It's Time for Soups and Stews!

It's Time for Soups and Stews!

I love autumn.  I love the changing season, the changing leaves and the expectation of the coming holidays.  And when the weather becomes cooler and the days are shorter, there is something about a pot of soup simmering on the stove that immediately makes me feel warm, cozy and happy to be indoors near the fireplace. 

Soups and stews are the oldest meals, vegetables, herbs and meat put into a pot with water and set to simmer over a fire.  Lots of nutrition, easy to make and you can create your own recipe!  Although I have several cookbooks devoted exclusively to soups and stews, I most often create my own depending on my mood and what is my refrigerator.  I always use my red Le Creuset pot, add olive oil, garlic, onion, celery and carrots.  Sometimes I add chicken with parsnips and turnips.  Sometimes I add beef and potatoes.  Sometimes I add zucchini, spinach or cabbage...but most often, I add tomatoes.  Recently, I have been adding red or white beans to soup, using my hand blender to make a creamy soup....without the cream.

Soups and stews are wonderful for dinner parties, either as a first course or as a main course, with warm crusty bread.  The most elegant way to present soup to your guests is in a soup tureen.  Soup tureens have been used for centuries.  When soup was the primary European meal, artisans created soup tureens as an elegant way to serve soup...regardless of whether it was a clear broth or a hearty stew.  Soup tureens were available in earthenware, pewter or silver.  It became the centerpiece of the table. The soup tureen is the largest piece in a dinner service and has often been displayed in the home as a symbol of wealth.  

In the late 1600's multiple soup tureens were used to serve the extravagant dinners held by the French king Louis XIV.  You may not host dinners in the grand style of King Louis, but you can still enjoy the elegance of serving your guests from an exquisite soup tureen.  And when not in use, a soup tureen is a beautiful piece to display.  It symbolizes sharing a meal and gracious hospitality.  Tournesol offers a few exquisite soup tureens.