Do You Have a Larder (Pantry?)

Dear Friends of Autumn Cottage Diary 

Its been a long time since I checked in with you all – the beginning of October 2007 seems so far away in many respects (and Lily and Pippin have grown even more!). Even the New Year has been slow in kicking into action here at Autumn Cottage. But I’ve finally been prompted to put finger to keyboard  after mentions of the Slow Food Movement by Britt-Arnhild and Chel of the Yahoo Armchair Travelling group .
 

Tim goes back to college tomorrow, and I had promised him that before he did, I would make and freeze a batch of home made soup for him. These soups are something of a tradition in our family – they are very much “slow food” in their preparation, but fast in the effect that they have of bringing people from the far end of the house to the kitchen, enticed by the herby, garlic-y fragrance which floats abroad when the soup is simmering on the cooker. 

So this afternoon was already designated “soup time”, but mentions of  the interest that others have in Slow Food inspired me to take a few photographs to show just how simple the making of this root vegetable soup really is. Here’s a little gallery of images to show how it progresses – and here is the recipe. You won’t find many weights and measures in it – this is cooking the way that my (our?) mother/s did it – with plenty of tasting along the way to make sure that the things which count are there!
 

We start with this - easy!

Autumn Cottage Root Veg Slow Soup

2 large onions

½ head of celery

¼ Swede

2 large potatoes

8 medium carrots

At least 4 large cloves of garlic

A bunch of sage, rosemary and oregano

About 2 tbsp olive oil

About 1 tbsp butter

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

 

One of the most important additions - a bunch of herbs - can you smell it yet?
 

Put the olive oil, butter and chopped or crushed garlic into a large pan and allow to sweat on a very low heat for 5 minutes – (infusion rather than immolation!). 

Peel and roughly dice all the vegetables, then add to the oil and garlic. Give all a good stir, put the lid on the pan, and allow to sweat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, boil a kettle of water. 

Add the magic ingredients – the bunch of herbs (add any that you have – fresh are better than dried, but if dried is all you have, Italian herb mixes work well – I imagine about a tbsp would do). 

Pour boiling water over to just cover the vegetables. Lid back on, bring back to the boil, then turn down the heat and allow to simmer for an hour. 

Add 1½ cups of red lentils; continue to simmer until all the water has been absorbed. A little more water may be needed as you go along if it gets too thick – different lentils absorb different amounts of water. 

Allow to cool, removing the bunch of twigs which will be all that is left of the herbs! 

Either eat “chunky” with good granary bread, or whizz in a blender for a smoother soup. Season to taste.

(Throw nothing away! Peelings  can happily be added to the compost heap - where they will miraculously turn into Black Gold for the garden over the space of a few  months - all for FREE!)

The contents of the compost bin - greens, peelings, old paper and cardboard. Magic!

My question in the title was inspired by opening the door to the larder to find the lentils (which I then dropped all over the floor when returning them to their shelf, but that is another story – Lily and Pippin have offered to clear them up – I don’t know if I should believe them?). Every time I look in that cupboard, I have a little thrill of pleasure, to see the shelves lined with packets, pots and jars - all manner of good things. 

I was determined to keep the larder when we bought “part 2” of Autumn Cottage (then called “Myrtle Cottage”) in 1995. So many people rip them out, in favour of “integrated” storage in a fitted kitchen, but, though small (what I really long for is the bliss of a walk-in Victorian larder, complete with slate and marble shelving), it is my cool repository of magical ingredients, which will transform a pot of water and humble vegetables into wholesome soups, purees, olives and pasta which will transport me back to Italy, powders and potions which will take me travelling to the Middle East and India., What a treasure nook it is! So, do you long for or have a larder? If you do, what do you keep in it? If not, what would your ideal larder be?

[I thought that these links may be of interest, noticing that several comments to this blog have noted the use of "Pantry" for what I have termed "Larder". I've certainly learned something myself - especially that there is even a website dedicated to "Everything Pantry"!]
 

Though we have travelled three months through the fallow part of the year, dear readers, there have been many changes at Autumn Cottage – and the coming year promises to see many more. Change is often difficult, and without burdening you with tedious personal details, I have found some of the changes more challenging than I expected. Looking back, I am now trying to do what I sometimes encourage my clients to do, to find the learning in all the events that have, and continue to occur. (I am SO much better at telling other people how to live their lives than I am at living my own!) 

Alec is seeking horizons new, after leaving the work he has done for 29 years. I, in turn, am now also open to the possibility of new things in my life, new directions, new adventures, new challenges – which I hope I shall continue to meet here at Autumn Cottage. 

