Making the Most of What You Have

My weekly organic vegetable box was delivered to my doorstep Friday morning, and as I put away the beautiful treasures contained therein, I suddenly realised I still had some of the vegetables from last week’s box. We’ve been eating out a lot this week and I just didn’t get them used up. Most of them were still okay, but they were beginning to look a little wilted and sad. As we are out again Friday evening, I was at a bit of a loss about what to do with them, but I did not want to waste them. Then I had it – soup!

Soup is delicious, filling, economical and comforting - a great dish for these trying economic times. All you really need are the vegetables lurking on the bottom of your fridge plus some stock and a bit of milk or cream.

You really can use just about any vegetables in this soup, depending on what you have. I do like to include an onion (even if the soup involves leeks) as I think a good onion flavour is an asset to just about any soup. Purists might deride me , but I use stock concentrate, stock cubes or ready-made containers of stock, whatever I have to hand. Like most other people, I just do not have time to make stock from scratch these days. If you are making a vegetable soup for vegetarians obviously you need to use vegetable stock, but if not, I recommend chicken stock as it gives any soup just that little bit more flavour.

Seasonings are entirely up to you. Ready made stocks can be high in salt, so do check before you add any more. Pepper is a nice addition to any soup; just add it to taste. I often use oregano and thyme as it makes the vegetable flavours more intense. You could also use spice blends – like an Italian seasoning blend or herbes de Provence. It does not matter whether the herbs are fresh or dried, however you may find you need less if you use fresh, as their flavour is more intense. A bay leaf could be added if wanted to imbue your soup with a deeper flavour -. just remember to take it out before you puree!

If I am using carrots I like to grate them in because it helps them to cook more quickly. Potato can also be grated, but I tend to add it in small slices as it is quicker for me. I do like to include a potato, just to give the soup some extra body, but it is not vital. Other vegetables should be as finely chopped as possible, or use a food processor if that is easier for you. I don’t mind a bit of light chopping if I have the time, but if you do not feel as I do or you are rushed, then a food processor is definitely the best option.

This is the soup as I made it on Friday. The vegetables are literally what I had to hand. Feel free to be creative – with homemade soup just about anything goes!

The 21st Century Housewife’s© Easy Vegetable Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 leeks, washed and finely sliced
4 – 6 stalks of celery, washed and finely sliced
1 potato, peeled, halved and sliced in thin slices
4 -5 carrots, washed, peeled and grated
1 to 1-1/2 litres of stock
salt and pepper to taste
spices to taste (I like to use about a teaspoon each of oregano and thyme)
water, milk or cream (roughly 100 to 200 ml)

Heat the butter and olive oil together in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook for two or three minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften. Add the remaining vegetables, and stir so they get coated with the buttery oil. Cook with a lid on over low heat for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the stock, cover the pot and cook for another half hour over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add the seasonings and herbs, tasting as you go. (Be careful, the soup will be very hot.)

Remove from heat and take off the lid. Allow the soup to cool a bit so that it does not damage your liquidiser/blender. Puree the soup in batches to your desired thickness. I like to leave it a little bit chunky so it has some texture, but if you prefer your soup very smooth, puree it just that little bit more. It is entirely up to you.

If you are going to serve the soup immediately, put the batches of pureed soup directly into a clean saucepan. Add more water, milk or cream to get the soup to your desired thickness and re-heat over medium heat until it is piping hot.

If you are making the soup ahead, put the batches of pureed soup in a container. Cool completely, refrigerating as soon as possible. The soup will keep (without added milk or cream) in the fridge for up to three days. You can then reheat the soup all at once, or a bit at a time as you need it, adding water, milk or cream to get it to your desired thickness. Be sure to heat the soup until it is piping hot.

This soup is lovely served with Maple Syrup, Pecan and Apple Loaf (made without the cinnamon sugar topping), recipe on my food blog which you can see by clicking here. Served spread with butter alongside a steaming hot bowl of this comforting soup, it makes for a gorgeous Autumn lunch.

An Idea for Autumn Colour

In North America, people put wreaths on their front doors at all different times of the year, not just at Christmas. There are so many different kinds, including Easter wreaths with spring flowers, “welcome” wreaths with dried flowers and Autumn wreaths with dried and fresh harvest items. Wreaths are a great way to add a splash of colour, and they look just wonderful. It isn’t the tradition here in England though, so when I decided to get one, I knew I would have to have it made to order.

I had this gorgeous wreath made at Green Parlour in Pangbourne. It is a wonderful flower shop. My husband often buys me flowers there and they are always gorgeous. I also buy a lot of gifts there, as well as purchasing flowers for our home, so it was the first place I thought of when I decided I wanted an Autumn wreath for our front door. I was half afraid the staff might look at me a bit strangely, but of course they are far too nice for that at Green Parlour. A book was produced from the back room which had a photograph of a wreath very similar to what I wanted, helpful suggestions were proffered, and within a few minutes I had placed my order. It took a couple of weeks for the supplies to come through, but there really was no rush as Autumn was just getting underway.

