Soup and Roll Day by Tamara Treviranus

Soup and Roll Day

By Miss Tammy

The very beginnings of lengthening days and the hope of thawing temperatures are here, though we are still under the reign of King Winter. Probably one of the most welcome lunch time meals during the winter is Soup and Roll Day on Thursdays. While the children are outside building forts, sledding and tasting fresh snow I am inside preparing the day’s lunch. Rosy cheeked children who have worked up a healthy appetite are welcomed back inside to the aroma of fresh baked rolls and the soup of the day. I thought I would share with you a few recipes for these remaining cold days: Whole Wheat Roll and Moroccan (inspired) Vegetable Stew.

Whole Wheat Rolls

11⁄2 Tablespoons yeast

11⁄2 Tablespoons sucanat (turbinado or other sugar is fine!)

2 Cups warm water

2 Tablespoons oil (we use grapeseed)

1tsp salt

5 cups flour (I use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 4 cups organic all-purpose flour)

Mix the yeast, and sugar with the 2 cups of warm water and allow to proof. Add oil. Add flour and salt cup at a time and begin. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size, punch down and form into 12-14 rolls. Bake on buttered sheet for 25 minutes in 350-degree oven. Note: The beautiful thing about this recipe is that if the process of proofing yeast, and rising dough is just too much, especially with the demands of family life and young children, you can simply mix the wet and dry ingredients together, form the rolls and throw them in the oven!

A good, hearty, and nutritious soup for cold winter days is a North African inspired Moroccan Stew.

Spice Mixture

1tsp ground cinnamon

1tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp ground ginger

1⁄4 tsp ground cloves

1⁄4 tsp ground nutmeg

1⁄4 tsp ground turmeric

Stew vegetables

1Tablespoon butter

1 Sweet onion, chopped

2 cups shredded kale

8 cups vegetable broth

1 15 oz can garbanzo beans

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes

3 large potatoes, peeled and diced

2 sweet potatoes peeled and diced

4 large carrots chopped

1 cup dried lentils, rinsed

1⁄2 cup dried chopped apricots

1 Tablespoon honey

1 tsp black pepper to taste

Cook onion in butter, 5-10 minutes. Add kale and spice mixture, cook until fragrant and kale is beginning to wilt. Pour broth into pot and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cook until vegetables and lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).