Darina Allen has a formula of a ratio of vegetables for her soup, but I never remember to measure out my veggies, I just chuck them into the pot and curl up in frustration when I remember that I didn’t weigh them in proper quantity.

I make my own stock, use flavoursome organic vegetables… so in theory, my soup should be consistently delicious.

Well, now it is, thanks to a great soup-tip I received from a friend. I asked her for her secret and this was it: Chop up all your veg: onions, carrots, potato, celery (most soups need celery for great flavour) and sweat them in about 100gms of butter, covered with a piece of baking paper (a butter wrapper works really well for this) and a lid on a low heat for as long as possible. Then when the veg are soft and practically melted, stir in some good stock , bring to the boil, then blitz in a liquidizer until smooth.

On these cold, cold (and even colder in our house since our boiler has decided to stop working. Thank goodness for the stove) days, this is the perfect food, served with delicious soda bread (recipe here) from the oven, slathered in real butter.

mmmmmmmmm!

I usually buy my vegetables from Beechlawn but didn’t get my order in in time, and have been making attempts for weeks now to go to Denis for my vegetables and eggs in Mountbellew on Tuesdays. Denis has been coming to Mountbellew for forty years, and was his charming, lovely self on Tuesday (although I think he definitely thought I was bonkers when I asked could I photograph him…)

We went over to The Square Kitchen after that for a plate of chips (oh, the excitement!… we need to get out more…) The Square Kitchen is just simply lovely and quaint, and the apple tart is excellent, so I’m looking forward to my next visit, although I’m sure my sanity was in question after I asked to photograph this…

what I do for my “art”!!! 

Lastly, we went to the local supermarket which had almost everything I needed, including a great stock of organic foods from Irish companies like Glenisk and Bunalun, so I was very pleased!

And since we were practically passing her door, we popped into Bernadette’s house on the way home. A life-affirming-ly lovely visit as usual, made all the lovelier and sweeter by the consumption of these delicious scones!!