I still continue to study at Winchester for the moment, though the openness to new challenges may include suspending those studies for a while, while I continue to build my counselling and psychotherapy practice, which will be extending more into on-line work in the next year, and also to offer many more day classes and courses here at the cottage. The new herb garden will be another place for my lovely workshop attendees to sit,contemplate, and write. here it is, in the depths of winter. Watch this space as it develops over the year.

In fact, I am returning to some of the things that first brought me to writing “Autumn Cottage Diary” on the Internet, some 12 years ago. I still want to share life here in an English country cottage with those of you who love such things – I want to return to sharing the changing seasons of the beautiful countryside with which I am surrounded, the old buildings in the interesting towns and villages which still exist – if you know where to look for them – the old bookshops, the antiques, the crafts, the good food and drink that can also still be found. 

Not every town has been completely taken over by plate glass-windowed emporia, clones of their brother and sister shops in every other town – all lookalike “Next”, Debenhams, Homebase and Tesco. The interesting and the downright eccentric still exist! (The superstores are also great – in their own way – but often very unlovely). 

So join me through 2008, as I bring the pleasures that I enjoy daily – here in the garden and house at Autumn Cottage, and when I travel in the towns and villages of England and abroad. I’ve missed you all – thank you, so many of you, for writing and telling me how much you have missed me. Your sincere concern has been heart warming to me. 

To bow out for today, who else could I leave you with other than Pippin, Lily, and Lissie (who decided to feast a day early at Christmas, ending up on the veterinary operating table the day after Boxing Day – but that, too, is another story!)

Who's bigger now? Lissie, thin and fragile but OK after surgery.

Another computer geek in the house!

 

A belated Happy New Year to you all!

Comments

[Gina]

Roz, how lovely it is to read your words here once again. I love the soup pictures. Love to you from BC.

[Ardi]

Hi Roz,
Yes, I've got a larder - though I call it a pantry. It was originally our hall closet (larger than usual closet size) and when Phil retired, the first thing I had him do was put shelving in there. What a wonderful thing - close to the kitchen, a place for the over-sized pots and bowls and a spot for the basics for my cooking. Love the herb garden - it turned out so lovely.

[Britt-Arnhild]

Dear Raz. It is just GREAT to have you back in blogland. As you know I ecco so much of what you write about living the slower life. I look forward to more posts here :-)

[Boyd]

One day I really must come see you for a visit. Oh the times we would have!

[Terri]

My dear sweet Roz, it is so very good to have you back. I hope everything falls into the right places for you.

Larder - what I have isn't even considered a pantry - even though I call it that. I have a set of shelves that DH built in the garage for me. It is right outside the kitchen door. I have a piece of material hanging over it, which needs to be replaced.

My grandmother had a walkin pantry and the sink was in there. I like that.

[Fran aka Redondowriter]

It's so good to see you back in blogland again, Roz. The photos of the soup progressing and what I call a pantry, too, are inspiring. I'll post pictures of my own sometime; it shares space with the washer and dryer.

Oh dear, the cats got into the chocolate? I know animals aren't supposed to have chocolate. The kitties are absolutely adorable, however, and it's probably your pocketbook that hurts most.

Happy new year to you and yours in what will shape up to be a year of change. I went to an annual evening of the Gathering of Goddesses a friend does where we eventually have to choose a Goddess persona for ourselves. Last year I was synchronicity and this year I'm gratitude. You could be the Goddess of Change!

Love,
Fran

[Chel]

Roz,
Thanks for sharing your slow food recipe- soups are truly nurturing and we often turn to them for all kinds of nourishment. Esp. as you say, using your own vegetables and herbs. I have been an avid slow food cook for the longest time too and didn't realise that there was a movement now called 'slow food'.
I only have a makeshift pantry at present, but in the past three houses I have had terrific pantry space and never took it for granted. I am a Tupperware person for storage and as we have lots of creepy crawlies, this urges me more to put things in airtight containers. Weevils seem to be a favourite here for some reason.
I was not at all surprised to read that you are a psychotherapist and counsellor as that is what I pictured you as! LOL
Happy New Year!

[Pooch]

I delight in your blog--the beauty of your images and words. The natural beauty feeds my spirit. Living in semi-arid, western USA, I take great pleasure in your luscious greenery.

We built a pantry when we built our house 32 years ago. What would I do without it?!

So happy you are blogging, though I understand the life changes when a spouse leaves a long-held position and must look at himself in a new way.

Blessings.

:)

[Denzylle]

I really enjoy your blog and am pleased to have you back. Being a big reader of food blogs, I'd love to hear more about the food you make.

[Darla]

Happy to see you posting again Roz.

I have a small pantry and the best thing about it is the door, the clutter is out of sight out of mind.

I'm currently reading B.Kingsolver's book, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and Slow Cooking gets quite a few mentions.

Your soup look good.

Darla