Cold Weather/Warm Weather
First, it snowed! Then, it was lovely and warm! This is the time of year that we start to get tastes of warm spring weather, and it's exciting and overwhelming. We have some outdoor projects to do today, like reseeding some baby greens in the high tunnel. Does this mean winter coziness is over?! Probably not yet. We'll just be on a weather roller coaster for the next few months!
We're still working on indoor projects, too, like record keeping, website updating, and sausage making. We've been eating venison that neighbor hunters gifted us, and this weekend we turned the tougher bits into Italian, Merguez, and Andouille sausage.
Bryan and our pal Sarah sausaging out!
So let's raise a hot tea (or an iced coffee?) to weather uncertainty, get excited for new spring crops and appreciate the wintery ones we have today!
What We're Eating
We're eating lots of sweet potatoes these days! Bryan and I are both big sweet potato fans, mostly because we love how they taste. But, they're also loaded with nutrients, and can grow in different climates worldwide. I had fun reading all about sweet potatoes here. And here's some of the ways we're eating them!
Ginger Miso Sweet Potato Bisque
This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs - Dishing Up the Dirt. Author Andrea Bemis is a farmer and vegetable lover, so her recipes always resonate with my taste buds. So here's' a tasty and simple soup that highlights orange sweet potatoes beautifully.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes--about 3 large ones, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 4 cups water + additional to thin if necessary
- 3 1/2 Tablespoons white (or yellow) miso paste
- 1/2 cup unsalted raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil over medium heat in large stock pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften up a bit. Stir in the sweet potato cubes and ginger. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes stirring often. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender, and add the miso paste and cashews. Blend on the highest setting until creamy and smooth. About 3 minutes.
Return the soup to the pot and keep on low heat for about 15 minutes to allow all the flavors to blend together. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. If the soup seems too thick add a touch more water. Season to taste with salt and pepper garnish with parsley and serve with crusty bread and wine.
Here are some other scrumptious sweet potato recipes from Dishing up the Dirt:
SPICED SWEET POTATO CHANA DAL STEW
ROASTED ROOTS WITH TURMERIC-TAHINI SAUCE
Rosie stole someone's dinner and got a big belly!
Have a delicious week!
- Joanna and Bryan