Meanwhile...Back in the Kitchen...

If there's one thing that I can truly say pleases me about this time of year, it's soup. Staring out the window into the gloom of a grey and cloudy day seems to do wonders for warm thoughts of a bowl of fresh homemade soup, curling up on the couch and sipping away at a hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Though I know the truly cold and bitter days have yet to strike, I can't help but crave the comforts they can bring, and so once again I have found myself at the helm of the stove, creating stocks and broths which form the foundation of so many winter meals.

To get me started and to draw out inspiration I have hit the streets and once again into the arms of Market Fresh Produce. It seems their selection is always suited to my needs, and as such, I would like to take this little opportunity to share with you the wonderful selection of products which followed me home and eventually into that piping hot bowl of goodness on my table. With any hope these recipes will inspire you to peruse their aisles yourself and perhaps bring home something comforting, fresh and tantalizingly inspiring, which are all great places to start your cup-o-delicious dinner.

Roasted Garlic and Tomato

The beauty of garlic is that it can take on so many different flavour profiles, all depending on how and when you add it to your dish. It can be pungent, light, or even sweet, as it is in this soup. I find this particular recipe to be especially warming with a grilled cheese sandwich, I might recommend using foccacia and Fontina; the rich, smooth, nutty/honey flavours of the Fontina can do only positive things to the psyche on a cold miserable day; and hey, if a few basil leaves find their way into the sandwich, well, that can't be a bad thing either.

You will need:

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 can tomatoes
2 bulbs garlic, roasted
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock (you can use water too if need be)
1 cup heavy cream
Chopped basil or cilantro for garnish
salt and pepper

This is a pretty easy, yet very rewarding soup to throw together. First, sweat off your vegetables on a medium-low heat; think about sweating in the sense that, just like an early morning jogger, when vegetables get worked up and really hot they release water and aromas, the plus side about the vegetables over the jogger, of course, is that these aromatics are the goodness which will flavour the broth for our soup.

Once you have fully sweat out the vegetables, probably around the 10-minute mark, add in the garlic, tomatoes and stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the temperature and allow to simmer for a good hour, skimming any of that gunky stuff on the top from time to time.

Transfer the soup to a processor or use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Return to the heat and add in 1-cup of heavy cream. Season to taste, garnish with either fresh basil or cilantro and prepare to get happy.

As I write this I begin to think that some crumbled feta wouldn't argue with this soup too much either.

Leek and Potato

Quite likely my go-to soup when I need that cold day fix of fresh and tasty. Leeks are such an underused vegetable in my opinion; when its two cousins, onions and garlic, are so common place, how neglected must this lonely vegetable feel? So, when I see it in the store looking so vibrant and inviting, I will often times use it lieu of onions for a recipe, which tends to give the dish a whole new appeal. In the specific case of this soup, I don't know that there's a better way to showcase its potential as a mainstay in any fridge.

You will need

3-4 leeks, thoroughly washed and chopped
2 medium sized potatoes
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock (I would say it's important to use stock and not just water here because we are not really building a strong flavour base in the beginning)
Sprig of thyme
Bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream

Sweat off your leeks and potatoes for 10-minutes, throw in chopped garlic, add stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow it to jive for about half an hour. Skim the unwanted nasty stuff at the top, discard the thyme and bay leaf, puree the mix, return to heat, add the cream and garnish with garlic ciabatta croutons* and a nice buttery cheese - I would recommend leaving the kind folks at Ouderkirk and Taylor to assist you with that choice.

Also, as the season progresses I think a dash of nutmeg in this dish would serve absolutely marvelously.

*to make the croutons, first cube a ciabatta bun. In a saucepan heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over low heat and add in a clove of garlic. Once the garlic has turned a golden brown and infused the oil remove it and discard. Turn up the heat to medium and add in the bread until it becomes toasted and delicious.

Well, there it is, my most recent culinary adventure and two of my recurring favourites for the time being. Quick and easy, yet delicious and warming, they bring a smile to my face as I recollect those moments in preparation. While these recipes have served a great purpose for me over the past couple of years, I've no doubt that we all have our cold weather comfort food tucked away somewhere in the books. It might be something that takes you back to a childhood memory, or something that just plain makes you happier on a day that seems doomed for gloom. Whatever your stove top yields tonight, I hope it makes it to your table with a sense of elation, but with that being said, I do stand strongly behind these two evolving recipes and recommend them as a part of any future meal, perhaps with a few twists of your own thrown in there. Also, as an added point of interest, I would like to remind everyone that Guelph has a great farmer's market, which is open year-round on Saturday's from 7am-noon, and is a fantastic source for any epicurean bounty, particularly in the business of soups.

Until the next time
-Phil

Responsible Parties:

Market Fresh

10 Paisley Street
Guelph, Ontario

Ouderkirk and Taylor

31 Wyndham Street North
Guelph

Guelph Farmer's Market

At the corner of Gordon and Waterloo Avenue

2 Gordon Street,

Guelph, ON