Sunday 20 January 2013

Warming Food. Result

It is a bitterly cold day here with snow on the ground and a biting East wind blowing - a day that calls for good, warming comfort food.   

Yesterday's Cream of Onion Soup was a great success and there was enough left for today.  To make it, soften a heap of onions (I used all that we had left from our garden - maybe about a pound) in a bit of butter - add one chopped potato, then add half a pint of good stock, a pint of semi-skimmed milk and seasoning - bring to a simmer and pop in the bottom Aga oven for a couple of hours. Then liquidise. Result is bliss.

Today I flung browned sausages (Debbie and Andrew's Harrogate since you ask), parsnips, carrots, potatoes, peppers, tinned tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, lentils, herbs and seasoning into a casserole and popped it in the oven for an hour.   Result delicious with little or no effort.  Meanwhile I sat by the stove and began to compile the next - Grand Easter - cryptic quiz sheet for my friend, G, proceeds in aid of our local Nature Reserve.

Speaking of Nature - twenty blackbirds, plus robins, tits (great, coal, blue and long-tailed) house and tree sparrows, chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinches, mistle thrushes, pheasants - all have congregated round our feeders today.   Sadly there is one house sparrow less as Blackie, the farm cat, caught one this morning.  I instinctively said - rather a sparrow than a blue tit.  But that is hardly fair is it?   Does it matter what kind of bird the cat catches?  Why should the life of a blue tit be more precious than that of a sparrow?

Keep warm.

13 comments:

mrsnesbitt said...

Will definitely try the soup Pat. I am having a vegetable curry tonight. Jon is having a lovely M&S fishcake. Keep warm.
Dxx

MorningAJ said...

I made carrot and coriander soup yesterday. And paella for dinner. Good and filling!

jill said...

I have made a lot of soups this last 2 weeks as I am back on the diet and they sure do help me.I have made a rather large pot today with everything in it so it will last me a couple of days.Hope you are well,keep near that cosy stove and warm your toes.Love Jill xx

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Wonderful soups - good for extreme cold like you have - or just 26 degrees like we have, which is thankfully about as cold as it will be for the next 10 days - we are experiencing a bit of a heat wave - up to 48 degrees for the next couple days. When it is cold in the midwest and eastern part of our country - it is warmer here, and the reverse - and it looks like they are in for some mighty cold tempertures, -18 and worse, so we get a tad warmer.

Gwil W said...

There's nothing to beat a delicious bowl hot soup in winter. My favourite is pumpkin spiced with some curry and ginger.

angryparsnip said...

The soup sounds wonderful ! When I go shopping I will be sure to pick up the ingredients.
Sad to hear about the cat killing the bird. That breaks my heart.

cheers, parsnip

Country Gal said...

I have a chicken stew in the crock pot bubbling away for supper ! It is windy and cold here today as well temps are -13°C and colder with the wind chill . Wood stove is going and we are all cozied up for the day ! Your soup sounds YUMMY ! Will have to give that a try ! Have a good day and stay warm !

Gerry Snape said...

I love the words...not one sparrow...and all that....very cold here so must be very very cold with you as the wind is coming from the continent and you will get it before us....soup sounds good!

Dartford Warbler said...

Sorry about your sparrow. Maybe not as pretty as a blue tit, but still.......

Thank you for the onion soup recipe. I made celeriac and celery soup today, with enough left over for tomorrow. A great comfort food when all the world is white!

Angie said...

Love the sound of your onion soup....must give it a try... I love sausage casserole too.

Cloudia said...

"Why should the life of a blue tit be more precious than that of a
sparrow? "

Your innately just heart recoils at the declaration of the lover of beauty. . . Inner dialogue that is YOU! (And which we value/visit)

Why should the life of a blue tit be more precious than that of a sparrow?


Heather said...

Your soup and sausage casserole sound delicious - I shall try both.
Poor little sparrow (I know what you mean about sparrow v bluetit) - hope his end was quick. Walking up a friend's path last week I saw a redwing lying on it. I think it must have stunned itself on their window despite bird silhouettes stuck to it. I hope it survived. It was very beautiful and I have never seen one so close before. I fear you are in for more harsh weather - keep warm and safe.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for your cheery replies - I think we all need cheering up in this weather.