Wandering our farm today I saw orange everywhere: orange tomatoes, orange nasturtiums, and these stunning orange grevillea blossoms. Orange carrots and bright green chard with orange spines, unfurling orange calendula flowers and clusters of feverfew blossoms with bright orange centers. It’s all rather cheerful and I like it.

It’s been a deliciously quiet day hanging out with my hubs.

We did painting and drawing and snacked on pears, apples, and potato chips.

We finished a new book and watched Hawaii Five-0 and slurped homemade potato soup from big mugs.

I spent the afternoon in my gardens pulling weeds from the blueberry pots, transplanting rose geraniums, silverbeet, and mustard greens, harvesting more garlic, and eating tiny, sweet Alpine strawberries.

I divided parsley plants and mulched the butternut squash and bell peppers and found a whole colony of rogue tomato plants growing among the beans.

I watered for a couple of hours, giving everything a good soaking as the sun went down.

It was so lovely out there, quiet save for the gentle fall of water and the distant rumble of thunder. I love being home.

Yesterday I had a hankering for cold fruit soup, so I made a fusion of Hungarian and Canadian flavors in a chilled cherry cranberry soup.

Fruit soup is simply stewed fruit mixed with spices, brandy, sugar syrup, and sour and/or heavy cream, then chilled until ready to serve.

In my version I skipped the sugar syrup and, instead of brandy, used spirit-soaked cranberries that I had left over from when I made cranberry liqueur a few months ago. I simmered the cranberries with Morello cherries and star anise, cooled the concoction, then blended it with cold sour cream and whipped cream and popped it in the fridge to chill.

Mmm, so good. Not too sweet yet full of fruit flavor with a gentle bite from the sour cream. Such a delicious treat on a hot Spring day.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend. xo

Chilled Cherry Cranberry Soup

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup brandy or spirits
1 jar Morello cherries in syrup (reserve a few cherries to garnish each serving)
1 star anise
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup whipping cream

Directions:

1. Place fresh cranberries in sterilized jar, cover with brandy or spirits, seal, and store in cool, dark place at least 1 week, preferably a month.
2. Strain cranberries, save liquid for drinking later.
3. Place cranberries, cherries and syrup, and star anise in medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 5-10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Remove and discard star anise. Let mixture cool.
5. When cool, pour fruit mixture into blender and add sour cream and whipping cream. Blitz until smooth.
6. Chill until ready to serve, adding a few reserved cherries to each bowl.