The Holidays Between the Holidays

It's that time of year for sure. Christmas is over, but New Years Eve is still to come. It's the holidays between the holidays. Of course, I have to ask: Do I go in to work today? Do I stay home? Do I keep indulging in copious amounts of sweets, left over turkey & gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, and wine? Do I start restricting myself and get a head start on the inevitable weight-loss regime that follows too much sweets, left over turkey & gravy, buttery mashed potatoes, and wine? Is it still economically viable to continue plugging in strands of lights all over the house for that festive feel? Or do I pack them away for another year and save on the electric waste (and the bill)? Do I plan new years resolutions? Or not? And most importantly, is bailey's still acceptable in the morning coffee? (The answer to that is it's always acceptable)...

Am I thinking this through too much? Probably.

What I'm really curious about though are questions related to what you're doing in relation for New Years! You can send them to me via the comments section at the end of this entry. And please do! I would love to hear what you have to say - God knows I hear my own voice way to often! I'd like to hear yours.

•  Are you making plans for the night of? What are they? What are your expectations?
• Are you making resolutions? List them off for me! Or do you not even bother?
• What are your general feelings about this time of year?

Christmas Day Dinner

It's difficult to remember to take pictures of everything with friends and family and the excitement of Christmas around! It started out as Mom and Dad, Brother, John & I, but we quickly multiplied and my good friend Sara came over, as did a couple of Brother's friends. It was a full house (though not as full as some) and it was joyous. I tried to remember "the blog", but I often found myself mowing down on cookies, pie, and dinner treats without even glimpsing at the camera. In the Happy Ho Ho  entry I listed off the menu items we planned for Christmas dinner. Below are photos of what we indulged in..... Some are rushed, others worked out alright (though there was no fancy plating/presentation that day!). And I missed the pumpkin pie. I like to think it's omnipresent even if the photo isn't. The food was traditional yet elegant and absolutely fatteningly delicious. 

    Free-range, Local, Grass fed, Organic Happy Turkey!

Mom’s Mashed Potatoes (No sour cream, green onions or garlic allowed, apparently).

Homemade Apple Walnut Stuffing (Meatatarian & Vegetarian Versions).

Roast Garlic ,Yam, Carrot & Apple Mash.

Roast Beets with Garlic.

Blackened Brussel Sprouts.

Quinoa Veggie Pilaf with Grana Padano & Fresh Herbs.

Mom’s From-Scratch Fluffy Dinner Buns.

Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce.

Scratch Gravy.

The Good Life!

Finally! Exams are over, studying is finished for the year, and papers are written! It feels so good. And yet, so empty! As a full time 4th year university student I spend most of my down time working on things I have to for school. Without those assignments to fill my time, I'm not always sure what to do with myself. It's amazing how quickly the role of "student" engulfs who and what you are. So, to fill the time (and because I enjoy the company of good people, good food, and good wine), I hosted what I hope will become our first annual "Post Exam-Pre Christmas Potluck!".

Everyone was there. Well, almost everyone. And it was wonderful! My friends really are the best in the world (no offence to anyone else's friends) and I am so very very very lucky to have them in my life. I need them. They are so clever, and sweet, and honest and thoughtful talented and beautiful - I'm a very lucky woman. Below are the delicious treats everyone brought. And believe me - they.were. delicious. (And so are my friends, if you haven't gotten the point yet). Thank you everybody for coming and being so delicious and for bringing so many amazing and spectacular dishes.

I love you all. So much.

The Snacking:

My Sicilian Olive Mix 



John's infamous Cheese & Pineapple



Ben's "Original" 7 Layer Dip & Chips

The Dinner:

Jesse & Jeff's Yummy Crab Dip with Crackers



Haydn's Pulled Pork Sliders with Roasted Apple & Cheese (Buns & Wraps) - Umm, recipe please?



Kendra's Curried Prawns. Oh yeah.

My Truffled White Bean Dip with Sauteed Mushrooms & Herbs on Baguette.



The Sweets:

Kaitlyn & Jon's Super Fun Cupcake Word Game!!



