I was up at the produce stand yesterday and discovered the most enormous carrot I'd ever seen. After musing what fate this extra large carrot shouldn't meet I discovered a recipe for a ginger orange carrot soup with shrimp in a Rachael Ray cookbook. I was lacking a few ingredients so this evening for dinner I need a modified version, which turned out quite well. Curry Carrot Soup: (makes about 3 servings as mains) Ingredients: - One super jumbo carrot or approximately 1 pound of carrots, sliced about 0.5 cm thick - 2 red peppers sliced lengthwise into large flat pieces - 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced - 2 large garlic cloves, chopped - 1, 2" chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped - 1/2 tablespoon Madras curry powder. - 1 quart low sodium chicken stock - olive oil - Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper or good hot sauce, and citrus (orange) juice to taste Preheat the oven to 450°F Start a little on the bottom of the baking sheet, and arrange sliced carrots on top. Drizzle olive oil and fresh ground pepper on carrots. Move them around a bit to make sure they're well covered. Do the same with the red peppers. When the oven is ready, bake carrots and peppers for 15 to 20 min., turning once to ensure even cooking. While carrots and peppers are roasting, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your soup pot and heat to medium high. Add onions garlic and ginger, and cook until brown and soft. Add to blender when cooked. Remove the carrots and add to the blender with the onions. Place the peppers momentarily in cold water and remove skin. Add peppers to blender with a half cup or so of chicken broth. Puree veggies until smooth, adding more, liquid until smooth. Return pureed mixture to soup pot and bring to a simmer with the remainder of the stock. Add curry powder. If needed, adjust consistency with more stock or water. Add salt, hot sauce / cayenne pepper and orange juice to taste. Because I'm in Canada I also put about half a tablespoon of maple syrup in for kicks. You're done! Enjoy! Serving suggestion: diced jalapenos and shredded smoked gouda take this over the top!

I was up at the produce stand yesterday and discovered the most enormous carrot I'd ever seen. After musing what fate this extra large carrot shouldn't meet I discovered a recipe for a ginger orange carrot soup with shrimp in a Rachael Ray cookbook. I was lacking a few ingredients so this evening for dinner I need a modified version, which turned out quite well.

Curry Carrot Soup:
(makes about 3 servings as mains)

Ingredients:

- One super jumbo carrot or approximately 1 pound of carrots, sliced about 0.5 cm thick

- 2 red peppers sliced lengthwise into large flat pieces

- 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped

- 1, 2" chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

- 1/2 tablespoon Madras curry powder.

- 1 quart low sodium chicken stock

- olive oil

- Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper or good hot sauce, and citrus (orange) juice to taste

Preheat the oven to 450°F

Start a little on the bottom of the baking sheet, and arrange sliced carrots on top. Drizzle olive oil and fresh ground pepper on carrots. Move them around a bit to make sure they're well covered. Do the same with the red peppers. When the oven is ready, bake carrots and peppers for 15 to 20 min., turning once to ensure even cooking.

While carrots and peppers are roasting, put 2 tablespoons of olive oil into your soup pot and heat to medium high. Add onions garlic and ginger, and cook until brown and soft. Add to blender when cooked.

Remove the carrots and add to the blender with the onions. Place the peppers momentarily in cold water
and remove skin. Add peppers to blender with a half cup or so of chicken broth. Puree veggies until smooth, adding more, liquid until smooth.

Return pureed mixture to soup pot and bring to a simmer with the remainder of the stock. Add curry powder. If needed, adjust consistency with more stock or water. Add salt, hot sauce / cayenne pepper and orange juice to taste. Because I'm in Canada I also put about half a tablespoon of maple syrup in for kicks. You're done! Enjoy! 

Serving suggestion: diced jalapenos and shredded smoked gouda take this over the top!

I've been subbing in for The Washboard Union while their drummer is on holiday - we're playing tonight at the 12 Bands of Christmas fundraiser for the Vancouver food bank.
Anyway, they've got some cool music - this is one of their latest songs:



It's a lot of fun to play with these guys, so go check them out!

Back in August I had the amazing opportunity to attend the 6th annual Amazonas Jazz Festival in Manaus, Brazil. The trip was extremely eye opening to me, most notably due to the high caliber of local music talent. This video (one of many that I shot) shows Airton Silva, drummer for the Amazonas Jazz Band (certainly among others), demonstrating the application of the Moeller technique to Brazilian rhythms. The only drummer I've seen playing near this level is Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez, and his talent is legendary; Airton is truly in a league with the greats. Needless to say, I've got some practicing to do! More photos and videos of my summer travels to come when I get the time.
Enjoy: