Time and Thyme......

Though winter is still with us at least the days are getting longer. Today sunrise was at 08:23 and sunset at 16:29. This compares with 21st December (shortest day) of 09:04 and 15:15. Amazing the difference six weeks makes!

The wind finally dropped this afternoon. Button was getting a little stir crazy! She did come out to feed the hens with me and whizzed around the barns but it was too windy for her to want to stay out long and in she came again. She's been grumping around the house all day. Then this afternoon I did some cooking and discovered that the herb, Thyme, seems to have the same effect on her as catnip! I'd put some in a soup (more of that later) and while sitting having a cup of tea waiting for it to finish cooking, Button came up to say hi - then she went completely bonkers after she'd sniffed my hand - racing around, pouncing on things, yowling, she rolled OFF the sofa TWICE! Well - I'm assuming it WAS Thyme I put into the soup........

Anyway here is a recipe for what I would call a "workaday" mushroom soup. Not an extravagent recipe with cream, just basic ingrediants but ooooooh it is delicious. I adapted the recipe from one I already had and thankfully it turned out OK. So here's the recipe

Mushroom Soup
(makes about 1 and a half pints)

(Different mushrooms will give different flavours so I just use whatever I can get!)

4 cups button mushrooms, peeled and chopped (10 oz)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt
black pepper
Thyme (fresh or dried)
1 and half pints vegetable stock

Heat oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion gently until transparent.
Add mushrooms and cook until soft but do not brown.
Add the chopped potatoes.
Add the stock and Thyme and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and seaon.
Blend.
Reheat and serve.

Options: Swap the Thyme for garlic and add with the onion. Or use Parsley instead of Thyme.

If anyone has any soup recipes they want to share then please DO email me!