Tara's totally awesome (Starbucks) Cranberry Tart.



Happy Ho Ho Everybody!

For a Christmas Eve stroll Mom and I went for a walk down along Dallas Road yesterday - you wouldn't believe the wind and the waves! (Sorry you couldn't find us John!) The surf was massive! Look:

I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas day today filled with love and good company and wine. Lots of wine. I'm gonna get my first glass in about 10 minutes - especially if Dad offers me the Turkey's neck one more time! So far we've been preping dinner, eating copious amounts of tarts, cookies, fudge, cakes, and chocolate, and getting things ready for tonight. Beets are roasting, brussel sprouts are crisping, and the stuffing is being mixed. Luckily I have Mom here to help me with the Gobble Gobble! On the menu for tonight:

 

-          Free-range, Local, Grass fed, Organic Happy Turkey!

-          Mom’s Mashed Potatoes (No sour cream, green onions or garlic allowed, apparently).

-          Homemade Apple Walnut Stuffing.

-          Roast Garlic ,Yam, Carrot & Apple Mash.

-          Roast Beets with Garlic.

-          Blackened Brussel Sprouts.

- Quinoa Veggie Pilaf with Grana Padano & Fresh Herbs.

-          Mom’s From-Scratch Fluffy Dinner Buns.

-          Brother’s Orange Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce.

-          Scratch Gravy.

-          Local Organic Artisan (Yup, that's us. Artisans.) Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Whipping Cream.

Happy Holidays Everyone - I wish you all the best for this season and the coming year. Xoxo!

Curried Coconut Winter Squash Soup

As I've mentioned before, sometimes in our Saanich Organics Box we receive local, organic, seasonal, happy produce that I'm not too sure what to do with. It's always an adventure! 

Sometimes I appreciate that adventure, sometimes not so much. It's a lot of hard work to research particular vegetables and figure out ways to prepare, cook and eat them. Not that I'm really complaining, I'm just owning part of the responsibility and the challenge of being involved with such a project. The upside, however, is that we are supporting local, sustainable farmers and the food choices we are making are really making a difference for the Earth and our health. Plus, once I do actually figure out what to do with things, I'm always impressed and amazed by the textures and flavors I discover. I like to think that's due to my culinary genius - in reality, it's probably a result of quality, whole foods that are natural and fresh.

These past couple of weeks we received some seriously beautiful winter squash. I'm not sure of the specific varieties but they were brilliant orange and yellow and quite sizable! Typically, I like to roast squash in the oven or pan fry it, dump a bunch of fresh sage in, and throw it in a buttery delicious pasta. With all the cold weather lately, however, I had a craving for something warm and soft and comforting... I wanted soup. 

So, without being entirely sure about what varieties and specific flavors or textures I had in my crisper, I decided to throw a bunch of stuff together and see how they meshed. The results were delectable.

Curried Coconut Winter Squash Soup

(printable recipe)

Ingredients

2 Medium Size Winter Squash

1 Medium to Large Onion, diced.

3 Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced.

2 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, finely chopped.

1 Lemon, for zest and juice.

1/4 C Fresh, Local Honey.

400ml Coconut Milk.

1 C Chicken Stock (If you have some homemade - that's much better. You can see how to do that here. I was out, and short on time, so I got the boxed stuff).

3-4 Tbsp Red Curry Powder.

1-3 Tsp Cayenne Powder (to preference).

1/2 Tsp Ground All-Spice.

1/4 C Butter.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

Garnish

1/2 C Toasted Almonds, slivered.

1/2 C Grana Padano, grated.

Sprigs of Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley.

What to Do

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Now, gather the squash, slice in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife (be careful!), and lay in a baking pan face up. Season well with salt & pepper and drizzle generously with olive oil. Pour about a cup or so of water in the bottom of the pan to help keep the squash moist. Place in the oven and let cook for about 40 minutes or until tender. Remove and let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce-pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion. After about a minute, add the garlic, ginger, and lemon zest. Heat through for a couple minutes and then remove from the heat to let cool.

