Autumn 2011.

After a cold summer I am perversely hanging out for winter. The wood is piled by the house, the kindling is loaded in the shed, the stove is clean and we have an organic veggie box delivery coming every other week. I am looking forward to thick jumpers, woolly scarves and winter boots; cooking in our kitchen with views of cold, stormy seas and being cosy by a hot fire with my crochet. So that it was a balmy twenty degrees yesterday - and something like 17 degrees today - is not part of the plan! The arrival of a hurricane tomorrow - heralded by fast falling pressure on the barometer (not a great photo - but you get the drift) - should help. We can baton down the hatches and get out the soup pot.



This morning I made Delia's Cream of Celery Soup with some necessary changes, given what was in the larder. A head of celery, a medium potato, a leek and an onion all chopped and fried for fifteen minutes in a pot with the lid on. Then two teaspoonfuls of cumin seeds (it should have been celery seeds, or maybe even fennel - but we had neither) and a pint of chicken stock and it simmers for 20 minutes. Blizz then stir in 150mls milk and 150mls cream. Bring back to a simmer and serve with the reserved celery leaves - or in our case some parsley from the garden. Likely the first of many winter soups, although it's such a subtle creamy soup it might have been just as good chilled.