I’ve been so busy- grandchildren have come and gone- Spring is still here although disguised
in Summer garb and Winter snow part of the time.
Trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue and children of all ages rolling down hills!
I’ve also been making sourdough bread with its complex corridors of holes-
And I made Sausage and avocado soup with apples and peanut butter.
It may sound like a weird combination- but it is good. And it has a story behind it.
I was working with a group of ladies several years ago on a weekend workshop. I was supposed to speak AND
cater the luncheon on Sunday. I planned the menu to be soup, salad, roll, and chocolate for dessert.
The soup I had planned was Apple,Fennel, and Almond – the salad was chicken garnished with slices of avocados and greens-
and I had gotten croissants and wonderful chocolate truffles . Everything was prepared and packaged up to go.
Except the base for the soup never went. I had left it to put in the cooler last and instead it just got left.
So Sunday morning I started to get the preparation in hand and couldn’t find the soup base. I had the broth and the cream
I had ground almonds. I had everything but the base. And without the base, I had no soup.
The hotel we stayed in offered breakfast with our rooms – and one of the offerings was sausage gravy and biscuits.
I don’t like sausage gravy- but thought it would work as a soup base. I had a little cider and apples from a stop at a nearby
orchard ( We were out in Amish country, in Wilmot, Ohio) and one of the ladies had a jar of peanut butter. Plus- I had my
avocados for garnishing. I only had a slow cooker to work with, but I put it on high and starting with the cider and apples, slowly
put together a soup for 38 ladies. I spoke about my topic- making beauty preparations from your kitchen– and then went back to my soup
– planning to trash it if it didn’t turn out.
But it did turn out. It was – in fact- a success! I had many requests for the recipe- but I had no recipe to share- just a panicked memory
of what else can I add???!!
A little while before the grandkids and their parents came, I made guacamole for Jordan and myself. It was really good, although I
added a zested jalapeno pepper and it was really spicy as well. But I had a lot left over- and it was starting to go brown.
That is when I decided to recreate my luncheon soup and see if it was as good as I remembered.
I started off sauteeing a 1/2 pound of sausage. To that I added 1/2 diced onion and one chopped and peeled medium apple.
Add a large cup of guacamole-(so avocado,lime juice,finely grated jalapeno and salt and pepper)
Add 2 small cans of chicken broth, and 1 tablespoon of smooth peanut butter and
stir and heat until hot but not boiling. Add salt and pepper to taste- maybe a little bit
of hot sauce – a dollop of cream- and enjoy!
We ate it with tortilla chips and it was just as good as I had remembered.
(Jordan was VERY skeptical at first- but I think he really loved it by his third helping.)
WOW! I am very impressed that you pulled that off! I would’ve probably panicked before I had gotten to a finished soup. Good job!
There were a couple of moments that I considered going over to the Amish Door and asking for some of their soup- but the ingredients kept adding up and merging to a flavorful mix. If it hadn’t worked out I would have bought chicken soup for 38!
You are amazing! Wish I had your skill and adventurous spirit!
Thanks, Lilly.
I didn’t mention all the prayers I had going that we would have a “good” luncheon- I think the Lord answered those prayers quite literally. I hadn’t tried it again until last week- and was very pleased to know that this wasn’t a fluke.
Heidi, you make the best soups. Recipe or not you make the best soups. You have lovely Grandchildren, I enjoy being with them.
Thanks, Cynthia! We have enjoyed some great soup moments, haven’t we?
And I’m quite happy to share my grandsons with you- they are adorable aren’t they?
Wow, what a story, and you kept your sang froid – I would have been at the Amish Door long before – I have never cooked an avocado, only ever used them raw. My garden is full of self sown primrose flowers and I read somewhere that they are edible and I thought (if it stops raining) that maybe I would try my hand at crystallising them, so I was just going to hunt out your post again. I admit I think about this every year and then don’t do it, but in my mind you and violets and little spring flowers go hand in hand and I am so pleased to see that spring is finally visiting you. Great looking bread too ! x Joanna
Thanks Joanna- I always love to gather the sweet violets – I crystallized a great bunch last year and then forgot to use them all!
And the bread shot- with the sunshine and flag in the background was made with you in mind- I love your bread/window photos so much!
I have cooked avocados on several occasions, once whilst in Scotland – we had gone to a market in Glasgow and picked up a couple of avocados that were deceptively soft. When I peeled them, they weren’t quite ripe – so I dipped them in a batter and fried them and served them alongside our main dish. They were quite good and everyone was amazed. ( Really, I just didn’t want to throw out such an expensive item- they were very pricey- in January!)
I didn’t know primrose were edible- hmm- I have a healthy batch growing in my front yard….
Wow, you’re brave AND inventive, Heidi!
And rather hopeful and foolhardy, Celia!
It was such a happy moment when it all finally came together- but I was desperate- and I didn’t really have the time between speaking and serving to get the soup from the restaurant next door!
Heidi, I remember that soup!! I also remember loving it. What a good memory. Thanks.
Hi Pam!
It was a very good time- and I’m so thankful the soup turned out so surprisingly tasty!
I’m also very happy to hear from you, again, my friend!
If the rest of my family were as adventurous as I am, then I would make that soup in a second! If I stop and think about the ingredients, I also am skeptical, but because I love to try new things, I would certainly give it a go!
You need to be very adventurous or very desperate to make this soup the first time, Martha.
I wouldn’t have dreamed this up in any other circumstances, I assure you.