowers roughly
Strip the stalks as if peeling celery and chop roughly
Soften the stalks with the onion in the oil then add the tomatoes and
cook, stirring, till thick
Add the chopped flowers, and salt and pepper to taste
Pour in the stock and simmer for about 15 minutes
Blend the soup till smooth
Serve with a dot of sour cream & a courgette flower on top
3courgetteflowers
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