Hearty Soups for the Soul and Other Thoughts

Yesterday I used most of the red potatoes I grew in the garden this summer to make a hearty potato soup. As I was standing at the stove, happy with how the soup had turned out, in walked Angel Baby. Being the culinary student that he is these days, he tested the soup and said, "Needs more salt and pepper." Everything I cook, no matter what, his first comment is always, "Needs more salt." I know I tend to go light on the salt. I'm just not a salt fan. Right after he said, "It needs more salt and pepper" he stepped in and took over. He took the white pepper and sprinkled some in. He then chopped some rosemary and added it along with some oregano and thyme. He reached into the cupboard and pulled out the soy sauce, pouring in a capful. He whisked the mixture carefully, dipped a spoon into it and took another sip. "There. Better." I followed suit and took a sip. He was right. He improved what I had started. He talked about the soup now having a front end, a middle, and a back end. My version was good. His version was fuller, richer.

Today I cleaned out my pantry. I set aside canned beans, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, ramen noodles, and an unopen bottle of hot sauce to take up to the small pantry we have here in the village. I took the way out-of-date cans and emptied them into a big bowl to dump into the compost box. That left me with four cans of almost-out-of-date foods: refried beans, pinto beans, Mexican corn, and coconut cream. I had no idea what to do with these, so I turned to the internet and asked for a recipe. The answer was another soup. Since the weather has been quite chilly, I'm good with soup every day. And this soup turned out absolutely delicious. With avocado slices on top, along with fresh cilantro from the garden, and a slice of lime to squeeze over everything -- this soup was pure comfort food. When Angel Baby came into the kitchen to see what was cooking, he took a spoonful to taste. This time he didn't say, "Needs more salt." Instead, he got out a bowl and filled it up. I'm pretty sure he ended up having three bowls of this thick, creamy bean soup. I was hoping to have some left over for tomorrow's lunch, but that's not happening. At least I have one small container of potato soup I can enjoy.

A few nights ago we had our first frost. Unfortunately I didn't go out and pick all the basil beforehand. The frost did a number on it. The sage, thyme, and cilantro are still going strong, though, so I still have some herbs to work with. I planted some oregano a few weeks ago, but nothing seems to be happening. Maybe I waited too long and now it's just too cool for the seeds to germinate. The lettuce and mustard greens are coming up. And the kohlrabi. Beets as well. Hopefully everything will grow and I'll be able to continue to enjoy garden veggies into December.

I've cleaned out most of the flower pots and boxes, with one box left that is full of borage. I've read a little about how to use it in cooking and for making tea, so this week my plan is to pick as much as possible and figure out how to store it as well as use it. I also need to snip all the rose hips. My Independence rose bush is covered in rose hips this year. The bush did really well all summer, and there's one bloom that just opened. All of my roses did amazing this year, so much so that my neighbors were asking what I was doing to get all the blooms and growth. I do very little. I fertilize in the spring. That's it. The only other thing I do is talk to the bushes every time I walk by them. They're so beautiful -- how can I not tell them this multiple times a day? 

It won't be long, though, before everything goes to sleep for the winter.