Hi All





What a lovely Autumn day! I have included a picture of me dispensing herbs so you can have an idea of what is I get up to when I am formulating your remedies.

I have a Autumn soup recipe for you all today rich in beta-carotene and protein. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 diced onion
1 stick of diced celery stick
2 diced carrots
1 cinnamon stick
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
About 4 cups chicken/vegetable stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground toasted coriander, optional
1 medium Roasted Winter Squash recipe
1/2 cup red lentils

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and cinnamon stick and saute until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the chicken stock and the coriander, if using, and bring to a boil. Add red lentils. Simmer for several minutes until lentils cooked. Stir in the squash until smooth, then simmer gently to let the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.
3. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. (The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, covered, and refrigerated for several days or frozen for about 1 month. It will thicken as it cools and may need thinning with stock or water when reheating.)
4. Return the soup to the pan and reheat gently. Add the half-and-half, if using. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm until service.

To serve:
Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Garnish evenly, with pumpkin seeds, if desired.

Roast the squash: Cut into slices remove seeds and toss in olive oil roast in hot oven (gas mark 6) for 20mins or until soft.

Winter remedies No 1:

Fresh ginger tea at the first sign of a cold.

Slice two to three slices of ginger per cup of boiling water and brew for 5-10 mins add slice of lemon and honey. The sesquiterpenes in this medicinal root are anti- viral against the rhinovirus (common cold).