When Life Gives You Snowmen…

I don’t know what to believe anymore.

I’d like to blame the messenger, but since damning the media is fast becoming the new national pastime, I’m reluctant to follow suit.  In fact I can’t really blame them.  There is so much competing for our attention these days, that the talking heads have to resort to screaming just to get us to notice.  It’s what any two-year-old would do.

But it’s not working anymore.

Everything is so over-hyped, we’ve grown skeptical of everything we hear.   I can’t believe the president is a socialist baby-killer.  I can’t believe the Republicans are solely concerned with making the world safer for multimillionaires. I’m even having a hard time believing the weather report these days.

Right now, we’re in lock down here in the Midwest as a huge storm (what has been called a “death storm” on NPR) pushes its way across the country.  The last big storm turned out to be a false alarm, but that wasn’t “the storm of the century,” was it?  Nevertheless, since I’m from California and barely know how to drive in rain, I’m waiting this one out at home.

What does this have to do with soup?  It comes down to trust.

Just as you only believe information that comes from a source you find credible (be it the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times or cable TV), the only way to get food you can trust is to find a supplier you believe in.

Consider the Carrot Ginger Soup my eldest has loved for several years.  It comes in a box from Trader Joe’s, which, since I hail from the left side of the country, I tend to trust implicitly.  Although, now that I think of it, isn’t Trader Joe’s now owned by the same guys who own Aldi Foods, that market I used to avoid during my time in Berlin.

Never mind.

I’ll just make the soup myself.

It’s easy, really. Carrots, onions, ginger and garlic are not only easily had any time of year, they’re also downright cheap.  And what’s more, because I’m doing the cooking, I’ll know about everything that goes into the soup.  Unless, of course, my rightwing offspring or leftie spouse try something “soupy” behind my back.

Nah.

Happily, the result of all this paranoia was a delicious soup that was roundly praised by the whole family.  Actually my kids thought it tasted great, but that it was a little thick (as noted in recipe below).

See?  It pays not to trust anyone.

Except my grocer.  It’s not like I’m actually going to grow any of this stuff.

Yet.

Carrot & Ginger Soup
(serves 6-8)
1 T canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs carrots, chopped
5-6 cups stock
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat the oil over medium heat in a 3 quart soup pot, add the onions and sauté until tender then add ginger and garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
2. Before the garlic burns, add the carrots, stock and seasoning and bring the mixture to a boil then reduce it to a simmer for 30-45 minutes.
3. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until it has a smooth velvety texture.  If it’s too thick for you, add more stock and puree again until it reaches your preferred consistency.  I started with 4 cups of stock to start and added an extra cup at the end because the puree was too thick for me. My kids thought it could have used one cup more (hence the 6 cups option).
4. Serve warm with a lighter fish or a chicken dish.  Crusty bread, as ever, is also a good companion.

Image Credit: “When Life Gives You Snowmen…”  Yes, the face is made of ginger, carrots and garlic (the onion is on the inner layer). Photographed by the author.

Of course, you’ll need to cook this one yourself.  It’s not like you can trust any sources you find on the Internet, myself included. You can, however, trust Trader Joe’s. I know one of the mucky mucks over there.  He’s a good guy, a tad conservative, but still. The question is again, do you trust me?  Let me know in a comment. I’ll be reading and responding.  We’re snowed in, what else am I going to do?