BrokenTune

Winter returned again last week, with some Siberian blasts that caused heavy snow storms and, because this part of the world doesn't cope well with the white stuff, a lot of chaos. 

People were stuck in places outside of the city limits, and it is only thanks to a lot of effort of volunteering farmers and council gritters that things got moving again by the weekend. Still, I have a friend who's been stuck at an airport in England since Thursday.

Despite the many, many news of people being stuck, road traffic accidents, and stupidity of people freaking out (as if no one can read a weather forecast...gaah...), there were also some great things happening during this unusual weather event: 

People volunteered a lot of help, especially out in the rural areas, to shovel, plough, and grit to help people out. Some of the responses have been rather awesome and do show that humanity is not doomed, yet.

It also seemed like people who got to go events that hadn't been cancelled, were in a particularly cheerful mood.  

I had a full schedule this weekend, starting with a theatre show on Friday night and spending much of Saturday at an event celebrating the centenary of Women's Suffrage in the UK (which rather unexpectedly included a civic reception arranged by the Lord Provost at the Town House),so today was really the first time I had a chance potter about. And as it is Sunday, I celebrated my day of doing bugger all by making some soup.

This week's concoction is a Sweet and Sour Chunky Potato Soup:

It is really simple to make and I love the taste of it. It should be even better tomorrow, when the gherkin juice and vinegar had a chance to permeate the veg. 

Recipe:

- 3 - 4 Potatoes, chopped into small chunks

- 2 carrots, cut into small pieces

- 1 onion, chopped

- 2 sticks of celery

- 2 tbs vinegar

- 2 tbs flour 

- 2 (veggie) frankfurters, sliced

- stock

- salt, pepper, paprika

- gherkins & the water they come in

- pinch of sugar

I added the potatoes, carrots, celery, half of the onion to the stock and boiled until they were halfway done. 

Meanwhile, I added the rest of the onion and the frankfurters to a pan and fried them. 

Once the veg are softening, I added the gherkins, juice, vinegar, salt/pepper/paprika to taste, and added the browned sausage/onion. 

I mixed the flour with some cold water and added as much as needed to thicken the soup a little. Once the potatoes are boiled, it's done.

This is definitely a soup I'll make again. And of course there is plenty left for tomorrow.

Happy Sunday, All!