June 17 - 23, 2018: Issue 364

Baby it’s cold outside: Hot Soups from in Season Vegetables will Warm You Up

Still life with leeks by Carl Schuch, 1888. (National Museum in Warsaw)
If it’s not snowing somewhere near us already then it’s certainly giving us the chills. Now is the time to dig out all your favourite soup recipes and dig in to that rib-sticking hot liquid filled with all the good things that give us energy to burn during the coldest season of the year.

With some great fresh vegetable crops now coming in at almost farm gate prices, such as cauliflower, potatoes and pumpkin, instead of buying a can for one loaded with preservatives and other things you don’t want in your body, dragging out the stockpot and making up some of your own is going to save you dollars and it makes good sense to make the best of the Australian produce now available.

There’s nothing like coming indoors on a cold afternoon to a cup or bowl of hot soup. Some of our basic and classic recipes to warm the cockles of your heart during these coming weeks.

Cream of Cauliflower soup
Ingredients 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large brown onion, finely chopped
3 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 large head (1.5kg) white cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets
4 cups Massel chicken style liquid stock or vegetable liquid stock
1/2 cup pouring cream
Extra pouring cream, to serve
Chopped chives, to serve

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until onion is soft. Stir in cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add cauliflower and stock to pan. Cover and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Process soup, in batches, until smooth. Return soup to pan over low heat. Stir in cream. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with extra cream. Top with chives and season with cracked black pepper. Eat!

Pea and Ham soup
You saved that ham bone from Christmas, now it’s time to thaw it out and buy some split peas and make something delicious!

Ingredients 
1 1/3 cups green split peas
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed, chopped
1 brown onion, halved, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
700g ham or bacon hocks
6 cups cold water
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Bread, to serve

Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.
Add split peas, ham hocks and water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until ham hocks are tender and the meat is falling away from the bones. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove ham hocks from pan. Remove the meat from bones. Coarsely chop meat and set aside.
Place one-quarter of the pea mixture in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Return to pan with ham. Repeat with remaining pea mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until hot.
Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately with hot crusty bread.

Pumpkin soup with an Asian twist
Ingredients 
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.2 kg butternut pumpkin, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1L (4 cups) vegetable liquid stock
Dollop of natural yoghurt
1 garlic clove
Turkish bread, to serve
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle on bread
1 teaspoon dukkah, to sprinkle

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Add cumin and cook, stirring for 1 minute or until aromatic.

Add pumpkin and stir to coat. Add stock. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft. Set aside to cool slightly then blend until smooth.

Cut Turkish bread in half and cook until golden. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and rub with the cut side of a garlic clove. Ladle soup among serving bowls. Top with a dollop of natural yoghurt. Sprinkle with dukkah. Serve!

Pumpkin & Chickpea soup
Ingredients 
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 leek, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons Mexican chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1L (4 cups) Massel vegetable liquid stock
1kg Butternut pumpkin, peeled, chopped
400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained (or soak 1 cup dried chick peas and cook until tender)
2 cinnamon sticks
40g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated cheddar or Mexican-style cheese
Sour cream, to serve
Chopped fresh coriander, to serve

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the leek, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, oregano, chilli powder and cumin. Cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic.
Add the stock, pumpkin, chickpeas and cinnamon. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Remove and discard cinnamon.
Blend the pumpkin mixture until smooth. Top with cheese and sour cream and sprinkle with coriander.

Potato and leek soup
Ingredients 
60ml olive oil
1 brown onion, halved, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 medium (about 700g) desiree potatoes, or pontiac potatoes, peeled, cut into 2cm cubes
2 leeks, pale section only, washed, dried, thinly sliced
5 cups vegetable liquid stock
125ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream - optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the onion softens. Add the potato and leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until leek softens. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until potato is soft. Remove from heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool.

