Pumpkin, ginger, orange and carrot soup for Food Revolution Day

Have you heard? Friday the 17th of May is food revolution day! All the cool kids are talking about it.

Well Jamie Oliver is anyhoo and we all know he is kinda cool.

So word is not enough people are eating fresh and healthy food and we need to get it out there that y'all should be.

 
No seriously! Seeings as pretty much I post about desserts all the time I felt an obligation to join in.....

I know I have mentioned a couple of times that we generally eat pretty healthy for our regular meals. I just do not buy premade food, oh unless it's tomato sauce for spaghetti meat sauce or tinned tomatoes. Pretty much everything else I make from scratch.

It's healthier, it's cheaper and it just plain tastes better most of the time.

OK I hear you - it seems hard when your working full time and I don't envy anyone in that position. But I'm typing this at 9pm at night and I have some spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove. Yes like I said it's a premade sauce, but pretty much it's tomatoes, and first I sauteed some carrot and zucchini (courgette) before I cooked the (heart smart) mince meat. Maybe I added some bacon as well (shhh). It'll freeze up to make 2 family meals I that I can reheat, cook up the pasta and serve with a salad for an easy weekday meal soon.

Y'all didn't think I kept my figure by eating chips and burgers all day :) Something has to round out those macarons.

Anyhoo - I joined in the Food Bloggers Soup Challenge and just like everyone else in real life I just didn't have time to cook when it came to it. The box of vegetables from Aussie Farmers Direct was delivered like clockwork on the afternoon of the 15th and we all know Food Revolution Day is the 17th May.

Umm it seems we don't all know that - in my mind I was thinking the 19th for some reason, so some of my fabulously well though out ideas had to go - but I think that worked out for the best in the end as you can see that with half an hour and what I was given I whipped up a soup which with some bread fed the family.

Healthy, affordable and a well fed family. What more could I ask for.

For more information on what Food Revolution day is all about check out the Food Revolution Day website.

Pumpkin, Ginger, Orange and Carrot Soup

dash of olive oil
1 pumpkin (mine weighed 1.5kg whole) peeled and cut into cubes
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 orange (zest and then juice)
750 ml/ 3 cups (US 3 1/5 th cups - but it's all approx) vegetable stock

Heat large saucepan to medium high and add dash of olive oil, pop in the pumpkin and carrot and cook for 10 minutes, add ginger and cook further 5 minutes. Add the vegetable stock and orange juice and cook for further 20 minutes. Use a stick blender to blend soup until smooth.

Serve with a swirl of cream or low fat yogurt, a sprinkle of marinated feta, shredded basil and pepper to taste.

Parmesan and Basil Crisps

Grate a couple of tablespoons of Parmesan cheese in a bowl and shred in some basil (to taste) shape into circles on a tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 200 C until crisp and golden.

Disclosure note: I received a box of seasonal vegetables from Aussie Farmers Direct.

Linda Vandermeer is a blogger, baker, maker and author of the cookbook ' Sweets on a Stick': More than 150 kid friendly recipes for cakes, candies, cookies and pies on the go!. Published in the US the book is available at most online book stores:

Link to Amazon:

Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go! 

Or at Fishpond (free shipping Australia)

 

 Sweets on a Stick: More Than 150 Kid-Friendly Recipes for Cakes, Candies, Cookies, and Pies on the Go!