This is the Green Parlour on the High Street in Pangbourne. It always looks so pretty.



There is a lovely big selection of bouquets, plants and potted flowers outside, and as you walk in the door you are greeted with a stunning selection of cut flowers, along with cute little aprons, pretty cloth bags, candles and other gifts. Every bouquet comes with a tiny handwritten tag describing the flowers in it, and plants have a similar tag with care instructions. This one came attached to a hand tied bouquet I bought this morning,



and this one to a beautiful pot of hydrangeas I bought last week.



The quality and attention to detail at Green Parlour hark back to another era of service and I really enjoy shopping there. I was so pleased when I collected the wreath this morning. It was beautifully made, and looks lovely on our front door.



The lady who served me said they had bought more supplies than they needed just for my wreath, as they have decided to start making wreaths like mine in the shop on a regular basis. I really hope we’ve started something. Wreaths are a wonderful way to make your home look bright and welcoming and I would love to see more of them. So if things are looking a bit dull around your front door, do consider investing in one. Of course, if you are talented with flowers and/or arts and crafts you could always make one yourself. All you need is a straw or moss wreath, some wire, ribbon and the dried flowers and plants to go on it. As much as I love flowers, I really am not very good at arranging or making displays with them so I tend to leave it to the professionals.

Of course we will have another wreath at Christmas, but I’m so pleased with how well this one looks on the front door, I’m already planning another one for the Spring!

Beating the Recession the Delicious Way

Autumn is such a bountiful season. How wonderful that even in this time of recession and economic downturn, we can still rejoice in an amazing harvest. Of course one of the best ways to fight the recession is to eat seasonally and buy locally. It’s environmentally friendly plus it helps small businesses and farmers during these difficult times. It’s also a fantastically delicious and healthy option, as freshly picked fruit and vegetables taste so much better and retain more of their vitamins than those that have been kept in cold storage for weeks on end by large supermarket chains.

Today my husband and I drove out into the Berkshire countryside to visit Cross Lanes Fruit Farm*. They grow apples, pears and plums there. I originally discovered their yummy produce at the local monthly farmer’s market in Purley-on-Thames, sampling some of their Worcester Permain and Ellisons Orange variety apples. Cross Farm also runs a shop at the farm Wednesday to Saturday between August and January.

I was struck by how beautiful the orchards were as we drove in through the narrow gates. It was a pretty cloudy day, but the apples stood out proudly against the stormy skies. There was so much on offer in the shop. They had several varieties of apples and pears, along with two kinds of apple juice and local honey. We bought more Ellisons Orange apples along with some James Grieve apples and sweet and juicy Onward pears (onward to what, I wonder?). Actually the apples and pears you will find available locally do have wonderful names. Of course they vary from place to place and country to country, but some of them sound almost as intriguing as they taste. When I was a child in Canada my favourite apple was “Northern Spy”; it sounded very exotic indeed to my childlike ears. Today, some of my favourite apple names include Greensleeves, Delbarestivale, St Edmond’s Russet, Peasegood Nonsuch and Red Devil. As for pears, there’s a lot more than just Conference out there - you can find Packham’s Triumph, Beurre Hardy and Glou Morceau.

Most places do have farm shops relatively nearby, and if you live in the centre of a town what better excuse for a day out in the country than an excursion to a lovely farm or two? It’s a great day out with kids as well - especially in this day and age where so many children have little opportunity to see where fruit and vegetables really come from. They love to see things actually growing, and in my experience, it makes reluctant eaters much less so. There is something about seeing a thing growing that makes it so much more exciting to eat. Another option is to search the internet for local farmer’s markets, as fresh produce is on offer there, and it is usually only a day or so from the tree or field. In many cases things are much less expensive than in larger shops too.

So for the healthy, delicious option, explore shopping locally as an alternative to the big supermarkets. It might take a bit more time and effort, but when you can manage it, the rewards are well worth it. Money saved, fresher, extra delicious food, saving the planet and helping local producers - it’s a great way to benefit yourself and lots of other people at the same time - and have some fun into the bargain!



*Cross Lanes Fruit Farm
Mapledurham, Reading
RG4 7UW

Back to School

It’s that time of year again - back to school. I was one of those kids who used to love going back to school. I got really excited about it. There was something about the fresh notebooks, the smell of paper and having brand new pencil crayons that really did it for me. It’s been a long time since I was in school, but I still find the beginning of September exciting. It always feels like a new start. I love the way the seasons change, with the leaves turning colour and the air getting crisper, but also how summer pops back for a visit every once in a while in those unexpected hot and sunny days of Indian summer. Coming from North America, I still think of Autumn as Fall, although I rarely call it that as people in England can get quite touchy about the use of that word. I don’t know why it evokes such passion, especially as one theory is that the British originally used a word similar to Fall in old English. It was “faellen” because of the fall of the leaves and they used it to mean “Autumn”. However, apparently later on we were influenced by the French and their word “Automne” and began to use an anglicised version of it - “Autumn” - instead. Whatever it is called though, it is one of my favourite seasons.

