Thanksgiving and later

My father Charles and I enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving with friends in San Rafael.  The sideboard was laden with all the right stuff and stuffing for the day, with plates full and happy hearts we ate and enjoyed the day.

Then on Sunday I started to get a cold, rats!

And it didn't go away... and miraculously my friends cooked the Thanksgiving turkey carcass down that had its seasonings of herbs de provence intact, deliciously seasoning the broth.  Just making a soup from it this evening and finding me still sniffling, they delivered me a BIG bowl of it!  I'm feeling better already!  The wonders of a homemade poultry-based soup!

Soup musings. There's nothing like soup when you've come down with a cold. Yep, like other food bloggers I've recently noticed who've taken ill (Vasilia at Where's My Dinner?, Catherine at Albion Cooks, and Sher at What Did You Eat?) , I've gotten a nasty cold and don't feel much like the usual. Like them, what sounds good is soup! But my bug had me down all weekend, and I didn't even feel like cooking soup -- ordered delivery from a local Chinese restaurant and nibbled. Today I feel a little better, but still not up to cooking or going out... so today I will post a compilation of soups sites for your reading enjoyment.

Naturally, Wikipedia has a great write up of soup and its history. Soup of the Evening is witty with much research and some interesting variations on a theme. Then there is a Soup comic strip. And ever wondered what the origin of the phrase 'soup to nuts' was? Miso soup (pictured above) is a wonderful natural remedy. And finally, some interesting information on why chicken soup is so good to heal colds!

Another Dishy Dill Dish or Rather Superb Soup. Yes indeed I had gathered fresh dill, fresh lamb and other aromatic ingredients to make Lamb and Herb Soup for Weekend Herb Blogging as organized by Kalyn. However, my weekend got rather filled and I couldn't quite put aside the hours of prepping and fragrant slow simmering to get this done in time for last week. But happily enough, I can be in time for this weekend's round up. Ruth of Once Upon a Feast is hosting this weekend's event.

I made the soup today, and Dad & I enjoyed a generous bowl with Japanese thick sliced bread for dinner, with plenty left over for the freezer. It stands up well to freezing and reheating.

Here's the scoop on how to make it.

Lamb and Herb Soup

1 onions peeled and thinly sliced
1 pound lamb stew meat cut into slices/cubes
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon turmeric
12 cups water
1/2 cup dried chick peas
1/2 cup lentils
1 cup barley
1 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup Sabzi Aash Dehydrated Vegetables
1/4 cup rice
1 cup yogurt to stir in table side


1) Brown the onion and lamb 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a large pot. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and turmeric. Pour in the water and add the chick peas, barley and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 60 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

2) Add fresh dill, Sabzi Aash Dehydrated Vegetables, and rice. cover and cook 60 minutes

3) Check to see that the meat is tender and the beans are done. Adjust seasoning and add more warm water if soup is too thick.

Serve in bowls with yogurt on side for individuals to stir in to taste.

For best results, cook it a day in advance so that the flavors meld.

weekend herb blogging