v:gourmet

My favourite holiday read was “An Everlasting Meal” by Tamar Adler, so favourite in fact that it’s going to become required reading in this house for her simple, creative, poetic, completely authentic approach to food and cooking. This soup – sweet from the tomatoes, spicy due to the hints of coriander, cumin, turmeric and mustard seed, earthy from the parsnips, and entirely satisfying – didn’t come from Adler’s book but was, in part, inspired by her. She’s a big proponent of finding what’s in the fridge, roasting it, and making something good with a big glug of olive oil, pinch of salt and some pepper. That’s what I did with this soup, and good it is.

Which brings me to one of Adler’s insights, which she sprinkles like parsley through the pages: “There is great dignity in allowing oneself to keep clear about what is good … Whether things were ever simpler than they are now, or better if they were, we can’t know. We do know that people have always found ways to eat and live well, whether on boiling water or bread or beans, and that some of our best eating hasn’t been our most foreign or expensive or elaborate, but quite plain and quite familiar. And knowing that is probably the best way to cook, and certainly the best way to live.”

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seed

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp mustard seeds

1 large onion, cut into 8 chunks

2 garlic cloves

2 lbs parsnips, diced

2 plum tomatoes, quartered

4 cups vegetable or tomato stock

1 tbsp lemon juice or red wine vinegar

sea salt and fresh ground pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the oil,  spices, and vegetables and give them a good toss. Spread them out on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put them in the oven. Bake until they are tender and slightly browned on the edges, about 30 minutes.

Once the vegetables are done, spoon them into a food processor with half the stock. Pour them into a saucepan or small dutch oven with the remaining stock. Bring them back to the desired temperature and stir in the lemon juice or vinegar. Add seasoning to taste. Serve with good crusty baguette or boule and enjoy the good, simple pleasures of the table.