Soup

As promised here's a simple soup using those very "earthy" potatoes

and the last of the carrots from Karen's garden

and some onions with a little local honey

and some tomatoes from the summer farmer's market which I "canned"

Start with a big cast iron pot and some olive oil and add potatoes.

Skins on or off- your decision- but since I grew these I know the skins are safe.

Add some herbs, sage, rosemary, oregano… 

(make a bouquet garni if you don't want to chew the herbs)

Add some spices, salt , pepper, red pepper flakes…

add the carrots (they take longer to cook than the onions but less than the potatoes)

add the garlic, onion and honey…

After the carrots have started to get soft add the tomatoes

 plus one jar of water

the honey from the onions sticks to the bottom of the bowl 

so I add a little red wine to get all the honey…

and add that to the pot…

The key is to balance sweet with heat- so I add a little apple cider…

and an old rind of parmigiano

the broth should taste pretty good at this stage- it should have a savory flavor with complexity from the earth tones in the honey and the potatoes and it should have some heat in the "finish"

Cover and bring to a boil.

If you want stew, uncover and let it slow boil for 20 minutes

If you want soup let it simmer with the lid cracked for 20 minutes

The soup should be clear since you're not cooking it for hours.

Serve in a bowl with grated parmesan (and maybe a crouton or two)