If you haven't had fresh rosemary on your roast potatoes, what have you been doing all your life? Go do it right now. I can't even imagine roast potatoes without them.

However, rosemary isn't just for potatoes. I understand it's not even just for anyone - it's a strong taste that is too much for some. I like it as a tea, but @fermentedphil doesn't - each to their own taste, right? But his query on what else to do with rosemary got me thinking - and cooking.

Those of you that know me here will know what a fan I am of soup - it's quick, easy and healthy, and it uses up scrap vegetables. Funny, my sister hates it. Imagine how she felt when Mum dropped off a pot of soup for her when she had COVID. Apparently she forced it down because she knew it was good for her.

I sent her my hearty brown lentil and vegetable soup to tease her. 'Chunky for a punky' she said. What the actual? Apparently it was a '90's advertisement, of which I have scant memory.

Not quite - mine's considerably more healthy. I'll try to do the ingredients to measure but I don't bother with that, chucking in what I have. But here's vaguely today's chunky for a punky soup. You can omit or add vegetables as you please - beetroot, parsnip, swede for example. I really love using garden vegetables for this - fresh tomatoes are great but usually not in season when it's soup season. Broad bean tops are also fabulous.

Be warned - this is a big soup, with plenty for leftovers, so a stockpot is needed.

Lentil and Rosemary Soup

1.5 cups of brown lentils
1 onion
1 leek
4 cloves of garlic
Half a celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
Handful of greens from the garden - nettle, broccoli leaves, beetroot tops and so on
4 big leaves of silverbeet
Stock to taste
1 can tomatoes
Fry the onions and garlic in olive oil til soft. Add the lentil and fry for one minute then add a couple of litres of water and the vegetables. The vegetables and lentils should be well covered. Add the sprigs of rosemary - you can remove the twigs later and the leaves will fall off into the soup. Simmer for a good hour - you will need to check and perhaps add more water as the lentils absorb the liquid. Cook til the lentils are soft.

I love mine served with parmesan and chilli but it doesn't need it. A lovely gruyere is also lovely in it.

What soup advertisement do I remember from the '90's? Definitely this one. Poor Boof.

With Love,

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