Soup, again?

I think I put a bit of a label on myself, by accident. My interest in experimenting with health-ifying standard soup recipes has ended up making soup and bread my cooking style of choice. It's to the point where a friend is willing to talk to some business buddies about investing in a soup-serving company that either caters to whoever-the-heck, or via soup cart at one of the local restaurants.
I've thought about that and I simply don't have time, but it sounds like it could have been fun if I didn't have a degree to acquire (which, when I finally do hold that piece of paper, I'm not sure I know what I'm going to do with myself, apart from finding a job.)

Even so, I'm to the point where when people say they want so-and-so type soup, I just methodically, automatically, go through the motions of making it. The spring and summer left me with more than enough basil to grab leaves whenever I want (I'll end up having a bit of it dried, which may actually be enough to keep me for a portion of the winter. For normal people who don't keep making meals for people all the time, like myself  - you know you make too much when you aren't even planning on eating it yourself - it's actually likely enough basil to get you through the winter without hitting the store for more. Maybe.)

So, yesterday afternoon, a friend called to get his weekly soup. I'd forgotten to plan on it, and had JUST gotten back to a friend's apartment when he called. Figures. Generally, for any soup, I figure I need carrots, onions, garlic, shallots and celery. I always have butter and oils around, and herbs, spices, pepper and salt, so I never really have to worry about that lot, but that pretty much means the only unexpected ingredient is the one I need to see they're in the mood for. That's actually the hard part. Men never seem to know what they want to eat, as the chef is apparently supposed to just read them like a tarot card.

"Oh, I see PORK in your future, good sir!"

I generally make a suggestion or three and see what happens. Twenty minutes later, someone will tell me. Generally, the person paying me gets to make the decision. If no one else likes it, they can order takeout.

So, this time is about the same as usual. Cooked some onion in butter, added some (lots, considering my portions I need to keep in mind) thyme, dill, savory, lemon and orange peel, pepper and oregano. I don't salt things, if one recalls. I figure there'll be enough in the stock, and that too much salt detracts from the flavor. I can see logic in some, though, which is usually in stock already if it's store bought. (I should make my own, and I likely will, but that'll be a future post, I think).
I let the butter melt, let the stuff cook for a few minutes. I added a cup of water.

I bought some beef. It's supposed to be in a roast. Forget that. I cut it up. For the time it's going to cook in that soup, I don't think anyone will notice that I didn't put beef tips or something in it. When cutting it up, I cut off the fat and put it in the pot. I figured no one wants to eat it, BUT I don't want it to go to waste, so while everything simmered for an hour it did so in beef fat.
I forgot to take pictures, by the way. I'm exhausted. I didn't sleep last night, likely from anticipation of starting a new job the same week I start new classes. I hate remembering that I have to be socially acceptable in public. Blah.





From a past  few meals, I had things left over. A bell pepper, a whole onion (but two separate halves, because we make sense like that), 4 stalks of slightly droopy celery (into the pot it went with the spices and beef fat), and half a rutabaga.
All of that gets to go into the soup, at some point. I'm not done, but I know I'll be too lazy to update when I am done. I'm more apt to just adding pictures after the fact.
I also bought green beans and 2 turnips. I looove turnips for some reason, especially in soups. They're like potatoes, but not. It's tasty.

So, I strained the spices and beef fat and such from the soup. I've been into that, as of late. It leaves a lot of flavor without getting sticks stuck in your teeth.
And, systematically, I'm adding the rutabaga and beef, turnips, onion, basil leaves and pineapple-sage leaves from outside (you heard me), more chopped onion and shallot, red bell pepper, green beans and, eventually, 2 things of stock. To offset any bitterness from the orange and lemon peels I added earlier, I put in a couple spoonfuls of brown sugar. Muaha. Take that, health.

Pre-turnips and fresh herbs, I believe.

It should be tasty.

This is with the fresh herbs and turnips; it'll receive everything else at around 3 or 4 this afternoon.

Pictures are still incoming! I'm not done making this, yet. It should be more colorful soon =)

This is currently what my counter looks like, as of 10.30 this morning.

Considering I need to leave in an hour, I'm off for a shower while the pot cools down enough to put into the fridge for later alterations. =D



Edit: I'm also making at least one loaf of bread for tonight. The people at the games devour the heck out of bread. Maybe I'll add a picture of that, too...

The soup, but pre-stock and water. The juice that's in there is theoretically VERY concentrated.