20130131-225858.jpg

I made soup today. Zucchini soup. It was good. So tasty and hot. We ate it for lunch today, despite it being the middle of summer. Georgia has been asking for zucchini soup ever since our first zucchini appeared on the vine. We have so many zucchinis now.

Speaking of summer, our summer here has been rather cool and overcast. It has been quite dry, although it did rain a fair bit today. I am longing for some more sunny days and picnics and bbqs in the sunshine, soaking the sunlight on my skin and sipping cool white wine and laughing with friends. I do not miss: heat waves, mosquitos, long hot sweaty nights and days, baking hot roads and hot, dry air.

Anyway, I made soup in the electric pressure cooker. Monte bought me an electric pressure cooker a few months ago because we have not been running the stove much and pressure cooking is really handy when you are short of time. I am slowing learning how to cook without the Esse. It is sort of like learning backwards. Most people would know how to cook in a microwave but I have had to learn. I learned how to use my Esse better than any other stove I have ever owned and I love using it. My electric pressure cooker is awesome though.

I have posted this recipe before but I thought I would write a pressure cooking version of it.

Zucchini soup
serves three

ingredients
3 large zucchinis, diced
2 bacon rashers
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup cream

method
:: Sauté the bacon and garlic until fragrant and tender
:: add the diced zucchini and mix with the bacon and garlic and sauté until browned
:: add 2/3 cup water and stir in
:: put lid on pressure cooker and bring to high pressure **
:: cook at high pressure for 20-25 minutes
:: release pressure and remove lid
:: stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes
:: serve (optional: you might like garnishes like herbs, crutons, seasonings of cream – I just like it as it is)

You could so easily make this soup without a pressure cooker. You could use a slow cooker and cook it on low for a day or you could cook it on a stovetop for an hour or so, depending on the consistency you want. It’s such a quick and easy (and delicious soup).

I never liked the taste of storebought zucchinis. I have only even enjoyed homegrown zucchinis. Zucchinis are so easy to grow and they can be used in practically anything. I love them.

I went to a Tupperware party this evening and I won a zucchini twisty slicer tool in the guest raffle. Fun!

** our electric pressure cooker is fairly automated, meaning that we put the lid on after sautéing and set it to the type of cooking we are doing and then it cooks it for a set time. I think I will be using it a lot this year, especially on work nights. Easy!!