Transfer one-third of the potato mixture to the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Repeat in 2 more batches with the remaining potato mixture. Alternatively, use a stick blender to blend in the saucepan.
Place the soup over medium heat. Add the cream and stir to combine. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until hot. Taste and season with salt.
Ladle the soup among serving bowls. Serve immediately.
The Potato Harvest by Jean-François Millet, 1855 (Walters Art Museum)

Recipe Ideas - Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

Apricot - January Summer Fruits  

Artichoke – The Flower Vegetable that Crops in Spring  

Australian and Native Cherries (Summer Fruits) - the Duntroon Connection - Marrianne Collinson Campbell 

Autumn is Apple Season 

Autumn Feast of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables for a Healthy Body

Broccoli - Early Spring Crop

Beetroot: Summer Vegetables 

Cabbage - Winter Food 

Cherry - Australian summer Fruit 

Chick Pea Burgers with Homemade Hummus 

Classic Winter Soups

Easter Feast - modern and historic  

Edible Weeds  Eggs: Five Ways - Savoury 

Fennel - Winter Vegetable  

Full Fruit Bowl for Seasonal Health

Figs - Late Summer Fruit  

Fresh Herbs for Health

Green Beans - Spring Vegetables

Healthful Cordials And Cleansing Tonics  Hogmanay (New Year) Dinner - Australian Style  Home Grown Food Program in Fruit and Veg Month by Jess Rosman  Honey, Honey: Inaugural World Bee Day - Honey Cake Recipes Around the World

Kale: for Pure Energy  Kale, Ricotta And Chicken Cannelloni

Make Your Own Treats For Christmas Gifts - Jaffa Rum Balls, White Christmas, Gingerbread People, Spicy Nut Mix, Strawberries Dipped in Christmas, Scottish Shortbread, Spanish Polverones, Melomakarona (Greek Christmas Honey Cookies), Kourabiedes (Greek Butter Biscuits), Italian Lemon Shortbread Squares (Shortbread con crema al limone)

Mandarins Spring Fruits  Mandarins Winter Fruits  

Mangoes - Summer Fruits  

Mother's Day at Breakfast Menu for those who 'can't cook'

Mum'€™s Vegetable Soup with Macaroni 

Mushrooms Autumnal Shifts

Nectarines - Summer crop Nicoise Salad: An Autumn Salad

Packham's Triumph Pears - The Australian Pear  

Parsnip - Winter Vegetables  Pear - Autumn Fruits  

Perfect Summer Picnics  

Potato Gnocchi    Pumpkin  Pumpkin Season 2015

Sage - the 'saving' herb Remembrance Day 2012 Food  

Self-Saucing Winter Puddings  Silverbeet - Winter Vegetable  

Spring Salad Season  Spring Strawberries Spring Salads  

Summer Lilli Pillis  Summer Passionfruit  Summer Peaches, Quandongs (Wild Peach) - Marian Rowan Ellis 

Summer Raspberries Native Ones - Adam Forster

Ten Minute Spring Salads; Spring Fare 

The Food of Love  Tomato 

Vegetable Bhaji

Winter Crops Winter Vegetable Pies   Zucchini Strawberries

Pittwater Restaurants, Cafés and Bistros

Alma Restaurant Avalon 

Avalon Chinese Restaurant 

Avalon on the Beach Kiosk

Barrenjoey House: Winter 2017

Café Edelweiss and the German Butchery at Bassett Street: Mona Vale  Caffeine Villains - Newport

Club Palm Beach: Fish Fridays

Cranky Fins Holidae Inn  

Cranzgot's Pizza Cafe

Duck Creek Macadamias - Orange Obsessions

Graze N Cakes North Avalon-Careel Bay

Home Grown Food Program in Fruit and Veg Month by Jess Rosman

Japanese Cuisine in Avalon: Four Options

Laurie Bimson's Marinated Kangaroo Recipe  

Lobster Nights at Club Palm Beach

Marina Café: Church Point - within The Quays Marina at Church Point

Mekong: Merchants of Taste - Vietnamese street food Avalon Beach

Modus Operandi Brewing Co., Brilliant Beers, Beautiful Burgers in Mona Vale

Palm Beach Fish and Chips Tops Scale at 10  

Parkview Restaurant: Avalon Beach RSL Club

Prontos Creative Food - Palm Beach  Pronto Creative Food Celebrates 30 Years - Palm Beach Success Story for Local Lady  Pronto Creative Food: Something Sweet

Riva Bar and Kitchen - Avalon Beach

RMYC Function Food at Rotary Club of Pittwater 52nd Changeover Dinner  

RMYC Ladies Lunch for July(2012); 'Boosting Your Brain and turning Your Stress Into Success' by Dr. Helena Popovic

Salt Cove On Pittwater at RMYC Broken Bay  

The 2107 Restaurant - Avalon

The Avalon On The Beach Restaurant and Kiosk Opens in Avalon Beach SLSC clubhouse  

The Balcony Room at Palm Beach Golf Club

Waterfront Cafe - Church Point

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