Yellow

Ohhh these grey wintery days!
Quiet like a bomb went off in the Elwood streets today
Which means more time to discuss soup making with customers
I talked someone out of canned soup and take away and set her a sunday task..



....................I passed this soup recipe on

Yellow/orange soup
it's so warm and yummy..

In a large pot pour a generous splash of camellia tea oil
or rice bran oil or olive, whatever you have.
Let it heat up a bit
Add some chopped leek, celery and carrot and let them fry off
While they fry off it's also a good time to add a mix of tumeric,
ground cumin, ground coriander
and a chunk of ginger

Throw in some chopped up sweet potato and pumpkin
and a covering of yellow spilt peas

Stir all the ingredients about letting them get a good coating of spices and oil

Pour hot water over the whole lot ( or stock )
just boil the kettle.. normally I would say pour enough to cover the veg
but remember the split peas will absorb
some of the water so add a slash more..
Throw a piece of Kombu on top.

Bring to the boil then turn the heat down to simmer and pop the lid on the pot.

Let the Yellow soup bubble away for about 30 mins,
or until the pumpkin and sweet potato
fall apart and the split peas are soft..Take out the Kombu.
Now if you have a 'barmix' you can blend the whole lot up but you know what,
I don't have many electrical appliances, I just stir the soup up
and it becomes a lovely texture,
(but I like to stir the pot while playing some kind of
crazy gypsy music and swigging a glass of vino.)
You can choose if you want it blended or chunky/smooth/rustic/peasant style..

Serve it up with a bit of sour dough-

Adding a bit of Yellow to the grey hues of the day..

A bit Leeky..

and thats why there is a drought!!!


In our bible Healing with Wholefoods
Leeks come up trumps, a member of the onion family,
rich in "the warming element Sulfur,
helping to purify the body of heavy metals and parasites"..

We like to use leeks instead of onions in congee, soups and risotto
but braised on their own is the best.

Braising a method of cooking food
in a closed vessel with very little liquid over a low heat for a long time

Tone recommends
Washing the leeks to get rid of the dirt they usually contain
Slice into them medallions, across the stalk
throw them into a heated pan with oil, (rice bran oil is good)
and add of bit of hot veggie stock and a bit of kombu.
- when something is cooking
you should always add HOT stock or water to maintain the cooking process.
When you are braising something you dont need to add a lot of liquid,
the art to braising is small amonts of liquid covered with a lid
with a low temperature.
The leeks should take half an hour, they are ready when softened.
Season to taste, black pepper, lemon juice and butter if you like.