Now your squash should be cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off the squash with a spoon/fork/hands (whatever is easiest for you).

Throw the pulp in a food processor. Add the onion mixture. Dump in the rest of the ingredients (except the coconut milk and the honey). Pulse to combine and puree. Make sure you taste as you go along! You may need to add more salt, pepper, or seasonings to make the flavors really pounce!

Once the taste and puree are perfect, throw them back in the pot from which you cooked the onions originally. Add the coconut milk and the honey. Heat over medium-low until thoroughly hot but not boiling. Taste. Add more seasoning if necessary.

To plate, dish up a couple ladles of the soup and top with a Tbsp of the toasted almonds, a couple Tsp of the grana padano, and a couple sprigs of parsley.

Eat.

Pine Nut Crusted Portobellas with Roast Veg & Arugula

Coming up with the recipe for Pine Nut Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Roast Veg & Arugula actually began as a vegetarian recipe. I simply adapted some ingredients to fit a more "Moo"-happy diet. So, when brother bear and I made the meatatarian version, we also threw together the veggie one and this is what came out:

Pine Nut Crusted Portobella Mushrooms with Roast Veg & Arugula

Ingredients (General):

4 Large Portobella Mushrooms, wiped clean and stems removed.
2 Bunch Small Carrots.
4 Medium Size Beets.
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled.
1 Onion, sliced.
Small Handful Sicilian Olives.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
2 Tbsp Butter, unsalted.
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
3 C Fresh Arugula, washed and dried.

Ingredients for Marinade:

1/4 C Green Onions, chopped.

2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds.

1/3 C Soy Sauce.

1/3 C Vegetable Oil.

1/4 C White Granulated Sugar.

2 Tsp Garlic, minced.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

1 C Soft Goats Cheese Cheese.

1 Small Bunch Fresh Basil, roughly torn.

1.5 C Pinenuts, toasted.

1/4 C Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced.

2 Lemons, for zest.

What to Do:

First, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add the mushrooms. Toss well to coat, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 3 hours, turning occasionally to ensure even marinating.

Next, prepare the stuffing. In a bowl add all the ingredients and mash to combine. Set aside.

For the veg, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Now, simply throw the carrots, beets, & garlic cloves together into a roasting pan with a few good glugs of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and cover. Roast for approx. 40 - 50 minutes or until tender but firm. Don't worry about the carrots turning a little purple from the beets - it's rustic and delicious!

Meanwhile, saute butter in a large oven-proof pan over medium heat (Again, as I've mentioned before, I love cast-iron). Add the onions, stir to coat. Turn down the heat to low and allow them to caramelize and get all gooey and brown and sweet and yummy. Once finished, set aside, wipe out the pan - you'll need it for your mushrooms.

In the last 5 minutes of your roasting veg, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in the pan and add the mushrooms. Saute for approx 4-5 minutes on each side to cook through. Remove the roast veg when you flip the mushrooms and set aside to cool. Now, fill your mushrooms cap side down with the stuffing. Place in the oven for approx 7 minutes to heat through. By the time the mushrooms are finished cooking the beets should be cool enough to handle - peel the skin off and cut into fourths.

Plating: Lay a handful of arugula on the plate, followed by 1 beet, a few carrots, and some onions. Throw on the meat and then a few olives for garnish (these will contrast the sweet/rich flavor of the crust and the veg).

Eat.

Pine Nut Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Roast Veg & Arugula

It's great having my little brother living near me. We haven't lived in the same city for the past 5 years and now he's recently moved to Victoria - only a 20 minute walk away from my place! He's a stubborn little guy (and by little I mean he's 27 years old and about 6'4" tall - he's not so little).... But he'll always be little in my heart. Having him nearby is so nice - we actually get to go for walks, watch movies, and cook and eat delicious food. I missed him so! Yesterday we walked circles around down town (mostly because we couldn't sort ourselves out in terms of direction and/or where we needed to be), but we meandered through the Winter farmer's market in Market Square, got some candy from Santa, and had some delicious sushi for lunch - it was the first time he ever ate sushi! I like to think it's akin to his first steps as a baby - only with fish. Yum! We also baked some seriously delicious (and somewhat troubling) sugar cookies with John (post to follow) and watched Little Shop of Horrors, a comedic musical from the mid '80's we used to watch as children. If you haven't seen it - it's a classic.

