Tuesday, October 08, 2013

The world on my table


Olive oil, carrying riches from far away Italy. A little puddle.

Now simmering gold at the bottom of the silver pot.

The spices thrown in: turmeric, garam masala, coriander from India releasing a bouquet so rich, just enough to close the eyes and breathe the fragrant air.

Onions, local, ginger from China, garlic, local, all shredded, kissing the spices briefly before tumbling playfully around with them.

Carrots, local, holding the summer sun pressed tightly along their lengths. Cut in chunks and sent into the playground, now wearing coats of all that has gone before them.

Then the stock, lovingly made with the bones of forgotten roasts a month - maybe two - ago. 5 cups.

Simmering on the wood stove for, it doesn't matter. An hour, two.

Withdrawn then, nose hovering above, catching all these blended magnificences, unique yet now together.

Then the coconut milk. From the Caribbean. Folded in. Softly whisked.

Pureed into a red bowl.

Gently bottled up. Labelled. Dated.

Sunshine from around the world.

Asleep now.

To awaken in the short days of winter.

26 comments:

  1. Mmmmm! There's nothing like the aroma of a delicious combination of herbs and spices. How spartan people's lives must have been before they had all these exotic ingredients from around the world.

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  2. Tasty, tasty, I am drooling over on this side of the pond.

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  3. Talk about globalization.All encompassing.

    U

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  4. Carrot and coriander, one of my favourite soups. Delicious.
    My freezers are full with summer fruits, but perhaps I could squeeze in a bowl of soup or two.

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  5. OWJ:

    Anytime, my friend. I am going to make some more :)

    There is never enough soup in my world :)

    XO
    WWW

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  6. Nick:
    I, too, wonder about that though my mother was fairly adventurous and took cooking courses.
    XO
    WWW

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  7. GM:

    Oh you would give me a good run in the soup department yourself :)

    XO
    WWW

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  8. Ursula:

    Rather amazing I thought, though we are experimenting with more exotic growings out here on the edge due to climate change.

    XO
    WWW

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  9. Oh Friko, you must, now is the time!!

    I must investigate freeze-drying of soup -I hear it can be done.

    XO
    WWW

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  10. I shouldn't have read this before lunch. Or looked at the photo. Oh well: early lunch!

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  11. ...that's me knockng on your door.

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  12. Stan:

    Oh this soup is liquid sunshine alright. I wish I could ship some to Galway to you. :)

    XO
    WWW

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  13. Ramana:

    I would give you the 100,000 welcomes. :)

    XO
    WWW

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  14. Garlic won't grow here, but we export a lot of ginger! That really sounds perfect.

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  15. Maybe my ginger was from Hawaii by way of China.

    Or something :)

    XO
    WWW

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  16. Lovely. I made vegetable sauce last summer and am still using it up. It smelled heavenly as I was raosting the veggies.

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  17. Beautiful. And the soup.

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  18. WWW .Only you could express the joy of home cooking with such beautiful words.It was as if I was there inhaling the aroma. Thankyou.Trudix

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  19. SAW:

    You must post the recipe for this sauce. PLEASE

    XO
    WWW

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  20. Oh thank you so much Trudix. You have made my day :)

    XO
    WWW

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  21. Supping on this now, and will have to make it again, perhaps doubling the amount. What a glorious soup! What a wonderful way to give us a recipe. I have mailed it out to so many people who have been so delighted. Don't know if they've made it.

    I think you should continue this series. Love to see what you would come up with for Minestrone. ;)

    I made mine with a handful of red lentils, because age and ability has made me lazy in the kitchen, and I do not want to have several dirty pots and what not trying to make a square meal. A meal in a large round bowl, with lots of cilanto on top.

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  22. Thanks Anon, I must write up more recipes and make them like a story :) Great idea!!

    XO
    WWW

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  23. It sounds like an interesting series. I will check it out

    Book Publicity

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