Apple cider soup

Ahh, Autumn! It is the perfect time to be freshly living in a new country, especially when that country grows apples. Don't get me wrong, I love American Apples; some Fujis or Honeycrisp, even the tiny Czech apples are scrumptious at this time, but I've stumbled onto some serious Apples here. Hopefully this isn't a fluke. The English also make cider, which features in this soup. I've made apple soup before, but with curry. Curry and apples are fine friends, but this soup is so tangy and warm (and who could complain about having to drink the leftover cider) that I may be a convert.

35 grams butter
3 onions, sliced
2 apples, peeled and sliced
splash balsamic vinegar
6 small (2 large) potatoes, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 liter vegetable stock (either fresh stock or stock cube)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper
150 ml cider

1. Saute the onion and apple in the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot until soft and slightly browned, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar midway through the cooking process.
2. Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for a few minutes
3. Pour in the cider and bay leaves and bring to a boil
4. Add the stock, thyme, and simmer at a low heat 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cheese toast.

Apple mash, red cabbage casserole, sausage and onion gravy

I bought a 5kg scale yesterday, so that after living in Europe for nearly four years, I can finally begin to use these metric measurements. The cabbage recipe came from a seasonal recipe calender which was a brilliant Christmas present. Cabbage is apparently seasonal, which must be true, and seeing as how there's nothing else in the shops at the moment, there's no excuse not to try it. Well, that, and it's incredibly delicious. Who knew that cabbage could be so sophisticated?

I don't really have my shit together about the photography aspect of this blog yet, so expect photos in the future. 

Apple mash; rinse, chop and boil 1kg potatoes. Chop two apples and saute in as much butter as you can possibly squeeze into a 6-inch pan. When the potatoes are soft, add the apples and butter and mash, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Red cabbage casserole; thinly chop 70grams (about half a medium) red cabbage and two onions. Place half in the bottom of a lidded casserole dish. sprinkle over cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, 2 teaspoons sugar, a good splash of red wine and about 2 knuckles of butter in nubs. Repeat this procedure, topping with 12 or more prunes. Place in a 200-degree centigrade oven for 3 hours.

Sausage and onion gravy; chop 4 kielbasa-style sausages into rounds and brown in a pan. Add a little oil and one onion, chopped. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour and add about 1 1/2-2 cups broth slowly, stirring until the gravy has thickened.