This is a very different back to school year for me as my son is now headed for Sixth Form College, where he will be doing AS and A Level studies before heading to university. For the first time in over ten years, there is no “first day of school” - it is the first day of college, and there will never be a first day of “school” again. Where did that time go? I remember my son’s first day of school as if it were yesterday. Unlike a lot of the other mums, I was not sad; I was excited because it was a new chapter in my son’s life and also in mine. I feel excited like that now too, but I’m a bit nervous as well. Now my son is at college, it’s time to reinvent myself and my role as a 21st Century Housewife, and reinvention is always a challenge, albeit an exciting one. Watch this space!

This time of year really does bring back memories. I remember my own first day of school as if it were yesterday too, walking to school with my Mom the first day of Kindergarten. I remember how it felt to walk down the street holding her hand. We’d swing our arms, and laugh and sing. I miss my Mom a lot, especially at times like these.

I’ve forgotten my teacher’s name, but I remember I liked her. She was pretty and kind, and made school seem like a fun place to be. I also remember that she was a fast runner. One of my fellow Kindergarten attendees did not like the idea of school at all, and ran away, rushing off down the street to go home. She shot off down the street after him, and brought him back (sadly kicking and screaming, but he was persuaded to settle down eventually). Aside from all the excitement, that day was the beginning of a love affair with learning for me. I still enjoy learning new things, and the excitement of discovering something new is even more wonderful than it was all those years ago.

This time of year is still a time I really enjoy, even if I have no plans to go back to school myself. The natural world may be slowing down, but in so many ways this time of year is a new beginning. So try not to mourn the ending of summer - instead go on and enjoy this new season of fresh starts - we all need one of those from time to time. And if one of your little ones is starting school for the first time this year, cherish the day they do in your heart - even if it is tinged with sadness. With a bit of luck in years to come they will remember their first day of school as well and as fondly as I do!

Back to School

It’s that time of year again - back to school. I was one of those kids who used to love going back to school. I got really excited about it. There was something about the fresh notebooks, the smell of paper and having brand new pencil crayons that really did it for me. It’s been a long time since I was in school, but I still find the beginning of September exciting. It always feels like a new start. I love the way the seasons change, with the leaves turning colour and the air getting crisper, but also how summer pops back for a visit every once in a while in those unexpected hot and sunny days of Indian summer. Coming from North America, I still think of Autumn as Fall, although I rarely call it that as people in England can get quite touchy about the use of that word. I don’t know why it evokes such passion, especially as one theory is that the British originally used a word similar to Fall in old English. It was “faellen” because of the fall of the leaves and they used it to mean “Autumn”. However, apparently later on we were influenced by the French and their word “Automne” and began to use an anglicised version of it - “Autumn” - instead. Whatever it is called though, it is one of my favourite seasons.

This is a very different back to school year for me as my son is now headed for Sixth Form College, where he will be doing AS and A Level studies before heading to university. For the first time in over ten years, there is no “first day of school” - it is the first day of college, and there will never be a first day of “school” again. Where did that time go? I remember my son’s first day of school as if it were yesterday. Unlike a lot of the other mums, I was not sad; I was excited because it was a new chapter in my son’s life and also in mine. I feel excited like that now too, but I’m a bit nervous as well. Now my son is at college, it’s time to reinvent myself and my role as a 21st Century Housewife, and reinvention is always a challenge, albeit an exciting one. Watch this space!

This time of year really does bring back memories. I remember my own first day of school as if it were yesterday too, walking to school with my Mom the first day of Kindergarten. I remember how it felt to walk down the street holding her hand. We’d swing our arms, and laugh and sing. I miss my Mom a lot, especially at times like these.

I’ve forgotten my teacher’s name, but I remember I liked her. She was pretty and kind, and made school seem like a fun place to be. I also remember that she was a fast runner. One of my fellow Kindergarten attendees did not like the idea of school at all, and ran away, rushing off down the street to go home. She shot off down the street after him, and brought him back (sadly kicking and screaming, but he was persuaded to settle down eventually). Aside from all the excitement, that day was the beginning of a love affair with learning for me. I still enjoy learning new things, and the excitement of discovering something new is even more wonderful than it was all those years ago.

This time of year is still a time I really enjoy, even if I have no plans to go back to school myself. The natural world may be slowing down, but in so many ways this time of year is a new beginning. So try not to mourn the ending of summer - instead go on and enjoy this new season of fresh starts - we all need one of those from time to time. And if one of your little ones is starting school for the first time this year, cherish the day they do in your heart - even if it is tinged with sadness. With a bit of luck in years to come they will remember their first day of school as well and as fondly as I do!