Yes, I know it’s almost November and we are well into autumn and the clocks go back this weekend, but I’m still wearing my shorts and sandals and still trying to enjoy the sunshine!
However, even I have to admit it is getting a bit chilly and I really think if the weather forecast comes true and it’s cold, wet and windy next week, then the shorts and sandals will have to go away until next year. I had salad for lunch today, a small Romaine lettuce, peppery rocket, spring onions and hummus with goat’s cheese. That’s not a recipe, just a combination I fancied!
I also bought a butternut squash because it surely will soon be time for warming soups… although I guess I could make a spring soup, which would be warming, but also as it’s made with lettuce, would give an illusion of lovelier weather. This recipe comes from The National Mark Calendar of Cooking – my edition published in 1936. The little cookery book was issued by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and published to try and promote good produce from local and regional farmers, to improve standards and improve the nation’s health. So here is the spring soup:
- 1 lettuce
- 1 turnip
- 1 carrot
- a few spring onions
- 1 egg yolk
- 1½ pints of stock or milk and water
- 1 tbsp cream or evaporated milk
- parsley
- pepper and salt
- shred the vegetables as finely as possible and set aside half the lettuce for garnish
- bring the stock or milk and water to the boil and add all the vegetables and the parsley and seasoning
- blend the egg yolk with the cream or evaporated milk, bring the soup to a gentle simmer and stir in the egg and cream
- put the set aside lettuce in the bottom of the tureen and pour in the soup
I’m not so keen on the idea of turnip so I’d miss it out, or substitute a different root vegetable!
My featured image was taken six ago, in an October which as you can see was as glorious as this has been! I actually got sunburned knees!
Lois Elsden 