POTATO AND HERB SOUP

Ingredient / shopping list

• 3  large OR five medium sized potatoes
• 1 onion
•  stock cube
• ½ pint of hot water
•  2 teaspoonfuls of dried mixed herbs
•  a little butter and oil

METHOD

1)      CUT THE ONION INTO SMALL PIECES

2)      PUT A LITTLE  OIL INTO YOUR SAUCEPAN AND HEAT IT

                  3)   ADD THE ONIONS, SALT & PEPPER AND HERBS AND COOK   

                         ON A LOW HEAT UNTIL ONIONS ARE SOFT.

                  4)   PEEL AND CUT THE POTATOES INTO SMALL PIECES

                        COOK ON A LOW HEAT FOR 5 MINS

                  5)   CRUMBLE THE STOCK CUBE INTO HOT WATER TO

                           DISOLVE.

                  6)    ADD TO THE SAUCEPAN, ADD MORE WATER TO

                         COVER THE VEGETABLES IF NECESSARY. BRING BOIL,

                         THEN LOWER THE HEAT, PUT ON A LID AND COOK

                         UNTIL THE POTATOES ARE SOFT

                   7)   LIQUIDISE THE SOUP UNTILL IT IS SMOOTH WITH A HAND

                          BLENDER

Soup Making

1 : 2 : 3 For Soups

Use this ratio and you can make any soup you want

The numbers refer to your container size. It can be any container e.g. a mug / cup. But you keep using the same one to measure each different ingredient.

1 = The amount of onions – this is your base flavor.

2 = The amount of potatoes – this is your thickener.

3 = The main flavor – e.g. courgettes – for courgette soup.

Also need enough stock to cover all veg, cook until soft, then you may liquidize.

Examples of soups you can make using this ratio method

Mixed veg soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + carrot, parsnip, leek, celery, broccoli (3 cups altogether)

Cauliflower and cheese soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + cauliflower (3 cups) + cheese (a handful grated)

Courgette and mint soup – onion (1 cup) + potatoes (2 cups) + courgettes (3 cups) + fresh mint to your taste

But really you can make any at all perhaps using up veg that would otherwise go off – leftover soup is easily frozen in little bags when cold.

Roux method of thickening soups

Mushroom and chicken soups do not have enough bulk to use potatoes as a thickener so a roux is better. A roux is made using equal parts marg/butter with flour. For example melt 25g of marg and then add 25g of flour (you may need more than 25g but if you increase it always keep it equal quantities) and cook on a low heat for a minute. This can then be whisked into a hot liquid – stock in the case of soup.

Carrot and Tomato soups have enough bulk and do not need thickeners. Just use 1 : 3 above for them.

GINGER CAKE

• 8oz white flour
• ½ tspn salt
• ½ tspn baking powder
• 2 tspns ground ginger
• 3oz butter/marg
• 1 egg
• 3oz dark muscovada sugar
• 1 tablespoon of golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon of treacle
• a little milk OR tablespoon of rum
• teaspoon vanilla

METHOD

1. Put the flour, salt, ginger and baking soda into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, treacle and golden syrup over a low heat. Do not allow become hot.
3. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Add the beaten egg, vanilla and enough milk to make a dropping consistency.
5. Grease a loaf tin. Put the mixture into the tin.
6. Cook in a pre-heated oven for 20-30mins. At 180o.