Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Storm, Eating Out,

Monday night we had the oddest storm. It was lashing rain and flashing lightning but there wasn't one rumble of thunder. A totally silent storm. In the morning everything appeared dry but the greenery was so fresh looking. 

Tuesday night we decided to go out to supper. I just did not feel like cooking. I wanted to go to the Boa Nova Radizio and was very disappointed to find it was closed down. What a pity. It was a Portuguese/Brazilian restaurant where they served the meat on skewers (used to be swords once upon a time). We had been there several times. Sue H. if you read this, you will remember you and I went there once. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even took Matt there for his birthday one time with a couple of other friends. So I was very disappointed. In the end we decided to go to Golf's Steak House which is a favourite restaurant of some friends of ours. They do a very good steak there so... made a booking on line, didn't know we could do that. We had tomato beef vegetable soup with garlic bread, salad bar, and then kebabs with fillet and vegetables - the meat had been marinated and was very tasty. We
both finished up with dessert  I had carrot cake, surprise, surprise, Matt had a chocolate swirl cheese cake. I drank a glass of Valpolicella, Matt usually refrains as he is driving. When we left there were all kinds of girls in pretty dresses running around the parking lot, figured it out as a prom, it was. All of the dresses were short and bouffant like a ballerina's. One somewhat buxom girl would have done much better wearing a different design. In something svelte she would have looked good. Most of the young men seemed to be wearing the same shirts in shades of lilac although one went as far as deep mauve. So, we have finally spent Matt's birthday money from his kids.

This sounds like a soup I will be trying. Love pea soups but never thought of combining with asparagus. I think I would leave out the potato.

Asparagus, Pea and Herb Soup

Asparagus, Pea and Herb Soup
  • Serves: 4

Description

A quick and easy soup recipe to celebrate the native asparagus season. I wanted to make a recipe that didn't include cream - there are a lot of those about!

Ingredients

Half a pound of Asparagus, chopped into inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 stick of Celery, chopped
1 small potato, peeled and diced small
1 handful of frozen peas
1.8 litres of vegetable stock
1 large bunch of parsley, chopped
1 small bunch of mint, chopped
1 splash of olive oil

Preparation

Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sweat off the onion and the celery until soft, and then add the potatoes and the stock. Bring the stock to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or so. Add the peas and the asparagus and cook until the asparagus is tender. Add the herbs and turn the heat off. When cool enough, blend until smooth and then bring back to simmering point. Serve. 

Have a great day
 

32 comments:

  1. That's a coincidence. We went to big hotel for a family do on Friday and all the kids were arriving in their limos, dressed up for prom night. They were lovely, really, but most of the girls had way too much make-up on and looked about 40 - and all the scrubbed up boys looked about 13!

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    1. Funny that Pam. You are right about the make-up and the scrubbed 13 yr. old look. Didn't think of it at the time. They were really lively though. We didn't have proms in England when I was growing up, don't know if they have adopted the custom now.

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  2. I'm glad you got to go out. The soup sounds nice - I love pea soup too - but I think the potato would add a bit of bulk. Since it's winter here extra carbs are tempting.

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    1. Yup, it made a change Helen. Well supposedly it's summer here so no potato for me.

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  3. Hi Jo. It sucks when a fave place closes down. Also hate it when a restaurant takes a favourite dish off the menu. :-(

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    1. Yes, doesn't it Denise. Our doughnut chain has removed both my favourites over the years. Not that I eat them very often, but..... The latest was because it contains nuts. So if you are allergic, don't eat it right?

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  4. Glad to know you are feeling a little better and able to share with us.

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    1. Thanks Denise, not sure it will continue though. Playing it by ear for now. As I said, I have all the recipes ready to go.

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  5. I have to say I'm not a fan of the prom dresses today. They are like postage stamp sized pieces of fabric and all strapless, and not all girls can (or should) wear strapless. Give me the long, lacy gowns of the 80s any day. We had a bad storm here yesterday. Most of the potential funnel clouds passed north of me and there was some rain and thunder but the meteorologists were in a tailspin with their breathless reporting and you just know they really, truly wanted a tornado to touch down. They were advising people in some town to seek shelter just in case.

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    1. I do so agree with you JoJo. Nothing elegant about these dresses. Some of the girls looked quite pretty but one at least looked as though she had escaped from Swan Lake, or a wedding maybe. I think you are right about forecasters, they want to see it happen.

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  6. I personally love storms. There's something cozy about them. And nothing beats eating out ;-)

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    1. So long as I'm safe indoors Vanessa, I'm OK with storms.

      Dunno, we eat very well at home. Sometimes I cook better than restaurants do.

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  7. I slept right through the storm but others said there was loud thunder in our area. I can sleep through anything just about. I always feel sad when a good restaurant can't make it. They are taken over by all the chains which is sad. Oh...prom and it seems lavender colour is all the rage at least for the boys. The buxom gal sounds like she was in a "come see all my goods" dress. Most of these gowns(gowns??) sound a bit too poufy for my taste.

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    1. I guess you got the thunder we didn't Birgit. It's funny because the Boa Nova has been there for years. Pity.

      Wouldn't really describe the buxom girl like that. She was just following the trend which she shouldn't have done.

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  8. Sounded like a nice place to go for dinner! I always like to go out when "young ones" are all "spruced up" for prom. Always fun to watch them.

    betty

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    1. It is Betty. I have never seen prom groups before (other than in movies). Bit like restless butterflies.

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  9. I love the sound of a good storm and the pitter patter of rain falling for hours. The herb soup sounds like a good brew for a camping trip.

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    1. As I said, don't mind the storm if I am inside.

      Not sure about on a camping trip.

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  10. Strange sounding storm. We experienced the same thing about two weeks ago. The neighbor lost a huge tree... never heard it fall.

    The soup sounds good. Thank you, Jo.

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    1. I thought so Dixie. So long as it didn't fall on the neighbour's house.

      It does sound good I agree.

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  11. Yes, glad you're not as tired. Going out is fun, but when a favorite closes, not. Unless you have plenty of choices!

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    1. Thanks Yolanda. We do have a lot of choices round here luckily

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  12. We've had so many big storms lately. Sometimes they seem to come at us from two directions. Dinner sounds lovely. I almost never get desert when I eat out because I'm too full.

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    1. I mostly don't eat dessert Susan, but just had room for one.

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    2. Our storms are just as stormy with lashing rain, lightnings and winds. It gets frightening to say the least! I'm all for vege kind of soups. Nicely Jo!

      Hank

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    3. Not quite sure where you are Hank. Storms can be quite something. Lived through a few hurricanes when we were in NC. - I love soups of all kinds.

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  13. We've had storms too and then yesterday was great out. Sunny and perfect. Then dropped down to chilly chilly. No rain yet today. Overcast though.

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    1. Been lovely here today Ivy but supposed to have a wet weekend.

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    2. Was drizzly this morning and now it's raining. But it's sooooo nice. I love the way it sounds.

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    3. Dull as ditchwater here today Ivy

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  14. I liked the beef-wrapped asparagus better. ;)

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    1. I would be happy with either Melissa. I love soups at any time.

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