© J.N. Urbanski
If you never truly appreciate something until it has gone, then I was really very much appreciating the Saturday Summer farmer’s market until I found out it was extending until the end of November. Owing to an Autumn that was warmer than usual, local farmers have more produce to sell. I haven’t been to the market as often as I have liked this summer and am grateful to have another three or four opportunities. On Saturday, in addition to kimchee and fresh ginger, I picked up a box of assorted root vegetables. Plus, I planted the rest of the fresh ginger as it had a couple of green shoots. There’s nothing like firing up the wood stove for the first time and watching a fresh, organic root soup simmering for the evening. Fall is almost finished and the landscape is swaddled in a thick blanket of caramel oak leaves, the last trees to turn.
Root Vegetable Soup
1 Liter of Vegetable Broth
1 Small Celeriac Root
2 Large Leeks
2 Large Shallots
5 Medium Potatoes
2 Stalks Celery
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Ground Celery
½ Teaspoon Thyme
½ Teaspoon Ground Sage
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Grape-Sized Piece of Fresh Ginger
1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Finely chop the garlic, shallots, celery, sage and thyme and fry in a pan on medium with the olive oil, stirring frequently. Finely chop the leeks and celeriac. When the onions are translucent, add the leeks and celeriac. Fry on medium for five minutes while stirring. Sprinkle the ground celery over the mixture and stir. Grate or very finely slice the ginger and add it to the vegetables. Fry on low for about ten minutes with the saucepan lid on.
Chop the potatoes and add them to the mix. Slowly add the broth ensuring that the vegetables are covered. If they are not, add water. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 30-40 minutes until the potatoes and celeriac are fully cooked. Take off the boil and blend the soup with a masher or hand blender until it’s smooth.
Jerusalem Artichoke Garnish
1 Pound of Jerusalem Artichokes
½ Cup of Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Thyme
Scrub the artichokes vigorously and chop into bite-sized pieces. Put in a baking dish and mix well with the thyme and olive oil. Bake on 350F for 30 minutes.
© J.N. Urbanski
© J.N. Urbanski