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Breakfast today was gluten-free rosemary rolls with apple butter, a garlic and herb-encrusted chevre, some Humbolt Fog blue from California, some traditional wine-and-black-pepper genoa salami, some hot coppa and some hot sopressata.

Not all together, of course.

Mmm. Grazing for breakfast FTW!

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Tonight is purple-and-orange soup.

I know, I know, it sounds crazy -- so crazy it just might work.

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I apologize for the terrible picture. I am no kylecassidy. However, that's purple potato and leek soup topped with a carrot-and-turnip puree, a couple of slices of purple pepper and a little crumbled chevre.

Recipes forthcoming, if I have the time and energy after eating SEVERAL BOWLS OF DELICIOUS SOUP.

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Soup:

2 leeks
6 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
1 onion
4 tbsp butter.
2.5 lbs purple potatoes
1 qt broth of choice (I used chicken)
1/2 pint cream
A rich, dark red wine
Salt, pepper to taste

Chop all the veggies except the potatoes. Saute them in the butter until tender.

Peel and cut the potatoes up into spoonable morsels. Add them to the sauteed veggies, add the broth, cook for 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Add the cream, cook for two or three more minutes.

This next part is optional, and if you like a chunky soup instead of a smooth one you can just serve the soup as it is. But if you want a creamy soup: Remove veggies from the liquid using a slotted spoon, and puree them in a food processor in batches, adding the wine for color and salt and pepper for flavor (be stingy with the vino -- a little wine goes a long way). Careful not to burn yourself -- if your food processor doesn't form a watertight seal, use small batches! Add the liquid back to the pureed mixture until it's at your desired consistency (adding it all back is not a bad move, though it doesn't photograph well at that thinness. ;) )

Puree:

2 lb carrot
2 lb turnip
1/2 cup sour cream
4 tbsp butter
6 cloves garlic
Equal amount of fresh ginger, by weight
Pepper

Remove butter from fridge so it softens at room temperature. Meanwhile, Peel veggies, cut into 1-inch pieces. Boil the carrot and turnip in salted water for 45 minutes, or until soft. Meanwhile, dice the ginger and garlic finely, and cook in a small pan in white wine over high heat until wine is mostly evaporated and the garlic and ginger are tender and fragrant.


Drain the root vegetables, throw them in a big ol' mixing bowl and add butter in 1/2 tbsp pieces. Mix well until butter is melted, mash, then add sour cream and garlic mixture, then mix thoroughly again. Puree in batches a food processor or with a stick blender.

This makes an excellent side for all manner of dish, and I highly recommend it. For something less zingy and more sweet, you can leave out the garlic, double the ginger, add a couple of spoonfuls of brown sugar instead and serve seasoned with a dusting of nutmeg.