Daily Archives: October 11, 2009

Carrot Ginger Soup

11 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Lunch, Recipe, Side, Soup, Vegetarian

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Carrot Ginger Soup

Michael, the farmer from our CSA, offered beautiful, large carrots for us to take in addition to our weekly pickup.  While picking through the basket, another member and I both suggested carrot soup.  She noted that she would be spicing hers with caraway seed, while I offered that ginger makes for a delicious soup.  This recipe also uses one of the apples from our bounty (which adds a nice, tart brightness to the soup), and a cup of the fresh apple cider, which brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 large carrots, diced (about 4 cups)
  • 1 Medium apple, diced
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 4 cups (1 quart) vegetable stock
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or to taste)

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place chopped carrots and apples in a large pot and cover with cooking liquid.   Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer.  Cook until carrots and apples are fork-tender.
  2. Ladle carrots, apples and cooking liquid into a blender, and process until smooth (this may take more than one batch, depending on the size of your blender).
  3. Return the soup to the pot and heat gently.  Stir in milk, salt and ginger.  Thin the soup with additional stock or cider, if desired.
  4. Top with croutons or caramelized onions.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Grilled Pork with Chimichurri, Carrot Soup, and Roasted Autumn Vegetables

11 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by in Dinner, Menu

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This is a wonderfully colorful and delicious autumn meal that combines the rich colors and savory flavors of roasted purple cabbage, red-orange bell peppers, deep orange butternut squash and carrots, sweet onions, with the tartness of chimichurri sauce made with cilantro, parley, garlic, red wine vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil and grilled pork. The simple carrot, ginger soup balances the savory and tangy flavors of the roasted vegetables and chimichurri sauce with subtle hints of sweetness and spiciness. (Click on these links for the recipes: Roasted Autumn Vegetables, Chimichurri Sauce, Carrot Ginger Soup.)

This dinner pairs well with pumpkin ale. Two of my favorites include Dogfish Head Punkin’ Ale and the ever so rich and velvety Southern Tier Imperial Pumking Ale.

RoastedAutumnVegetablesPorkChops&CarrotSoup

John’s CSA Meal Plan – Week 2

11 Sunday Oct 2009

Posted by in CSA Meal Plan

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I still had some items to use from last week’s share, and I wanted to cook some items that I could freeze for later use.  I spent a good part of Saturday prepping.  Here’s the plan for the week:

SUNDAY –

Dinner: Stuffed Cabbage

MONDAY –

Lunch: Carrot Ginger Soup, Fruit

Dinner: Potato and Cheddar Pierogi, Mixed Green Salad

TUESDAY –

Lunch: Carrot Ginger Soup, Fruit

Dinner: Roasted Vegetable Lasagne

WEDNESDAY –

Lunch: Roasted Vegetable Lasagne, Fruit

Dinner: Butternut Squash Tortellini with Brown Butter and Dried Cranberries

THURSDAY –

Lunch: Veggie and Hummus Sandwiches, Fruit

Dinner: Vegetable Stirfry

FRIDAY –

Lunch: Veggie and Hummus Sandwiches, Fruit

Dinner: ?

As you can see, I decided to cook a few of my grandmother’s traditional recipes this week (pierogi, stuffed cabbage).  I’m not sure what came over me.