Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
6 cups milk (or 4 cups milk and 2 cups half and half)
4 heads broccoli
3 cups grated cheese
sea salt, black pepper

Melt butter in saucepan on low/med heat, add onion, cook until soft but not brown.

Pour flour in saucepan, stir and combine well. Cook for 1 minute then add milk. Stir, then add broccoli and salt and pepper. Cook on low for 20 minutes or so until broccoli is soft. Stir in cheese until melted. You may pour a portion of the soup into a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree then add back to the rest of the soup for a less chunky texture.

Fireside Gazpacho

Fireside Gazpacho

1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
5 large ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
1 cucumber, peeled and diced
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
2 ripe avocados, peeled and diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

In your food processor, put the cumin, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and salt and pulse to blend briefly.
Add the tomatoes and puree until mostly smooth.
Pour this mixture into a large bowl. You can add water if the soup seems too thick for your taste.
Add the cucumber, onion, corn, and avocados to the bowl and stir.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Taste the next morning and if needed add more salt, lime juice, and olive oil.
Keep chilled and stir in cilantro just before serving.
Serve ice cold by campfire in big soup mugs.  You can top with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt if desired.
Will fill 4 good size soup mugs.

Campfire Mushroom Soup

Campfire Mushroom Soup

1 lb. fresh mushrooms (use a variety)
6 Tbsp butter, divided
1/2 sweet onion, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
5 Tbsp flour
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped up a little
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a cast iron Dutch oven on a grate over your campfire or grill, put 2 Tablespoons of the butter and all the onion in and cook until onion becomes transparent.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add all the mushrooms and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid disappears and mushrooms are softened.
Remove Dutch oven from the grill and set aside.
In a separate large fire-safe pot, melt the remaining 4 Tablespoons butter, then whisk in the 5 Tablespoons flour, cooking until golden brown in color, then slowly whisk in the vegetable stock, cooking and stirring frequently until thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Pour this mixture into the Dutch oven with mushrooms, add the thyme, return to fire, and cook slowly over low coals for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Be sure it’s cooking slowly. Move to slower coals if it’s boiling too hard (fast.)
Remove from coals and let cool for 3 minutes, then stir in the heavy cream.
Serve immediately in bowls with crusty bread to complete the meal.

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