FLOWER POT KITCHEN: PALEO FABULOUS FAST CUP OF SOUP

12 May 2014

PALEO FABULOUS FAST CUP OF SOUP

I love this super fast take on a cup of soup, if everyone knew how quick and simple and outstandingly sumptuous this is they would never entertain the processed supermarket choices again, with just a little forward planning, using leftovers from other dinners in the week and keeping some simple stock items in your fridge and larder ready to go, means this gorgeous soup is ready in under five minutes.

Super quick filling natural and sumptuous lunch or mini dinner, full of fresh ingredients and vegetables, this is just as quick as making a cup of coffee, yet so much more nourishing, filling and soul satisfying, I always feel fabulous and invigorated after this.

INGREDIENTS

250ml chicken stock

1 stick of asparagus

3 mangetout pods

1 tbsp coriander

1/2 tsp tom yum paste

1/2 tsp tamarind

1/4 lemon juiced

1/2 tsp harissa

1/2 tsp grated ginger

pinch turmeric

pinch crushed chillies

75ml coconut milk

2oz poached chicken (optional)

The key here is to have poached a chicken earlier in the week and have the stock in the fridge ready to go and some of the left over meat. In a pan bring the chicken stock and coconut milk to a simmer, add the asparagus and mangetout roughly chopped and simmer for 3 minutes until just cooked, meanwhile add the rest of the ingredients, pour into your large mug and enjoy with a deep spoon and chop sticks.

This is a super light meal or snack full of goodness and antioxidants, a really gorgeous cup of abundance that you just can't beat, one of my top favourites. This can be easily transported to several different flavours ideas like the addition of fresh prawns, different stir fry vegetables or swap out the coconut milk for a turn towards Japanese Ramen.

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LIFE MY PASSION

Welcome to my daily life of cooking, one winters day many years ago my family and I were all inspired by a back to back rainy day of River Cottage this got us to stop talking about and start actually doing, suddenly three weeks later eight vegetable beds were dug, greenhouse erected and our first vegetables were propagating, this was the start to raising and growing our own food, our fabulous son Oscar changed our path in life which lead us to sell our small thriving restaurant of 10 yrs and to start our new life (Terrifying!) a life of the self sufficient in touch with nature and seasons, taking a step back and looking forward to a slower change of pace and making the most of every moment.

My passion for cooking was stronger than ever and having time at home with Oscar I found I had a new direction and I was no longer striving for perfection, I was suddenly very passionate for the enjoyment of the other side of food, something I had not realised, being the Chef/Cook and every other duty of your own small restaurant made me see that I never actually took time to cook what I wanted!

So there I was muddy boots and hands digging deep in more than one sense and I found myself transported back in time to where everyone grew some of their own food, it is a wonderful world with a real sense of achievement and loss, Slugs Snails and Caterpillars! But thats another story! Childhood memories of summers when I lived with my grand parents reminded me of so much that I had learnt about the make do and mend generation that I had forgotten.

Now as a family we love our free wild food days where we gather what nature has provided, have gone from being mini mini garden urban small holders, who did raised pigs at home because we could not wait to find land and supporting ourselves from our garden to now owning a very small farm that allows us to grow more vegetables for the whole of our family and neighbours, raise our own gorgeous Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, (Sausages!) and pets! Dorset Down sheep, chickens for eggs and pet goats! Suddenly having large quantities of produce started to wake up the Cook in me!

The Cook was awake that part of me that wants to cook for the masses and I found myself setting up Flowerpot Kitchen, a Farmers Market Stall, I wanted to use our honest raised meats and make old fashioned pork pies, rabbit pies and game pies from the local game keeper along with old fashioned techniques and the best hot water crust pastry. This in turn grew to a small cottage industry from home weekly supplying three farm shops and a deli along with also attending three farmers markets A few years later there came a time when my son Oscar's health changed and it was an easy decision to stop.

I still hold the occasional pop up 40 seater restaurant or gourmet lunch which we do for local charities for the love of sharing food and to remind that Cook in me why I love our go slower self sufficient life!

So here I am sitting amoung the vegetables watching the chickens loving that every season nature teaches me something new and that nature is in charge! She has taught me to just go with it and grow. Give it a try from a tray of salad on your windowsill to a few tomato plants it all counts.