Carrot Camaraderie

 I should have known it was coming. A 5am get up had followed the day before of an evening workout and the rush of emotions that naturally follow after one finishes employment at a job that had been a part of my life for six years. It shouldn't have come as a surprise that a powerful headache briefly knocked me for six after all this activity. It was my body, and the Gilbert's Syndrome I was diagnosed with seven years ago, telling me to slow down and rest. I took my body's advice and drank a glass of water prior to rolling into bed for an early night.

Luckily my syndrome only means a few extra quid on the travel insurance if I go abroad and it doesn't stop me doing anything else. It is something that's now a part of me and I learn to manage and live with in the same manner a prolific test cricket batsman might refine their technique to avoid playing certain shots due to a longstanding injury. 

Some longstanding followers of this blog may have noticed that I use very little salt in my cooking. That's because with having Gilbert's Syndrome if I get too de-hydrated it triggers the headaches and slight confusion. Salt of course is a natural de-hydrating agent which is why I avoid it in my recipes and keep up my fluid intake. 

I also think that salt makes a lot of recipes taste artificial, dry and stale. That's why I like to go for recipes that contain lots of fresh ingredients. To assist in recovering I woke up fairly early the next morning and walked through a partial rain storm with the Dogg to a local farm shop that contains all kinds of innovative products I aim to feature in blog posts over the next few months. Why not check them out at https://www.facebook.com/strettonhallfarmshop/ 

After weathering the slight storm and seeing some stunning rainbows, the sun bathed the Dogg and I as we picked our way through the fields home and talked to a neighbour about his exciting new summer house. For dinner I fancied something largely fresh that lacked too much salt and settled on an old favourite; Carrot and Coriander Soup.

On the player was one of the Chris Rea Albums I'd acquired with some of my leaving money from the job. The album was 1996's "La Passione". If you fancy a listen you can do worse than check out this compilation of the best bits of the album and more at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfp1EzKOEX0dZrs4ITtGyMr7VmaFMN4fT 

The album was the soundtrack to a film and it was pilloried subsequently by Rea because he believed the record company had made some changes to it that ruined the record. His judgment is a little harsh on this eclectic album that features more soaring strings than one might find on a Chris Rea Record, a left-field duet with Shirley Bassey and in the song "Girl in Sports Car" a track that swings and sways to move quickly through various moods in a fragmented yet driving manner. 

So to the recipe which comprises of the following:

Six large Carrots, topped, tailed, peeled and cut into slices widthways. 

Three Shallots, topped, tailed, peeled and diced. 

One Chilli Pepper, the top cut off and de-seed then sliced thinly. 

A bunch of Fresh Coriander. 

Quarter of a pint of Chicken Stock.

This one can be made by the following method:

1. Sweat the Carrots, Shallots, Chilli Pepper and Coriander in a Le Cresceut with a small amount of Sunflower Oil for ten minutes. 

2. Add the Stock and simmer for a further ten minutes.

3. Blend and serve.

This soup is a recipe that's seen everywhere from supermarkets to restaurants. It is however a hard recipe to get right as too many takes on it use too much stock, cream and dried coriander. The trick is to use Fresh Coriander, in this case I used some I had grown myself, and only use enough stock to cover the other ingredients before simmering and blending. If this approach is followed a flavoursome soup that packs a fiery punch can be made.