Happy Halloween

I started this and never published, so much for planning.  The Candy Corns melted in a heavy rain storm, so now I have ant heaven on the stoop.  Fortunately this door is never used.

Great Soup Recipe

I would take a picture and share with you, but right now the soup is in a container in the refrigerator, not to pretty.  Very very tasty.  Not like a typical vegetable soup.

Provencal Vegetable soup

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cook Time:  1 Hour

Serves:  6-8 servings

Ingredients:

2 Tbls Olive Oil

2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts (2-4 leeks)

3 cups ½ inch dice unpeeled boiling potatoes (1 lb)

3 cups ½ inch diced carrots (1 lb)

2-3 cups ½ inch diced butternut squash (1 Med)

1 ½ tbls salt

1 teas pepper

3 quarts chicken stock

1 teas saffron threads

½ lb haricots verts cut into ½ pieces

4 oz spaghetti, broken into 3 inch pieces

1 Cup Pistou (recipe follows)

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot

Add onions, and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent

Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, salt and pepper and sauté over medium heat another 5 minutes.

Add the Chicken stock, and saffron.  Bring to a boil.  Then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender

Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes

To serve, whisk ¼ cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. (Use the rest of the pistou when you serve the soup.)

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou:

4 large garlic cloves

¼ cup tomato paste

24 large basil leaves

½ cup freshly grated parmesan

½ cup good olive oil

Place the garlic in the food processor, process until all of the garlic is chopped and stuck to the sides of the bowl.  Add tomato paste, basil and parmesan in the bowl and puree.

With motor running, add olive oil. 

Pack into a container and pour a film of olive oil on top, close lid.