Let's see...

[conuly]

If I make steak tonight, I can make it with parsnips and carrots, and a side of green beans. Or maybe peas. Easy peasy, and I can even toss in some potatoes with it.

I need to go to the store. Got a rutabaga with our winter CSA. No idea what I'm gonna do with that.

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Comments

[conuly]

Oooh, thanks.

Rutabaga turned out to have a milder taste than I expected. I was so scared it'd be awful!

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Mulligatawny Soup (from the British Dairy Council's cookbook from about 30-40 years ago)

Serves 6
1 Medium onion, finely chopped
125g (4oz) carrot, finely chopped
125g (4oz) swede, finely chopped
1 small dessert apple, finely chopped
50g (2oz) streaky bacon, finely chopped
50g (2oz) butter
25g (1oz) flour
15ml (1 level tbsp) mild curry paste (or just use powder, we do)
15ml (1 level tbsp) tomato puree
30ml (2 level tbsp) mango chutney
1.4 litres (2 1/2 pints) beef stock
5ml (1 tsp) dried mixed herbs
pinch ground mace (very hard to buy in the UK these days, I use nutmeg)
pinch ground cloves (or a few whole cloves)
salt and black pepper
50g (2oz) long grain rice (I'm usually a bit more generous than this)
150ml (5 fl oz) double cream (or soured cream or whipping cream or whatever)

1) Melt butter in a large saucepan and fry the onion, carrot, swede, apple and bacon until lightly browned.
2) Stir in the flour, curry paste, tomato puree and chutney. Cook for 1-2 mins before adding the stock and seasonings.
3) Bring to the boil, skim (I don’t bother) and simmer, covered for 30-40 mins. Puree soup in/with a blender.
4) Return the soup to the pan, bring to the boil, add rice and boil gently for about 12 mins, until the rice is tender however long your particular variety of rice takes to cook.
5) Adjust seasoning. Stir in the cream, reserving a little. Do not boil. Pour into tureen or bowls and swirl with cream.

Like many dishes adapted to suit the Victorian kitchen (and palette), it bears very little relation to its Indian origins.

It's a very forgiving recipe, you can make a lot of changes and it still works. Adjust the vegetables to whatever root vegetables you have on hand. You can make it vegetarian without the bacon and using vegetable stock, vegan/dairy free if you omit the cream (or use a dairy free one). I don't know if you have mango chutney but you could substitute any sweet chutney with a spicy kick. Or just omit it, it's only a tiny part of the flavour profile.

Something we often do is cook up a huge batch of the vegetables, add all the spices, flavourings etc, then freeze it in 4-portion chunks. Then all we have to do is defrost a chunk, add it to stock (something we always have on hand) and finish from there. Makes it very handy, and also helps deal with the fact that you can't readily buy just 4oz of swede... When I was younger, I thought it had turkey in it because Mum only ever made it at Christmas. Turns out it's just because she didn't have the time/energy the rest of the year.