Carrot Soup

I don't know what is going on with these ducks, but they have been in the yards on our street for the last week or so.  I think they must be eating the choke cherries or something that are falling off the trees.

It is really not a problem, except that they keep pooping on the cars in the driveway!  I don't know if it is when they fly over or what, but scraping snow and ice off your windshield is one thing, frozen (or worse yet - soft) duck poop is another thing.

I really think they need to fly back to the river and stay there, I stepped in duck poop this morning and I'm not very happy about it.  I did post this picture on Facebook and complained about the ducks, one of my Facebook friends said, "Forget about the ducks, what about all that snow!"  Ha, I guess it is all in your perspective.

I have a big bag of carrots from the carrot guy at the farmer's market.  I got a 10 pound bag and I love them.  This soup was part of our soup and sandwich night, it tasted like there wasn't any snow on the ground and the ducks were in the river, where they belong, not smearing my windshield with "stuff".

Oh happy Monday!

Carrot-Cashew Soup
adapted from Ellie Kreiger's The Food You Crave

4 cups chicken stock
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1-inch piece of ginger
1.5 pounds carrots
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/2 cup unsalted roasted cashews
2 tsp. honey
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan.  While the broth is heating, chop the onion and mince the garlic and ginger.  Slice all but one-quarter of one of the carrots into 1/4-inch thick coins.

Heat the oil in another medium pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more.  Stir in the allspice and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir the carrot coins into the pot with the onions, then add the boiling chicken broth, cover and return to a boil over hight heat.  Lower the heat to medium, uncover, and simmer until the carrots are tender, 8-9 minutes.  Meanwhile, grate the remaining carrot quarter and chop 2 Tbsp. of the cashews to use for garnish.

Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the whole cashews, honey, salt, and pepper, and then puree the soup in 3 batches in a blender, or with an immersion blender, until smooth.

Serve garnished with the grated carrot and chopped cashews.

Makes 4 servings.

1 year ago:    Dark Chocolate Cake with Whipped Ganache and Raspberries
2 years ago:  Cranberry Shortbread Bars
3 years ago:  Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and the First Snow

October 5, 2015   Sunrise 8:12 am  Sunset 7:05 pm   Temp. H 39/ L 28°F