At the Root of Things

While I was in Virginia, I picked up one of those free regional magazines. This one is in support of local farmers and their produce. I thumbed through the magazine while eating lunch and after reading about Patrick O'Connell and The Inn at Little Washington, I decided to take what I was reading home. Wednesday, work was slow so I ran up to the market to buy the ingredients for O'Connell's Apple Rutabaga Soup. I wasn't out of the market when my phone rang and I had to go see patients.

Thursday, I got out of bed with only that soup on my mind. Come hell or high water, I was going to make this dish. I gathered all of my root veggies together with the secret ingredient. Maple syrup (and not Mrs. Butterworth), is the key to melding this whole thing together. It also has chicken broth, heavy cream, an entire stick of butter, salt and cayenne pepper. The article says vegetable stock can be substituted for those who don't eat meat. For vegans, I guess it's tough luck because I don't know how to substitute the dairy.

As I write this, I have already consumed next week's daily requirements for fat along with plenty of vitamins c and a. I swear I can see better now but maybe that's because it's still light out. I wholeheartedly recommend this recipe. You need a blender or food processor per the recipe, but I used my immersion blender instead and that was fine. Now I find myself wondering if I should mess with a sure thing by roasting the vegetables first. I love the flavor of roasted root vegetables. I think I may try it just for the heck of it. One of these days, I'm going to have one of those amazing looking meals at The Inn. I just need to find a second job first.

Bon appétit.