A suggestion from Pratima.

http://kirstenskitchen.blogspot.com/

Spicy Parsnip Soup

Spicy Parsnip Soup

Heat a splash of olive oil and a knob of butter in a large saucepan. Add the onion, garlic , ginger and garam marsala. Gently fry for around 10 mins, unti th eonions are sweet and soft.

Drop in the choppwd parsnips and stir together so that everything get s coated with th eoil and flavours. Pour in the milk and stock, season well amnd bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 mins with the lid on.

After half an hour, check that the parsnips are cooked by sticking aknife in. If you're happy, remove them from the heat and carefully whizz up using a hand blender or liquidizer. Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or pepper.

Serve with a sprinkling of sliced red chili , a handful of chopped coriander leaves. And a good chunk of crusty bread.

Tip: Use coconut milk instead of regular milk for a twist.

Serves 4.

Jamieoliver.com

olive oil

knob of butter

1 large onion roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic roughly chopped

a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon garam masala

6 parsnips, peeled and chopped

500 ml milk ( i used 250 ml)

1 litre veg stock ( i used 3 cups)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 fresh red chili deseeded and finely chopped

handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped

crusty bread to serve

Belgian recipe for Endive

Hi Val., here is my tried, tested and true Mother Arlette recipe:

1. Bring a big pot of salted water to a boil. (because lettuce tends to shrink quite a lot)
2. When water is at a rolling boil, precipitate the lettuce in it for a quick boil. until the lettuce is just limp, but still uncooked
3. Drain really well, really well
While the lettuce is draining...
4. Prepare your MORNAY sauce (white sauce with sharp cheese) [Recipe available on the internet]
5. In an oven proof glass dish, lay down the lettuce, pour MORNAY sauce over it, add a pinch of sugar (Kills bitterness), lots of fresh nutmeg, salt, pepper, if you like, a bit of shredded ham (optional), cover with thin slices of butter and breadcrumbs, cook in the oven to taste. .... et voila!

Belgians also make a fresh Endive salad, but the endive is mixed with other types of lettuce like "ESCAROLLES", and a pinch of sugar is added to the dressing to mitigate the bitterness.

Cheers, Pol.

Double Celery Soup

Thanks Joanne.

Double Celery Soup

3 T. butter (or olive oil to make this vegan)

6 ribs celery, sliced

3 leeks, sliced

1 tsp crushed fennel seed

1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

1 celery root peeled and chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 T fresh parsley

1 T. lemon juice

2 T chjopped celery leaves

Sautee celery, leeks and fennel seed, salt and pepper in oil or butter until translucent- about 20 mins. Add celery root, broth and 4 cups water. bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer, covered, until veggies are soft - about 25 mins. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Using imersion blender or blender puree until smooth. Stir in lemon juice.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with celery leaves.

Makes 12 servings.

Borscht

I like a good soup to clean out the fridge. Borscht is perfect this time of year - carrots, cabbage, celery and of course beets.

1. Chop 1-2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, and several beets and sauté over medium heat in a glug of olive oil with a pinch of salt in a large soup pot. Reserve a small amount of beet to grate and add near the end to enliven the color. (I am allergic to onions but most people include onions here. I use a few cloves of garlic instead.)

2. In the meantime, bring heat veggie or beef stock to a simmer. Don't boil stock it ruins the flavour. When the vegetables are soft (about 5 minutes), add the shredded cabbage and the hot stock. Simmer 15-25 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. With a few minutes left, add the reserved grated beet.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then squeeze in some lemon juice or a bit of a tasty vinegar, aiming for a pleasing but subtle sour taste. Serve with freshly grated black pepper, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped parsley, if desired.