Parsnip Power

About a week ago, I picked up a generous bag of parsnips, so be forewarned the next few days are going to be filled with lots of parsnip recipes.

The first offering is this easy peasy 'Parsnip and Kale Soup'.

As always the thought of making Jane Grigsons's 'Curried Parsnip Soup' did cross my mind. After all, parsnip and cumin (found in both curry powder and Garam Masala) make a wonderful partnership, or should I say parsnip-ship, but I had other culinary ideas for this combination, whereas this Parsnip soup was about simple and natural flavours.

Other than salt and pepper, this Parsnip soup recipe has no spices at all.  I think this sweetness of the parsnip balances wonderfully with the bitter undertones of the curly kale, that had an element of crisp about them. If you wish, you can omit the curly kale, but without it the soup does look rather plain.

Its doesn't look quite so pretty stirred, but the flavours were good.  This soup is also rich and creamy making it a filling lunch.

I'd also like to say Thank you for the comments on my previous post.  Although things around me are a little less chaotic this week, the last few months has seen some dramatic changes in our life, more recently (a costly leaking roof and) my redundancy.  These will continue to bother me as they will have impact on the way we live our lives, but right now I am trying my hardest to remain optimistic.      
Parsnip soup with curly kale
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g - 450g parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 pint vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
225g curly kale, stalks removed, leaves shredded
Method
Heat oil in large pan, add the onion and fry until soft, then add in the parsnips and garlic and fry for few minutes.  Pour the vegetable stock, season and bring to the boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the vegetable are tender.  Allow the soup to cool, then gently transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth. Return the pan. 
While the soup is cooling down in another pan, heat olive oil, add the kale, stir and then cover for 5 - 6 minutes, then stir in salt and pepper to taste, and continue to cook until the kale is tender, yet crisp.
Reheat the soup. For an elegant serving, ladle the parsnip soup into bowls and top generously
with the kale; or for an all in one approach, stir the kale into the soup and serve.

Black Bean and Red Pepper Stew

Things are little chaotic around me at the moment; and the rain falling horizontally is not cheering me up either. So I hope you won't mind me sharing with you this 'Black Bean and Red Pepper Stew' that I made a little while ago.

The recipe is described as a stew, yet it reminded me more of a 'vegetarian chilli bean'.  Despite the number of spices in this this stew, it wasn't overly spicy, just warming. I liked the flavour of the creamy black beans and the crunch of the red pepper. As with most stew and chilli like recipes, this tasted much better the day after, so its worth making in advance and reheating.

Serve with jacket potatoes; or plain boiled Basmati rice with an optional dollop of soured cream.

Black Bean and Red Pepper Stew
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
300g black beans, soaked overnight
5 cups of water
½ teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
2 stalks of celery, peeled and sliced
3 – 4 cloves garlic, sliced
3 teaspoons cumin, keep half of them whole, ground the other half
1½teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 red onion, chopped into pieces
1 x 400g tinned tomatoes, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
Salt to taste
Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
Method
Rinse and drain the beans, Place in a medium pan with water, ¼ teaspoon salt and bay leaf. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours, or until beans are soft. When the beans are cooked, drain them in a colander, reserving the cooking liquid.
In a large pan, heat the oil. Add the onions, garlic and celery and cook for 10 - 15 minutes or so until soft, then add in all the spices and cook for 5 minutes, before adding in the chopped tomatoes. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes, then add in the chopped pepper and black beans. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the remaining cooked liquid and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes until all the ingredients come together as a good stew. Taste and adjust seasoning and sprinkle with coriander. Adapted from Food for the Spirit by Manuela Dunn Masceti and Arunima Borthwick.

Lavender Almond Cake

You’d be forgiven for thinking I have a generous stash of edible dried lavender flowers, truth is I don’t, just a jar of homegrown lavender which seems infinite its its supply.  From the jar I have been able to make Lavender Scones, Lavender Brownies, Lavender Lemonade, Lavender Bread, Lavender Pancakes and Waffles.

I've never quite understood some peoples need to compare the scent of lavender to their 'grandmother's handkerchief ', and sadly its often done in a mocking childlike manner.  But I guess for them the smell of lavender evokes a particular childhood memory, something that I can only try to imagine.  My first encounter and experience with Lavender was at primary school, making a heart sachet for my 'Mothers day' card, and I instantly adored the fragrance. 

With it being Mothers Day in the U.K this Sunday (3rd April) I think its only fair that I dedicate this post to mothers all over the world, and not just biological mothers, I want to praise adoptive mothers, foster mothers, mother-in-laws, grand-mothers, great grand-mothers, step-mothers, mothers-to-be and selfishly perhaps, women like me.  I don't know if I will ever be blessed with motherhood, but I do know that I have been appreciated as a maternal figure which in itself is an honour.  Happy Mothers Day.