Parsnip Soup With Sourdough

Made parsnip soup with sourdough last night.

I used the no kneed recipe again with the bread, it's really easy but I think I might try it in a bread tin next time rather than free form on the bread stone, it does have a certain charm but it could do with being deeper with less crust. 

 As for the soup it's a good way to use up my glut of parsnips before they go over. Neither my wife or I go mad for parsnips so having it curried like this is the way to make it more palatable. 

Our curried parsnip soup recipe is pretty easy.
4 large Parsnips
1 onion
oil
1 Tbsp of flour
1 Tsp of cumin
1/4 Tsp of fenugreek
1/2 Tsp of tumric
Pinch of salt
Rapeseed or olive oil
Chilli powder to taste
Chicken or vegetable stock

Just soften the onions in the oil in the bottom of a thick bottomed pan, add the parsnips, spices and flour and keep stirring until they're all coated. Add the stock and cook until it's all soften and falling apart. Then blend until smooth and add more stock to get the consistency you like. 

Anyone else have any good recipes for parsnips? I've got loads to use up and everyone is fed up of me giving them to them!

My First Sourdough

For tea last night I made a squash soup with a sour dough loaf to have with it, followed by chocolate brownies.

I followed the "no kneed recipe" on Ngo family farm blog, although I made my loaf free form on my bread stone instead of in a pot.

Starting the starter, left by the fire.

 Starting the starer was quite interesting and to begin with I thought I was never going to cook with it as it smelt like sick! Every time I walked into the room I'd get the waft of sick and think that the starter needs to go in the bin. I stuck with it though and kept it running a few weeks before I used it, now it smells yeasty and slight alcoholic, not unpleasant at all. to start it I used the recipe from the River Cottage bread book (a link to what is written is here).

My starter bubbling away

Not a great photo but it shows that it did rise quite well.

This is my first ever sour dough and it was really good, I loved the yoghurty like after taste. We ate the whole loaf while it was still warm, covered in butter and dipped into our soup - it was a good dinner to have.I think I did knock some air out of it when I put it on the bread stone but it still had good sized air bubbles in it. I plan on making a peel for it when I get time so I can slip the bread on the stone without loosing so much air.
It was a great tea and I should say that even with a large tray of chocolate brownies and enough soup left over to feed a football team, the total cost wouldn't be much more than £2, anyone that says food is expensive needs to try cooking from scratch!