My plan for ‘Chicken – Day 3′ was to give you a recipe for my acclaimed Celery and Apple Soup, a lovely refreshing and bodily cleansing summer soup. However, I had not taken into account the guerrilla style tactics employed by The Boys in pursuit of a midnight feast. I suppose I should be glowing with pride that the things that went missing from the larder were the celery, the last carrot, the apples, the last of the cheese and a packet of oatcakes. Realistically, of course, they know that that there are nine levels of Hell reserved for those who take The Last Flapjacks, and the prospect of spending the rest of the summer holiday in the icy darkness of Level 9, with nothing but demons with pointy teeth for company has clearly made an impression.
Consequently, I was forced into level nine of the larder, fridge and freezer to scavenge what I could to make supper. This, of course, is what the Wartime Housewife is all about, being able to produce a nutritious meal out of nothing. The scouring began. I found an onion (always a good start), one stick of celery and a bag of frozen broccoli. Let the soup begin!
BROCCOLI SOUP
Utensils:
1 large saucepan
Chopping board
1 stick blender
Ingredients:
1 onion – chopped
1 good knob of butter with a little splash of oil
1 stick of celery – chopped
1 x 1kg bag of frozen broccoli
1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
1 heaped tspn dried parsley
1 pinch nutmeg
¼ pint of full fat milk (or 1/8 pint cream if you have it)
Method:
1. Melt the butter and oil in the pan on a moderate heat
2. Add the onion and celery and cooked until translucent
3. Add the broccoli and toss about in the butter.
4. Add the stock and parsley and cook until the broccoli is soft
5. Add the nutmeg and the milk and blend until smooth.
6. Season to taste.
Now wasn’t that easy? And completely scrumptious.
3 Comments
August 5, 2009 at 12:29 pm
If had nothing left to eat, and nothing to buy anything with (like now, funnily enough. Well, not that funny obviously), I would go out, buy three big sticks of celery, con somebody into buying me a wedge of Quenby Hall Stilton and eat it all with a sprinkling of sea salt. Washed down with a dozen tins of Mackeson.
August 5, 2009 at 4:38 pm
You should be ashamed of yourself, Mr Ashley! One can of Mackeson’s is quite sufficient, and then only if you’re feeling a bit run down! If you are truly as destitute as you say, I would recommend that you sally forth into the countryside of which you are so evidently fond, and learn about wild food. A road kill pheasant or rabbit can be cooked with some considerable success and nettles are just as delicious and full of iron as spinach. Would you like me to do an article of wild food to help you in your destitution?
August 6, 2009 at 9:59 am
Road kill. Hmm. Rabbit, pheasant OK, but I draw the line at stoats and hedgehogs. Although badgers (sadly in abundance) might make a Sunday lunch alternative.