Velouté of Turnips

What? Yes, that's right, a cream of turnip soup that even turnip-dislikers will enjoy. Just to be clear, a turnip is small and has white flesh. Often in grocery stores I have see either large, powerful tasting turnips or even large rutabagas (which have yellow flesh) labelled as 'turnip'.

2lbs small turnips peeled and diced
1 leek, chopped fine
4 cups chicken stock (veg stock for vegetarian)
½ cup (4oz/114gr) butter
1 cup crème fraîche
¾ to 1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

1. In a soup pot, saute the leek in the melted butter at a very low temperature, so that you're pretty much poaching the leek in the butter. Poach until completely soft.
2. Meanwhile bring the stock to a boil and put in the diced turnips. Set to simmer.
3. When the turnips are thoroughly cooked, dump in the leek and butter, the crème fraîche, the salt and pepper.
4. Blend, season, and pass through a strainer.
5. Adjust the thickness of the soup with whatever liquid remains in the pot.
6. Serve hot with fresh snipped chives.

Herbed Courgette Soup - good hot or cold

I've lifted this recipe pretty much exactly as it's written on the My Gourmet Connection Web site. The version below is merely my personal preference for the options provided in the original. It makes for a tasty soup to bring on a picnic since it's as good hot as it is, cold.

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter
1 cup onion, chopped
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup flour
3½ cups chicken broth (veg stock for Vegetarian)

1½ lbs unpeeled any kind of summer squash - a mix of colours is nice
½ cup cream
1½ Tbsps lemon juice
1½ to 3 Tbsps chopped fresh tarragon OR 1 Tbsp dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note: Choose small to medium squash with tender skins and leave them unpeeled for both extra colour and nutritional value.

1. Cut the squash into small (½") cubes and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer.
3. Add the flour to combine and, stirring continuously, cook until the flour is pale golden in colour, 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and well blended.
5. Add the squash and season with salt and pepper. (If using dry tarragon, add now and mix in). Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Remove the soup from the heat and purée until smooth. Return the pot to the stove, stir in the cream and lemon juice and heat through, 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Taste and adjust the seasoning, add the tarragon, ladle into serving bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired.
8. OR allow to cool completely and serve with freshly chopped tarragon sprinkled on top.

Creamy Pesto Pasta

Versatility is incredibly welcome in a farm kitchen - when you've been working hard outside and have lost track of time, and your stomach reminds you that you've missed your cooking-time-window and the refrigerator reveals no useful leftovers. Whatever pasta you have, will work fine with this dish. I've tried this with basil pesto, sundried tomato pesto and cilantro pesto, and they've all come out beautifully tasty.

8 oz uncooked pasta (any kind)
1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter
1 Tbsp flour
1½ cups cream
¼ cup pesto (any kind)
2 oz (56g) Parmesan
¼ tsp pepper
salt, to taste
A little extra Parmesan
Pine nuts to garnish (optional)

1. Boil pasta in salted water.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter, and whisk in the flour, whisking continuously until the mixture starts to turn golden. 
3. Stream in the cream, whisking constantly. Whisk until it starts to thicken.
4. Whisk in the pesto, the Parmesan and the pepper (3 p's).
5. Drain the cooked pasta, retaining a bit of the water, and pour in the sauce, mixing until the pasta is covered.
6. Taste, and add salt, if needed.
7. Serve, garnished with freshly grated Parmesan and a few pine nuts, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.