We've had 27 days without rain. We live in Seattle. If you look up the meaning of the name Seattle it will say rain. We've had nothing. Nada drop. And instead we've had the most glorious of June's on record. When the mister told us we were moving (for the 9th time) to Seattle, and we were packed up like Samsonite luggage without much say, I only knew it rained here. The day we arrived it poured...buckets and buckets of rain as our furniture was being moved into the house. Everything was a soggy mess! Except the mister, who, after depositing us in the rain forest promptly flew out to sunny California for a meeting. But I've grown to love the rain and the gray skies...they make for perfect days of quilting or whipping up comfort foods over a hot stove.
Sunny skies and warm temps do not inspire hot soups...but having a friend who's mouth was BOLTED shut from surgery did! I was so sad for her but so happy to have a real excuse to heat up the kitchen! This is one of my all-time favorite soups...it's creamy and rich and instead of chicken broth I use Mushroom Broth...it's pure decadence. You may want to heat up your kitchens and raise your own body temps by making this right away...or you may want to wait and make it in the fall - it's the perfect "harvest" food and it would be a fabulous starter for your Thanksgiving feast! But if you don't make this soon, and something bad happens, like you have to have your tongue amputated, you'll be so sorry you missed it! (Tongue amputations are rare...but why risk it?)
Cream of Sweet Potato Soup - Pots and Pins
1 carton (32 oz.) Mushroom broth (I use Pacific Organic broth, available at Whole Foods)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 large carrots, diced
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon curry
1/2 stick butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup cream
In a large Dutch Oven, heat olive oil and butter together and add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the flour over top of veggies and saute for an additional 3 minutes, stirring to cook the flour just a bit. Pour in broth and add sweet potatoes, salt, pepper, and curry. Bring mixture to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree soup in the pot. (If you don't have an immersion blender then you can use a regular blender, process 2 cups at a time, and then go BUY yourself an immersion blender!) Stir in the cream and bring the heat back up until the soup is heated through. Do not boil. Serve hot. Serves 6.
Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits and blackberry jam rounded out the "care package" to my friend...who was definitely worth heating up the kitchen for!
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"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a naughty world." ~ William Shakespeare
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One year ago today: Cute Apron