It's Not All Bad - Langdon-Hyde

So, like the majority of mums, I didn’t get to celebrate Mothers Day in the conventional sense this year, nor go to the cinema to see Peter Rabbit II with my boys.

Nevertheless, the sun is shining and I am lucky enough to have a garden that is beckoning to me to start work. In return it provides me with a source of physical exercise and an excuse to be out in the fresh air.

It’s not all bad.

Day one in the garden required an element of digging over and clearing the débris from last year. That in itself proved profitable as beneath the surface I found sufficient carrots to make a soup.

My first thought turned to carrot and coriander but whilst searching through my saved recipes I found one for curried carrot soup. I quickly scanned the list of ingredients. On the whole they were kitchen cupboard staples, and those not on hand, I decided to research an alternative as shopping is currently only for absolute essentials.

The recipe I had saved appeared to have been published in a Waitrose magazine back in October 2017. Writing about Duchy carrot-grower Joe Rolfe from Norfolk the recipe was an addendum to the article.

I must admit I modified it to suit my means but have copied it here for your reference.

My Version Of Curried Carrot Soup

Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
10g fresh root ginger, grated (I substituted with 1.5 tsp ground ginger)
1 tsp salt
400g Waitrose Duchy Organic bunched carrots, finely sliced (I substituted these with my own organically grown heritage carrots)
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground coriander
Pinch of crushed chilli flakes
0.5 tsp ground turmeric
1.5 tsp caster sugar
0.5 lemon, juice
3 tbs creme fraiche (I substituted this with Greek yoghurt)

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add garlic, onion, celery, and salt and sweat over a gentle heat for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft.
Add the carrots to the saucepan and stir for a few minutes, then stir in the spices and sugar. Pour in 850ml water. Simmer until carrots are soft.
Remove from the heat and , using a stick blender, whizz until smooth.
I put through a sieve as well as I prefer a smoother blend.
Stir through the lemon juice and 3 tbsp of creme fraiche or Greek yoghurt.
Divide the soup between bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 6

The cinemas may not have been broadcasting the new Peter Rabbit movie this past weekend but my carrot soup certainly reminded me of Peter’s cheeky antics.