Blog soup

By which I mean the final Cornwall photograph, a recipe, an image of autumn and a finished object. But not necessarily in that order.

Today the sun is making at least an effort to show forth, unlike yesterday which was about as miserable and depressing as it gets around here. Unable to motivate myself to do anything meaningful until quite late on in the day, I found myself in the kitchen, where I managed all unwitting to surpass myself. I have never considered myself a good baker, particularly of scones, but yesterday, the rose and glowed gold and eventually tasted delicious with jam and clotted cream brought back from Cornwall.

But I also invented (at least, I have never come across it) a new soup recipe: take one small cauliflower, one large sweet white onion, a handful of unsalted cashew nuts, another of dried coconut flakes, a teaspoonful of coriander seeds, a cup of red lentils and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Oh, and a tablespoonful of clotted cream which I happened to have to hand, but any other sort of cream or even milk would work ok, I think. Plus about one pint of vegetable stock (I always use Marigold, my days of making my own stock are long gone.)

Chop the cauli and the onion, sweat in a little olive oil. Throw in all the other ingredients except the cream, simmer until the cauli is soft. Add the cream, and whiz in the food processor or whatever. Adjust seasoning and consistency - mine came out like a velvety smooth cream.

Cheered up a foul day no end.

So, today's improvement in the weather brought forth this photo:



I love my virginia creeper; this is an early stage, hopefully, I will get a later and redder image.

And, speaking of Virginia....although Virginia Woolf set her novel "To the Lighthouse" in Scotland, the lighthouse she had in mind was actually this one:



This is another of our favourite places in Cornwall, Godrevy, on the north coast not far from St Ives. We have been going there for years, and we actually went twice this time for reasons not to bore anyone with just now. We spent quite a long time on the beautiful beach, which I don't have a photo of unfortunately. But the lighthouse on the island is always worth a shot.

And finally - an FO!



OK, so this is not showing up well, I fear. I will have another go. But I had to prove that I had finished it. The splotches are not really showing, and it is very
snuggly. Well, that's merino and silk for you.

Now, what next?