I guess the point of all this rambling is that I am glad to see my brother, Michael, and I missed him. Family (whether they be blood relatives or the family you create yourself) is so important this time of year - and I am pumped to spend this Christmas with those whom I love the most in this world. Awww, little brother bear!

So for dinner last night, we made something delicious! For the veggie-friendly version with portobella mushrooms (the original recipe) click here. See below:

Pine Nut Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Veg & Arugula

Ingredients (General):

8 3 oz (1" thick)  Beef Tenderloin Medallions.
2 Bunch Small Carrots.
4 Medium Size Beets.
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled.
1 Onion, sliced.
Small Handful Sicilian Olives.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
2 Tbsp Butter + 1 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
3 C Fresh Arugula, washed and dried.

Ingredients for Marinade:

1/4 C Green Onions, chopped.
2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds.
1/3 C Soy Sauce.
1/3 C Vegetable Oil.
1/4 C White Granulated Sugar.
2 Tsp Garlic, minced.

Ingredients for Stuffing:

1 C Cow's Blue Cheese, crumbled.
2 Tbsp Rosemary, finely chopped.
1.5 C Pinenuts, toasted.
1/4 C Sundried Tomatoes, finely diced.
2 Lemons, for zest.

What to Do:

First, combine all the ingredients for the marinade and add tenderloin medallions. Toss well to coat, cover, and refrigerate to marinate for at least 3 hours, turning occasionally to ensure even marinating.

Next, prepare the topping. In a food processor add all the ingredients and pulse a few times to combine. Set aside.

For the veg, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Now, simply throw the carrots, beets, & garlic cloves together into a roasting pan with a few good glugs of olive oil, some salt and pepper, and cover. Roast for approx. 40 - 50 minutes or until tender but firm. Don't worry about the carrots turning a little purple from the beets - it's rustic and delicious!

Meanwhile, saute 2 Tbsp butter in a large oven-proof pan over medium heat (Again, as I've mentioned before, I love cast-iron). Add the onions, stir to coat. Turn down the heat to low and allow them to caramelize and get all gooey and brown and sweet and yummy. Once finished, set aside, wipe out the pan - you'll need it for your beef.

When you have about 10 minutes left on the roast veg, heat 1 Tbsp of butter & 1 Tbsp olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the medallions (make sure to pat them dry from the marinade first or you will end up with too much liquid in the pan!). Sear both sides for approx 4 minutes to lock in the flavor and crisp/brown the outside. Once you've flipped the meat, top with the crust. Place in the oven for approx 2-3 minutes to finish cooking - remove your veg to cool slightly.

*This cooking time will give you medium-rare medallions - the best temperature for beef tenderloin! If you want more or less cooked meat, adjust accordingly*

Remove from the oven and set beef aside for about 5 minutes or so to rest - this allows the juices to redistribute through the meat. Yum! By now, the beets should be cool enough to handle - peel the skin off and cut into fourths.

Plating: Lay a handful of arugula on the plate, followed by 1 beet, a few carrots, and some onions. Throw on the meat and then a few olives for garnish (these will contrast the sweet/rich flavor of the crust and the veg).

Eat.

Oh Holy Cake!

This morning I swung by the Post Office to pick up my passport and send off some beautiful Christmas cards that my friend makes by hand. I LOVE getting old fashioned snail mail - but nobody seems to send it anymore. It's so much more personal than E-Cards, or whatever. It's feels like Santa just delivered a little mini pre-Christmas gift in my mail box. So, this year I made a point to write at least a few. Anyhow, when I was at the post office I saw their sign said "Only 6 More Mailing Days" left until Christmas. I thought, what???  It's only the beginning of December! Then it occurred to me: Christmas is only 9 days away!! How did that happen?! Where did most of the month go?? Luckily, I'm on top of things:

You know what else I'm on top of? Cake. I heart cake. Cake always reminds me of happy times with family and thus, Christmas. The other day my brother and I teamed up on a cake baking adventure! Since I suck so bad at baking, and he's such a pro, it seemed like the logical thing to do. I wanted to make something sweet, spicy, and aromatic - something festive. So I found a recipe in Jennie Schacht's Farmers' Market Desserts.

