"Cream" of Vegetable Soup

This is a wonderful soup for fall.  I freeze some of the summer's bounty of zucchini and yellow squash so I'll have some for this soup after the warmth of the season has fled.

1 sweet onion, or a leek, peeled or cleaned and chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
4 Tablespoons butter (or olive or coconut oil)
2 pounds of potatoes, scrubbed and chopped.  I leave about half of the skins on.  I most often use Russets, but Yukon Golds or Red Potatoes are awesome.
2 quarts chicken broth
Several sprigs of fresh thyme tied together
4 summer squash (zucchini, yellow crookneck, etc.) sliced
Sea salt
Sour Cream or creme fraiche

Saute the onions or leeks and the carrots in the butter or oil until they are very soft.

Add the sauteed veggies to a stock pot, along with the chicken broth and potatoes, and bring to a boil.
Skim the foam and then reduce the heat and add the thyme sprigs.
Cover and cook until the potatoes are soft.
Add the summer squash and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until it is tender.

Remove the thyme.

Puree the soup with a stick blender.

Add water if the soup is too thick.

Season to taste.

Serve topped with sour cream or creme fraiche.

Homemade Ranch Dressing

With all the junk that is in the commercial varieties of Ranch Dressing, I just can't bring myself to buy it.  But my menfolk love it, so I went on the hunt for a DIY version and after some tweaking, this is where I landed.

Ranch Dressing

Herbs:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 Tablespoon chives, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons freshly grated parmesan or Romano cheese
1 dash hot pepper sauce (Tabasco)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Base:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 dash raw apple cider vinegar

Mix all of it together with either a stick blender, a Magic Bullet or a whisk.  It doesn't mix very well if you just shake the jar. **

Stores well in the fridge.  I just put it in a glass jar with a screw top lid and it keeps for weeks.

**My stick blender is as old as the hills, and I got it second hand, but there are tons on the market out there.
I got my Magic Bullet on sale at Costco, and they can be found online or in other stores, as well.  I use my Magic Bullet just about every day.  Best kitchen appliance purchase I've made in years!

Russian Cream

This is a recipe shared with us by one of our quilting buddies.  I'm giving two versions for you to consider.

Original Version

18 servings, which fits in a bundt pan perfectly

2 1/4 cup sugar

3 envelopes of gelatin or 7 1/2 teaspoons bulk

1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 pint whipping cream

4 1/2 cups sour cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix sugar and gelatin.

Add water and let sit 5 minutes

Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix together whipping cream, sour cream and vanilla.

Dump boiling mixture into cream mixture and mix well until very smooth and creamy.

Lightly grease a mold (bundt pan, bowl, etc.), and pour mixture into it, or into separate serving dishes.

Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours.  Overnight is better.

Serve with fresh fruit and berries.

Revised Version

18 servings, which fits in a bundt pan perfectly

1 1/4 cup honey

3 envelopes of gelatin or 7 1/2 teaspoons bulk

1 1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 pint raw whipping cream

4 1/2 cups yogurt made with 1/2 & 1/2 or cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Mix honey and gelatin.

Add water and let sit 5 minutes

Bring to a boil stirring constantly.

In a separate bowl, mix together whipping cream, yogurt and vanilla.

Dump boiling mixture into cream mixture and mix well until very smooth and creamy.

Lightly grease a mold (bundt pan, bowl, etc.), and pour mixture into it, or into separate serving dishes.

Refrigerate at least 4-6 hours.  Overnight is better.

Serve with fresh fruit and berries.