Minnie's Soup Kitchen

Broccoli and Gruyere tart: oven ready Yesterday (23rd January) I made broccoli and Gruyere tart using the recipe from Norfolk's Own Cookbook: Everything Stops for Tea . The listed ingredients for the filling include eggs, cooked broccoli, grated Norfolk Dapple or Gruyere cheese, chives, double cream and mustard powder. The spouse is on a weight loss maintenance programme in advance of a family wedding later this year. I'm sure he'll appreciate that I substituted yoghurt for double cream. I couldn't get hold of fresh chives so used parsley instead. I made the pastry in the food processor. I don't mind making it by hand. I was thinking of the woman who taught me how to make pastry. She was a friend of my parents. My sisters and I were staying with her one summer. She lived in Cardiff near a park that I now know is called Pontcanna Fields. She brought us to Porthcawl, Barry Island and up into the Brecon Beacons. I've always used her method for making past...

Roast Squash Soup Soup number 164 from The Soup Book was made from butternut squash roasted with tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, thyme and red onion. They smelt deliciously rich as they roasted away until ready to be whizzed in the blender with some hot stock. Sophie Grigson suggests that winter squash such as onion squash, red kuri, crown prince or pumpkin can be used for this recipe. I knew that I would be lucky to find any of those so I plumped for butternut. Nothing wrong with that. Having blended the soup, I made the rouille to be spread on croutes. This rouille was made from saffron soaked in warm water, garlic, a red chilli, egg yolk, red wine vinegar, and olive and sunflower oils beaten together. Not all together at the one time, just a little at a time. I prepared the croutes, re-heated the soup and set the table. Then I called whichever male persons were still in the house, ie, the spouse and the younger offspring. I ladled the soup into warmed bowls and left everyone t...

Allotment Soup  The recipe for allotment soup by Thane Prince is the first in The Soup Book and in the summer vegetables section. I made it last Wednesday (11th April) in advance of visitors coming the next day, one of whom (a friend of the younger offspring) is a vegetarian. The listed ingredients include dried haricot beans (I used canned cannellini beans), leek, turnip (I don't think I've ever cooked white turnip before), carrots, courgette, celery, potato, tomatoes, garlic and green beans. I increased the quantities stated in The Soup Book , just in case there wasn't enough to go around: I wanted a lot of allotment soup. The most labour-intensive part of the preparation was dicing the vegetables and I'm glad I avoided soaking dried beans. The only things I had to do to finish the soup for my guests on Thursday were to reheat the soup and add in the fresh green beans and cannellini beans. Five of us sat down to eat and there was far too much soup. My guest...

Double Delight This weekend Minnie's kitchen has been a hive of activity. I've made two soups: cotriade (a Breton fish soup) and French onion soup. The recipe for the cotriade is by Marie-Pierre Moine and I made it for the family dinner yesterday. It contains potatoes, onions, light fish stock, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and mixed fish (the spouse bought a mixture of salmon, haddock, smoked haddock and cod). It was quite simple to make but, as usual, took longer than stated in The Soup Book . The onions are softened, then the stock, potatoes and herbs are added. The fish is put in later when the potatoes are almost cooked. While the fish is cooking, you prepare a dressing to spread on thick slices of country bread. The dressing (oil, Dijon mustard, seasoning, vinegar and parsley) is spread on the the bread and placed in the soupbowls. The soup is then ladled on to the bread. The three older members of the family really enjoyed it, with the bigger offspring saying he'd ...

Emmental and Beer Soup The weather has been really good for over a week - good for warmth seekers but not for soup-makers.  I was ready to make soup yesterday, it being Sunday and my habit being to make the soup at the weekends, but it was not to be. Too hot and I wasn't feeling up to the task. Not to worry - I made it this evening instead. Emmental and beer soup, a German-style cheese soup, calls for onions, garlic, chicken stock, German wheat beer (I substituted a Belgian beer), Emmental and Gruyere cheeses, and thyme (garnish). Obviously it's quite a rich soup. The thyme on top is the perfect tangy garnish, complementing the luscious cheese. The spouse and I enjoyed it, the younger offspring wasn't too keen and I've yet to hear the older offspring's verdict (yes, he's back). I would make this soup again when the weather is less hospitable and I look forward to trying out the other cheese soup recipes in The Soup Book : pear and stilton, cheddar and chive, an...