This cookbook is great in that Schacht categorizes the recipes seasonally - helping readers to make more ethical and seasonably sound sweet decisions. Yum! Come to think of it, maybe I ought to either create and/or find a local seasonal food guide for here..... hmmmm...

While the cake we decided to make is listed in her "fall" category, we have relatively mild winters here on the island so apples, pears, and many other fresh fruits and vegetables are still in season. Below is the recipe we followed and fell in love with - Ginger Pear Skillet Cake. So delicious. So decadent. So easy.

Ginger-Pear Skillet Cake

Ingredients for Cake

2 1/3 C Unbleached All-Purpose Flour.

1 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger.

1 Tsp Kosher Salt.

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon.

1/2 Tsp Ground Allspice.

1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves (optional).

1/4 C Canola, Grapeseed, or Other Neutral Vegetable Oil.

1/2 C Gently Packed Light Brown Sugar.

1/2 C Unsulfered Dark Molasses.

1/2 C Plain Whole Milk Yogurt or Sour Cream.

1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, finely grated.

1 Large Egg, at room temperature.

1 Tsp Baking Soda.

1/2 C Hot, Fresh Brewed Strong Coffee or Boiling Water (I recommend the coffee for flavor).

Ingredients for Topping

4 Firm-Ripe Pears, peeled & cored (Bosc or Anjou are good).

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces.

1/4 C Gently Packed Light Brown Sugar.

1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt.

What to Do

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, with a rack on the lower third. Oil a 10 or 11 inch cast-iron skillet.

To make the cake, stir together the flour, ground ginger, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves (if using) in a bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together the oil, brown sugar, molasses, yogurt, fresh ginger, and egg in a large bowl until well blended and smooth. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in half of the flour mixture. Stir the baking soda into the hot coffee until dissolves, then add to the batter and stir until combined. Stir in the remaining flour. Transfer the batter to the prepared skillet and spread evenly.

To make the topping, cut the pears lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange the longer slices on the batter in a circle along the edge of the pan, overlapping them slightly and with the narrow ends pointing toward the center. Arrange the shortest slices in a second circle in the center to cover the batter completely. Dot the pear slices with the butter along the outer circle only.

Mix together the brown sugar and salt and sprinkle evenly over the top.

Bake until the top springs back when you press it lightly in the center and a toothpick inserted in the center comes up clean, about 1 hour. Transfer the skillet to the stove top to cool for at least 20 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (I recommend the ice cream!).

Eat!

PS. Will save well in the fridge for up to 4 days or, if wrapped well, will freeze for up to 2 months.

Brother's Always Right

My brother says I'm a regular Julia Child:

"Baking takes a lot of shit"...

(in reference to the amount of ingredients and mess we made baking a cake last night).



Best Ever Chicken Noodle Soup w/ Garlic, Herbed Butter & Grana Padano Crostini

Exams are on right now. I've just finished my second one so I have two more to go! And then it's Christmas Break Party Time! I. Can't. Wait. Studying though doesn't leave a lot of time for fancy, labour intensive, gourmet meals - unfortunately. However, it does mean I am home - a LOT - reading, highlighting, memorizing, making cue cards, and trying to cook dinner.

A few nights ago we had a delicious free-range, pastured organic chicken from up island for dinner which I roasted and stuffed with all kinds of goodness like oranges, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes and Chianti (thank YOU Jamie Oliver). It was very similar to this one.

Of course, we had the left over chicken and bones and bits so I decided to make some home made chicken noodle soup. I had never made soup before, and therefore didn't have a clue as to where to start. Well, let me tell you: I FIGURED IT OUT.

