Contrary to popular belief, not all women like to shop. Some of us feel like pimply, awkward teenagers every time we walk into a mall, and our anxiety nearly blows through the roof. A trip to Macy’s can trigger hyperventilation (I love that word). But at least there is some order at Macy’s – black sweaters of every size hang on one rack. The next rack is a sea of bluejeans. I can handle that.
A thrift store – or worse yet, a garage sale – is enough to cause a total and complete meltdown. Racks are too close together, clothing is crammed onto those racks, and there is only one of everything! A peach-coloured blouse hangs next to a red turtleneck, which is next to a neon green t-shirt. I can’t stand it!!!
What I really love is a good farmers’ market — beautiful vegetables lined up by variety and colour. Orderly rows of brown and white eggs. Glorious flowers in neat bunches. Neat jars of honey and maple syrup. There is something so wholesome and stimulating about farmers’ markets. And suddenly, I LOVE to shop.
Reality Hits . . . . .
When wandering a farmers’ market, my mind flits from recipe to recipe as I stuff my bag full of produce. One thing that seldom enters my mind is the reality of time, and quantity. As new “empty nesters”, I often forget that we don’t need a quadruple batch, and with my busy schedule, I don’t cook 9 evenings every week.
This recipe uses basically every veggie you can find at the market, and extra soup can be frozen before the cream and cheese are added. Next time, I plan on adding zucchini and leeks. The puréed cauliflower adds creaminess and nutrition without adding a ton of calories. Don’t like cauliflower? Don’t worry! You won’t even know it’s there.
Farmers’ Market Soup
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into pieces
- 1 head roasted garlic
- 2–3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 mild onion, diced
- 1 bulb fennel, cored and sliced
- 4 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 stalks celery, diced
- 2–3 cups mushrooms, cut into thick slices (use a variety – we like shiitake, oyster, and portabellos)
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 c turkey broth
- 1 c dry white wine
- 1 1/2 c wild rice, rinsed well
- 3 potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 Tbsp fresh sage leaves, sliced thinly
- 4 Tbsp corn starch
- 3 c cooked turkey
- 1 c ham, diced
- 2 c heavy cream
- 2 c grated cheese (we like smoke gouda, but swiss or cheddar would work well)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, place cauliflower in steamer basket over 1? of boiling water and steam until tender, about 10 minutes.
- While cauliflower is steaming, dice veggies.
- Remove cauliflower with a slotted spoon, reserving liquid. Put in food processor or blender. Add roasted garlic and reserved liquid. Process until smooth.
- Sauté onion, fennel, carrots, and celery in olive oil for 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and black pepper, and sauté an additional 5 minutes.
- Add broth, wine, and rinsed wild rice. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.
- Add diced potatoes, thyme and sage. Add the cauliflower/garlic mixture. Simmer 10 minutes.
- Mix corn starch with 1/4 c cold water, and add to soup, which will thicken it slightly.
- Add turkey and ham (or bacon, if you like) and return to slow simmer. At this point, you can allow the soup to cool and freeze it for future use.
- Turn off heat. Add cream and cheese, stirring until melted.
