My dear friend Elle came to spend an afternoon shooting and eating at our little farm south of Seattle last weekend. I managed to build a pretty successful fire in the middle of the typical Seattle-in-late fall drizzle and we were finishing up just as the rain started. We quickly packed up and headed inside to warmed up with hot bowls of soup and a bottle of wine, it was such a fun afternoon.
I partnered with two brands that I love so much fo this shoot: Nest Homeware and Pyne and Smith. One of my absolute favorite things about this strange social media/blog world is the connections I’ve made with people who have found something they’re deeply passionate about and have created something incredible. Nest Homeware is a cast iron cookware brand from the East coast and they make the most beautiful cast iron I’ve ever cooked with. Their pieces are thoughtful and their attention to detail is so evident in the creative, ergonomic shape of their handles and the perfectly smooth, non-stick cooking surface of their pans and dutch ovens. I’ve had some of Matt’s pieces for a couple of years now and they’ve only gotten better with age. They are truly heirloom quality and I will have them forever.
Joanna of Pyne and Smith Clothiers makes the most beautiful dresses out of the loveliest crinkly linen I’ve touched, and I’m a self-proclaimed textile junkie. I love linen. I have a few P+S dresses now and wear them weekly, layered over tights with a cozy sweater in the fall and wintertime. I started sewing last year and now make or thrift the majority of my wardrobe, but in the process my admiration for people that do that work every day has grown so much. Joanna’s dresses are so beautifully made and I hope you take a look at her work. I’m wearing the Model No. 17 in Fern Stripe but this and this are definitely on my list.
I don’t often post savory recipes but this soup had to be shared. I became a vegetarian a few years ago and there are really only a couple of things I occasionally miss, one of which is rich, hearty stews. It’s hard to get the depth of flavor I love in soups without bacon or sausage, but I finally found a veggie-based sausage that did the trick in this lentil soup. It calls for a lot of garlic but I promise the recipe is written correctly, the garlic mellows in the rich broth. Serve it with a hunk of crusty, grilled bread.
And last but def not least, these apples. I used my favorite salted caramel recipe but subbed smoked salt for regular flaky salt. If you’re making this in advance to take camping, etc., peel, core, and chop the apples then soak them in apple juice in the fridge to keep them from oxidizing. You can prep the apples and caramel a couple days in advance. You can serve them with ice cream, a drizzle of salted caramel and sprinkle of granola or eat them straight out of the pan (my preferred method). I hope you enjoy these recipes and would love to hear how they’ve worked for you!
- ¼ cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 7 oz veggie sausage (I used lightlife gimme lean sausage*), cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 stalks of celery, sliced
- 2 carrots, scrubbed and diced or cut into half moons if they're on the smaller side
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth (imagine brand is my favorite if I don't have homemade on hand)
- 1 cup lentils, I used a sprouted lentil blend but brown or green lentils will work perfectly here
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
- pinch fresh thyme
- ground pepper
- 2 cups chard, thinly ribboned
- chopped parsley, grated asagio cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds for serving, optional
- Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the veggie sausage and brown, breaking up the pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- When the sausage has browned, add the onion, celery, and carrots, salt, red pepper flakes and, stirring occasionally, cook until they are just tender. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for a minute or two.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of broth, stir, and add the bay leaves, sage, and thyme.
- Bring the soup to a boil then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If the soup is thickening too quickly, add another cup of broth.
- Transfer a few cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot **
- Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed
- Just before you're ready to serve the soup, stir in the chard. If you plan on having soup leftover you can also stir it into individual bowls, which is my preference.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, asagio cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
- *lightlife veggie sausage does contain soy sauce so is not completely gluten-free, in case you have a severe intolerance/allergy
- **If you are cooking outdoors use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to mash and stir the soup until it's a little creamier (this step is optional)
- smoky salted caramel
- 1½ cups (300 grams) sugar
- 9 tablespoons unsalted, good-quality butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1- 1½ tablespoons smoked salt *
- sauteed apples
- 5 crisp apples, peeled, cored, and thickly sliced (see note in post if you're prepping these in advance)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- cinnamon
- ½ cup salted caramel
- vanilla ice cream and granola, for serving (optional)
- Pour the sugar into a larger than necessary heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and melt slowly, stirring to ensure even heating. Continue stirring until the sugar has darkened to a deep caramel color and it smells toasty, reducing the heat if necessary. I cook my sugar until it's just nearly burnt, this gives the caramel the deepest flavor.
- Add the butter and stir to combine, then remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream. The cream will splatter and foam, be careful.
- Stir until the caramel is smooth, then add 1 tablespoon of salt. Taste and add more if necessary, I added closer to 1½ tablespoons but I like mine pretty salty.
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge for 2 weeks.
- Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, then add the apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Cook until the apples have softened, then pour in the caramel. Stir and cook for a couple minutes longer, then spoon into individual bowls and top with ice cream, more caramel, and a sprinkle of granola if desired. Delicious!
* In my experience smoked salts differ greatly in intensity. Start with adding 1 tbsp then tasting, you can always use regular salt to increase the saltiness but not the smokiness.
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