When I was in my early twenties, the feminist in me remained adamant: I didn’t like to cook, and I didn’t care to learn  how. Once again, gardening has taught me the value of something other than gardening. Yep, now I like to cook.

I love harvesting from my yard and cooking up something nutritious and delicious to feed my family.  I especially love making soup.  I love how it warms my house and takes away the stinky dog smell, replacing it with an aroma that promises a savory, succulent meal.  We’ve recently had sickness in our house, so I just made a big pot of soup to help boost our immune systems.

Here is one of my favorite recipes that I frequently make:

Carrot Soup

Sautée in butter:

• grated fresh ginger, approximately 1 inch
• 1 sweet potato, chopped
• loads of carrots, chopped
• several leeks, cut.  

Add dashes of  nutmeg, salt and pepper.  When the veggies are tender, combine in a large pot with chicken stock and simmer on low for as long as you can.  Then purée with a soup wand.  

Serve with heavy cream.  For a vegan way you could use veggie stock and skip the cream and use olive oil instead of butter.  I love serving this with a big salad and some warm bread and butter.  

I hope your family and friends love this as much as mine do!