Sophie Hansen - Made For You: Spring

NUTTY SWEET POTATO AND LIME SOUP

With the soothing heft of sweet potato and a lighter note thanks to the lime and lime leaves, this is a gorgeous soup and just the thing for a cool spring dinner.

SERVES 46

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 brown onion, finely diced

750 g (1 lb 10 oz) sweet potato, peeled and cut into 4 cm (1 inch) chunks

4 cm (1 inch) piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 cups (625 ml) chicken or vegetable stock

68 kaffir lime leaves

1/3 cup (90 g) nice natural peanut butter

1 tsp soft brown sugar

Juice of 2 limes, plus extra to serve

1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Cook the onion for a few minutes until soft and translucent. Add the sweet potato and ginger and cook for a few more minutes, then pour in the stock and bring to the boil.

Scrunch the lime leaves in your palm to release the flavour, then add to the pan and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender. Discard the lime leaves.

Blend the soup with the peanut butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the lime juice and enough coconut milk to bring the soup to the desired thickness. Check the seasoning, adding a little more lime juice, salt or a touch of sugar to get that lovely balance of sweet, salty and sour. Serve with extra lime juice.

Useful recipes

GARLIC BREAD

SERVES 46

3 garlic cloves, peeled

100 g (3 oz) butter, softened

1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

cup (25 g) finely grated parmesan cheese

1 baguette or loaf of nice bread

Combine the garlic, butter, parsley and parmesan with some salt and pepper in a food processor and whizz to combine, or place in a mortar and bash around with the pestle until combined.

Cut the bread into 3 cm (1 inch) slices, without cutting all the way through. Spread a little garlic butter on each slice, then spread any extra over the top of the baguette.

Tightly wrap the baguette in foil and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. When that time comes, preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Cook the wrapped baguette for 30 minutes, then open up the foil so the top of the baguette is exposed and cook it for another 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.

NOTE

The garlic bread can be prepared and left in the fridge, wrapped in foil and ready to be baked, for up to 4 days.

LIME CHILLI SALT

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

Zest of 2 limes, peeled off in strips

1 birds eye chilli, chopped

1 cup (225 g) sea salt flakes (pink if you can find them)

Preheat the oven to 140C (275F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the lime zest on one half of the tray and chilli on the other. Cook for 20 minutes or until dried and beginning to curl up around the edges.

Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, finely chop or pound the lime zest, and then the chilli. Mix the lime zest and chilli with the sea salt and store in a jar.

NOTE

This chilli salt is wonderful with juicy watermelon, as well as pan-fried fish, barbecued chicken or sliced peaches. It also makes a worthwhile hangover helper when sprinkled on peanut butter toast with an extra squeeze of lime!

GROUND TOASTED CARDAMOM

MAKES ABOUT 1 TABLESPOONS

cup (35g) cardamom pods

Preheat the oven to 140C (275F). Scatter the cardamom pods over a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until beginning to turn dark green. Cool, then transfer to a high-powered blender, food processor, spice grinder or coffee grinder and blitz as finely as possible. Pass through a sieve to remove any larger pieces.

Store in an airtight container as the best ground cardamom ever.

LEMON AND PASSIONFRUIT CURD

MAKES ABOUT 5 CUPS

220 g (7 oz) unsalted butter

12/3 cups (370 g) caster sugar

Grated zest and juice of 4 lemons you'll need cup (185 ml) juice

6 eggs, lightly beaten

cup (125 g) passionfruit pulp (youll need about 4 passionfruit)

Put the butter, sugar and lemon zest in a glass bowl resting over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Add the eggs, lemon juice and passionfruit pulp and cook, gently whisking, for 20 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and coats the back of a wooden spoon if you have a sugar thermometer, setting point will be around 80C (176F). Spoon into clean jars, seal and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

NOTE

If you prefer to make just lemon curd, leave out the passionfruit and add one more lemon.

Made For You is a seasonal selection of recipes perfect for sharing and celebrating. Filled with clever ideas on how to cook, pack and deliver a deliciously thoughtful food package for someone you love, this spring collection includes a coconut and lemongrass broth, a syrup-soaked lemon, blueberry and rosemary cake, zesty seasonal dips and a home-made elderflower cordial.

With inspiring practical tips and beautiful photography throughout, this book is one of four in a collectable series, each not only full of gift ideas but a beautiful gift in itself.

Also in this series
Made For You: Summer, Made For You: Autumn, Made For You: Winter

Extracted from A Basket by the Door by Sophie Hansen

About Sophie

Born and raised in Sydney, now living with her family on their farm just outside Orange in country New South Wales, Sophie Hansen trained in journalism and has over 20 years experience as a features writer. She has contributed to Australian Country Style and Outback magazines; she was an editor for Slow Food Internationals English website, lived in Italy for 3 years and is fluent in Italian. In 2013 she set up her blog, Local is Lovely , and her podcast, My Open Kitchen , is going into its third season. Sophie has been awarded Australian Rural Woman of the Year in recognition of her commitment to rural communities. She believes in simple, tasty and seasonal food, made with love and shared generously.

Instagram: @locallovely @myopenkitchen

CONTENTS

Food for thought

In happy times and sad, when there are mouths to feed but no energy or time to cook, when recovering or recalibrating food is always the answer. And while I know that a chicken pie cant fix whats broken, it might just part the clouds a little, and thats something.