I love soup. I’m also a little puzzled by people who don’t! Admittedly, I’m not a fan of chilled soup, but I’m sure in the heat of a hot mid summer day I could be persuaded. Just serve it in a tall wineglass with ice and celery sticks!

It’s almost winter here so the theme for the next few months may get a bit soupy. We receive a bi-weekly box from a business called Imperfect Produce. I have it listed in my password keeper as Perfect Produce. I feel that if you can eat it and it has a blemish here or a peculiar carbuncle there or looks different, it’s still a miracle born of the earth and is beautiful, it just has personality! If it was my company I’d rename it I’mPerfect Produce!

Anyhoo.

So there’s this soup I made. I adore fresh ginger and swoon over saffron. We had a fabulous bunch of organic celery and a very cheerful looking cauliflower delivered in our last I’mPefect box. I had just ordered saffron which happened to arrive right smack in the middle of cooking this. Soooo brilliant!

To summarise this pot of deliciousness you will be toasting your spices as usual then adding butter (or ghee if you have), sauteing the diced veggies, adding chicken stock and blending to a chunky soup. Serve with sour cream and parsley!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili
• 1 tblsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 tsp caraway
• 1/4 tsp fennel
• 1 tsp mustard seed
• 6 curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek (optional)
• 1/4 tsp seeds I can’t for the life of me remember the name of, they are tiny black seeds of a spice … maybe black onion seeds?… if you can identify them, please add them … they are in the tiffin pic below … (So therefore optional! LOL)
• 4 tblsp ghee or butter
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 bunch of celery
• 1 head of a cheerful cauliflower
• 3 carrots
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green apple
• 1 thumb of ginger
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 6 cups of chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads

Method

1. Heat the pot you are using to just hot but not scalding as you want to gently toast the spices in the dry pot to burst with flavour
2. Add 4 tblsp ghee or butter
3. Add chopped onions and diced carrots
4. Stir well and toss in the buttery spices
5. When onions are just turning glassy (this is an edit as I was told by my SO, onions can’t be glossy. But I think it’s possible.) add chopped celery and cauliflower
6. Lastly add diced apple, ginger and chopped garlic
7. Cook gently with lid on until just softened
8. Add chicken stock and stir
9. Add saffron and let gently simmer until veg are tender
10. Blend with immersion stick or in food processor until just a lil’ chunky
11. Serve in warm bowls topped with sour cream or Greek yogurt and parsley

Why apple, you may ask? I rarely make a soup without a piece of fruit added if we have any. I’m not sure why! I’ve snuck in pears, apples, peaches and apricots. I have no reason exactly, I just like the idea of it.

Please note how happy this cauliflower is! They always make me smile.

In the tiffin on the right at 7 o’clock is the spice I can’t remember but that I love :p

Then the saffron arrived!

Swoon worthy.

It was our 40th wedding anniversary. My partner treated us to a fabulous weekend of dining out and relaxing at the coast. We had a misty drive through the mountains and later, sitting watching the ocean, was like reconnecting with an old and deeply respected friend.

The bowl of clam chowder pictured below is in your honour, Mum! The Morris Fireside Restaurant is highly recommended at Cannon Beach, family owned and run with gorgeous reclaimed wood interior in the cosy cabin. I wanted to take pics but respect the privacy of other patrons dining there.

Haystack Rock, OR

My Mum and Sister sent this stunningly beautiful vase of 40 red roses.

Thank you Mo and Spot!❤