Home at last and finally feeling settled

I have been MIA for awhile. The reason for my long absence is my annual trip to Cape Cod. I go there with my kids every summer for the month of July. My husband comes for part of the time and my mom is usually there the whole time with me. My dad and sister stop in too. We had a great trip this summer, got to see some great friends and got the best beach weather I can remember having.

Since I've been home I've been doing a lot of laundry and a lot of vegetable canning. So far I've made it through 25 pounds of tomatoes, 25 pounds of green beans and 20 pounds of cucumbers as well as a bunch of eggplant. The freezer and pantry are quickly filling up with summer goodness.

My first go at a batch of brined dill pickles is in a crock on my counter. I am so curious to see how these turn out and it is taking every bit of my self restraint to stop from trying one. They are supposed to sit for 3-6 weeks. Its only been 4 days.

Because of all of the canning I've been doing, I've been relying on a lot of soups for dinner. It is so easy to throw a bunch of veggies in a pot and make a nice soup. If I serve it with bread to dip, my kids are usually pretty darn happy.

Today I am making a Cauliflower Soup, a variation on a recipe in Alice Waters' book The Art of Simple Food.

Cauliflower Soup

1/4 C olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 t coriander seeds, crushed with the side of a knife
1 t ground cumin
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t turmeric
1/4 t dried red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
6 cups water
3 veggie bouillon cubes (I like the Rapunzel Vegan brand), dissolved in water

Heat oil in a large soup pot, add onion, carrots and spices and cook on medium heat until soft.
Add cauliflower and cilantro, stir to coat with spice mixture.
Add water/bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes or until cauliflower is very soft. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.
Serve with cilantro, a squeeze of lime and some chopped avocado on top.