Soupe du jour…

A quick five minutes in my yard this morning confirmed it. Autumn is upon us and the summer is fading fast. Of course we might be fortunate and get that thrilling kick of a little Indian summer but it is only a matter of time before we tumble into another winter. The light said it all; and looking around at the leggy, playing-out plants franticly bolting in an attempt to seed, just look at the colonies of blackfly on my nasturtium leaves and the falling and failing flowers – well, yes… the game is up for another year.

I guessed, or rather intuited by the goose-bumps on my arms, that it had turned chilly when I got out of bed this morning and, rather than pulling on a T-shirt or even a one of my short sleeved checks, I decided upon a long sleeved Oxford made from a good thick cotton. Even so I may have to wear a jacket today and I haven’t worn a jacket for weeks. I’m not sure about the flip-flops either; the idea of wearing socks though is less than thrilling – I’ve enjoyed the air against my feet this summer even if they did get wet with the rain.

Yes, late summer or early autumn, either way soup-making time has arrived again, the time of year when nothing will do but a big bowl of goulash soup full of beef, peppers, potato, caraway seeds, and paprika. Now there’s a dish to coddle and cosset you through the autumn and fend off the approaching winter for as long as possible. I won’t give you a recipe, there are plenty out there, but here’s a tip: double the paprika and caraway and add a little vodka or kirsch, both if you like, but not too much kirsch.

I’m looking forward to soup season with its vegetables, chickens, broths, beans, puree and pasta. There’s a soup for every occasion, and a soup to use up any leftover and on-the-turn vegetable. So it surprises me that soup seems to have become the forgotten food, drifting into the past like men’s hats, cravats, and proper prams. Soup is ignored by most diners as a starter, rarely served as a main meal in the home, and restaurants seem to underplay them almost as if they are an embarrassment rather than the delicious, filling staples that they are; odd really, the profit margin on soup is huge and in these pinched times a good chunky soup a couple of times a week can help the budget stretch.

Convinced? Go on give it a go. Make some soups, serve them with crusty bread, grate in cheese if you like, and enjoy. It’ll keep you warm through the winter.

God, I’m turning into a cookery magazine!