Well hello again!

It's been a while but we're back for more recipes with the odd anecdote thrown in for good measure .. This month, November with its long winter evenings, is perfect for a decent soup. For a great winter warmer try out this one....

    Cream of Lentil Soup

•  500g/1 lb lentils 
• 2 carrots 
• 1 bouquet garni 
• 1 onion 
• 60g/2 ½ ozs smoked lardons
•  5 shallots, finely chopped
•  4 cloves garlic 
• 2 litres/3 pints chicken stock
•  0.5litre/3/4 pint cream 125g/6 ozs. butter
•  Bay leaves and thyme

 Blanche the lentils (just bring to boil in water and stop then place in freezing water) Cook them in chicken stock with the aromatic garnish (carrots, bouquet garni, onion) Once cooked (about 20 mins) drain them, keeping the cooking liquid. Sweat (don’t brown) the shallots with the garlic, smoked lardons, bay leaves and thyme. Add the cooking liquid, reduce by half, add the cream and reduce again by half. Strain, pushing out the flavors. Then add 150g/6ozs. lentils , strain and blend, strain again. Season. And for that special occasion ;)

  Fois Gras with cream of lentil soup

• Mini lardons, chopped chives and chopped shallots. Fry the lardons and drain well. Fry the shallots in butter. Mix together and drain well.
•  Fry foie gras until browned on both sides. Place in a preheated oven for a few mins. Place the lardon/shallot mix on top. Mix the reheated lentil cream to a mousse with a hand mixer. Place a spoon full in a soup bowl. Arrange the foie gras on top garnished with some chopped chives.

Leek,Potato and Onion Soup

A great believer in soups, here's another one....
LEEK, ONION AND POTATO SOUP
For 4 – 6 people you will need..
4 large leeks
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
50g butter
850 ml chicken stock /water
275 ml milk
Salt and pepper
To serve :1 ½ tablespoons chopped chives ( I buy frozen herbs in winter….available in all supermarkets here)
2 tablespoons crème fraîche (optional)

Trim off the tops and roots of the leeks, discarding the tough outer layer. Slice them up finely and rinse thoroughly.In a large pot, melt the butter and add the leeks, potatoes and onion stirring them with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper, cover and let the vegetables sweat over a very low heat for about 15 mins.Then add the stock and milk, bring to a simmerinig point, replace the lid and simmer very gently for 20 mins. Liquidise to a purée. Reheat very gently. Add the chives and the cream just before serving.

Winter Warming Soup

Minestrone Soup is one solution to the big freeze that we're all experiencing!
Easy to make,this one's comfort food at its best!
You can use any combination of fresh and frozen vegetables you want....add some tinned tomatoes (no point in buying fresh ones in winter - they're too watery) and some pasta and enjoy with freshly grated Parmesan - delicious...

You'll need.....

1 onion, chopped finely
2 carrots, chopped finely
2 sticks celery, finely sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small tin sweetcorn
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tablsp. tomato purée
handful of spagetti, broken in two
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley
Freshly grated parmesan

Sauté fresh vegetables in olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato purée, corn and cover with water. Simmer gently until all is soft.
About 10 minutes before serving, add the pasta and continue cooking....you may need to add more water at this stage. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle with parsley.
Serve piping hot with fresh, crusty bread and parmesan cheese.

Cream of Pumpkin Soup

 Crème de potimarron  – Cream of Pumpkin Soup
 (with Chestnuts and Vire Andouille or Truffle Oil Cream)

For 8 people:
1 small potimarron – pumpkin variant with a slight chestnut flavour, cut into chunks
150g carrots, sliced
150g leeks, sliced
150g onions, sliced
150g potatoes, sliced
50g butter/ 2 tblsp. olive oil
2 litres chicken stock/water

To serve: (optioanal)

• 4 slices Andouille de Vire (Chitterling sausage - optional) roughly chopped
• 100g chestnuts (vacuum-packed are readily available), crumbled
• Crème fraîche

or

• Whipped cream with a drop of Truffle oil

Sweat the vegetables in melted butter/olive oil for about 10 minutes.
Add stock/water and simmer gently for about 20 mins./until the vegetables are soft.
Blend in a liquidizer.

Place the andouille in a pre-heated pan and add the crumbled chestnuts.
Add to soup and serve with a good dollop of crème fraîche.....
or
Serve with Truffle oil cream.