Another Night of Soup a La Cro!

Ever since reading Cro Magnon's post on Compost Soup 

(his name, not mine), when the vegetable bin is full of odds and ends

of veggies, I find myself creating this wonderfully delicious nutritious concoction.

Unlike Cro...I omit the duck fat and (sometimes) the tomato paste, but pretty much do it just like Cro.

Tonight began with a sauteed mirepoix (after frying three rashers of cut-up bacon), 

to which I added bits of broccoli, asparagus, red and yellow peppers, garlic and pattypan squash.  I let that all cook down for a few minutes and then 

added a litre and a half of chicken stock and one large potato.

I added freshly ground pepper and  made a bouquet garni of sage, oregano, and thyme from my garden and a healthy tablespoon of dried herbs de provence.

My secret ingredient -  (I think it came from Jacques Pepin - can't quite remember) is to add the heel of a wedge of parmesan cheese...you know, when you have grated it within a hair of your knuckles there is always THAT piece left.  I stick them in a plastic bag in my freezer, and when it comes time to make soup, I just pop one in with the mix!

I brought the whole thing to a boil and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes until all the vegetables were cooked.  Then took my trusty immersion blender and whipped it all to an almost-but-not-quite-smooth golden yellow pot of nectar!

Important not to over cook here.  You can let the flavours develop over night and reheat the next day, but don't cook the whatnot out of these delicate vegetables!

Add to that toasted bavarian rye bread with a thin, thin, thin layer of smooth

peanut butter, a couple of rashers of bacon and thin, thin, thin slices of gala apple, a healthy handful of alfalfa sprouts and topped with another toasted slice of bavarian rye bread with...you guessed it, a thin, thin, thin layer of smooth

peanut butter, and you have a delicious, nutrious, late summer soup-and-sandwich-supper.

And just in case you were wondering...began everything at 6.30-ish, sitting down with glass of wine in hand ready to eat by 7.30-ish.  Slow food = Good food!