Saturday, November 8, 2008

Soup Simplifies your Life class

Here's the second PPC class I took this week - Soup Simplifies your Life taught by Marie Donadio. It was a hands on class, which was really fun. There were 4 groups that each made a different kind of soup. Marie taught us about making different stocks which we then used in our soups.



I learned about saving scraps in a freezer a few classes back, but Marie added to that knowledge by teaching me to save the peelings and parts of things that I would normally have thrown out. These can all be used in stock. The difference w/ this stock is that you don't super strain it to get out every last drop of stock.

The different soups required different techniques such a sauteing, roasting, and pressure cooking.

We made some miso soup to eat as we were cooking. She does this as a healthy snack when she is cooking and won't make it until dinner. It's really quick to prepare.


Here's the soup:

Pumpkin with Black Bean Soup. Marie had an interesting way of roasting the squash in this soup. She roasted the whole thing in the oven without cutting it. The topping on this soup is a black bean salsa. This might have been my favorite soup of the day. Hard to name a favorite because they were all wonderful.

Split Pea Serenity. This was a really tasty split pea soup. A serving suggestion was to put a piece of garlic bread on top (aka crouton). My bowl sort of looks like a smiley face.

Classic Cabbage Kasha Soup. This soup did not taste like a typical cabbage soup, it was much more delicious. The trick was to saute the cabbage and turnip until it has wilted. It is topped with shredded apple and lemon juice.

Creamy Root Vegetable Puree. This base of this soup was roasted turnip, rutabega, onion, carrots, and garlic. Very filling and delicious.


Here is Peepa in September. You'd think it was the dead of winter since he's all bundled up. He and the Judge don't mind being wrapped up tightly in blankets - which is another worm babysitter. If they are all wrapped up, they won't be crawling all over me.

18 comments:

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

Awwwwwwww.... Peepa looks so cozy and cute! How many do you have?

Bethany said...

6 cats, 1 dog, 1 foster dog. and a cat that moved to VT to live w/ my brother.

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

Niiice. We have 7 turtles, 3 cats, 2 birds, a rabbit and a fish. E-I-E-I-O

Bethany said...

I love rabbits. They are so soft and cuddly. how does the rabbit get along w/ the cats?

Turtles are cool. Do they roam your yard?

yasmin said...

All those soups look fantastic and sound like really good combinations. And cabbage soup! What a good idea for cabbage.

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Gorgeous meals!!

Aww, Peepa.

Lindsay (Happy Herbivore) said...

i loooove soups!!

River (Wing-It Vegan) said...

Oh my! I think the pumpkin with black beans soup is my favorite too.
Cozy Peepa!

wingraclaire said...

All those soups look sooooo delicious! I wish I could find them in a lunch buffet!

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

Cats and bunny get along surprisingly well. Turtles have an outdoor enclosure/pond for the warm months, and are indoors for the cold months.

Zoey said...

I wish I was in your soup class, it is getting cold and rainy here. That pumpkin black bean soup made me start drooling. Thank you for sharing the pictures!

Bethany said...

maybe it's because rabbits can be really big.

outside enclosures are cool. I'm sure the turtles love it. My cats have one so that they stay safe.

Lisa -- Cravin' Veggies said...

Our previous rabbit was as big as the cats, but the new one is just a baby. He isn't loose all the time (they chew things - like electrical cords), but runs about when we are home and able to keep an eye on him. The cats just sit and watch him. The old rabbit used to chase the cats (playfully), so they are probably happy that idea hasn't crossed his mind... yet.

Bethany said...

Sounds like my cats. They love to be the watchers that get to choose when to interact. Tables are turned w/ the greyhound we're fostering. She pays way more attention to them than they like (licking, etc). They appreciate Kobie way more now.

Anonymous said...

That root puree sounds incredible! Mmm mmm!

Anonymous said...

I have to say that is an awesome picture of the pumpkin soup. So colorful I actually thought it was jelly beans for a moment.
I bet it's tasty, too!

Bethany said...

jelly beans would good - on the side :)

the soups were really good. and we made a ton, so there were lots of leftovers, which isn't typical for a class. the leftovers typically go to the volunteer assistants.

For the Love of Guava said...

I think Peepa and I both need soup!! brrr...-