It turned out brilliantly and beautifully and is probably one of the best things I've ever made. Plus, it's super healthy and is a great way to use up some of the root vegetables (i.e. Parsnips) that we've been getting in our Saanich Organics box that we didn't really know what to do with. I didn't know chicken noodle soup could be so wonderful! And so now I'm sharing it with you...

Chicken Noodle Soup w/ Garlic, Herbed Butter & Grana Padano Crostini

(printable recipe)

Ingredients (For the Stock):

Left over chicken and bones from 2 organic, free range, local roasted chickens.

8 C Water (or blend of water, chicken broth, and/or veggie broth) - To Cover.

3 Celery Stalks, roughly chopped.

1 Onion, quartered.

3 Carrots, roughly chopped.

2 Leeks, roughly chopped and tops discarded.

5 Cloves Garlic.

1 Medium Parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped.

1 Large Waxy Potato, roughly chopped.

1 Lemon, halved.

1 Jalapeno or Other Hot Chili, cut in half.

1 Large Handful of Herbs (i.e. Rosemary, Thyme, Basil, Bay Leaves).

Small Splash of Veggie Oil.

Approx. 1/8 C Sea Salt & A Good Twist of Fresh Black Pepper.

Ingredients (For Soup):

3 Stalks Celery, roughly chopped.

3 Medium Carrots, roughly chopped.

2 C Winter Squash, peeled, de-seeded, and roughly chopped.

1 Medium Parsnip, peeled and roughly chopped.

2 Leeks, roughly chopped.

2 C Russian Fingerling Potatoes, chopped in half (or other small, waxy potatoes).

1 Large Onion, quartered.

5 Cloves Garlic, peeled.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

1 C Frozen Peas.

1 Small Handful Fresh Herbs, roughly chopped (i.e. Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaves).

3 C Cooked Short Noodle Whole Wheat Pasta, rinsed and cooled (i.e. Spirals).

A Good Dose of Sea Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper (to taste).

Ingredients (for Crostini):

1 Loaf Sour Dough or Fresh Italian Bread, sliced into 1" slices.

1/2 C Unsalted Butter.

2 Roasted Garlic Bulbs.

1/4 C Dried Italian Herbs.
A Small Handful of Grana Padano, grated (optional).

What to Do (For the Stock):

In a big-ass pot, chuck in all your ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat to a low simmer, partially covering the pot and let simmer for 5 to 6 hours. I don't have a lid for this big boy so I just used a large plate with the spoon sticking out so it wasn't a tight seal but still limited the amount of evaporation while the stock simmered.

Once time's up, strain the stock into a deep bowl (or another pot) through a colander. Be careful! It's hot! Then strain again through a fine sieve back into the pot. Set aside for the moment. Pick through the junk in the colander, collecting the edible chicken and chuck it back into the stock. Toss (or better yet, compost!) the inedible bits. Give the soup about half an hour to cool and then scrape any "fat film" off the top. There shouldn't be much.

What to Do (For the Soup):

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

For the last 45 minutes of the stock simmering, toss all the soup vegetables (except the peas - leave them alone for now) plus the rosemary and thyme into a roasting pan, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 35 - 40 minutes until veggies are tender but still holding their shape.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Once you have scraped the film off the top of the stock, chuck all your roasted veg plus the bay leaves into the pot. Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 8 minutes - add the peas and the cooked pasta noodles - and simmer for 2 more. Make sure you check the flavor - if you need to add more salt or pepper go ahead - but add slowly! A couple Tbsp at a time! You can always add more, however if you add too much you can't take it away!

What to Do (For the Crostini):

During the last 8 minutes of your soup simmer, pre-heat the broiler in your oven.

Combine the butter, herbs, and roasted garlic and mash well. Spread over the slices of bread and top with the cheese.

Place on a baking sheet and let toast till golden, approx. 3-4 minutes. Remove.

NOW: Dish up a bowl, grab a couple slices of the crostini (and as you can tell, I also made a small simple side salad of greens, onion, avocado, tomato, and toasted pine-nuts with some olive oil and salt and pepper) and....

Eat!