The joy of going to a market on a Saturday morning. Nothing can really beat it. It is just the best way to begin the weekend.
The above picture is from a market near Parc des buttes Chaumont in Paris. It is such a lovely market that even has an organic section. What is so great with buying your fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread, eggs and others products at the market is that they are often locally grown and/or produced.
Feel free to ask the people in the stand where the eggs they sell are coming from. It might be that they are from a nearby farm where the hens have access to green grass. According to this article, these eggs are just so much better for you than any organic eggs you will find in the supermarket. Not to mention their taste..
Another great thing is that you support the farmers and growers in your local area, so that they can keep doing what they are doing without, hopefully, having to compromise the quality of their food.
My favourite local markets here in Dublin are Temple Bar market, The Supernatural food market and Dublin food co-op.
They are all really great. Temple Bar market has the best local apples and last time I went to the Supernatural food market I got a pack of organic kale for only €1.25 since they were about to close for the day. The joy!
Obviously I ran home to make this salad.
Now, let me introduce you to my favourite soup of all times.
It is so creamy, satisfying, healthy and easy; it has been a lifesaver this winter.
Fennel cauliflower soup with walnut oil
Serves 4-6 guests
2 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 cups (200 g) chopped leeks (2 or 3 leeks)
1/4 fennel
1 head of cauliflower
1 small piece of broccoli
a pinch of chilli flakes
sea salt
1/4 cup (40 g) raw cashews or almonds (soaked*)
walnut oil
sumac
pumpkin seeds
*At least 6-8 hours before, soak the raw nuts in plenty of water.
Wash and chop the cauliflower, leeks and fennel. Peel the garlic and slice it lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic, leeks, chilli and fennel for about 3 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Add the cauliflower and broccoli and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring 6 cups of water to the boil. Then add all the water with a tablespoon of salt to the vegetables and let simmer for 30 minutes.
When the vegetables are soft, remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Discard the water and rinse the nuts very well. Once the soup has cooled down a little, pour half of the soup and half of the nuts into your blender and mix on high until smooth. Keep the detachable part of the lid slightly open to allow steam to come out.
Pour the soup into a large serving bowl as you mix the other half of the soup and nuts. If the soup is cold, heat it a bit more in the pan. This final step is a little bit messy, but believe me, it's worth it because by now you have the most fragrant and creamy soup ever.
To serve, pour the the soup into bowls and garnish with sumac, pumpkin seeds and drizzle with walnut oil!
