Sunday Soup Series: Pear and Gorgonzola Soup

It arrived as delicately and quietly as it escaped a year ago. For a brief moment it littered the ground and then, lacking fanfare and much notice, it was gone. It left a whisper of what's in store, a dress rehearsal for the months ahead.

As the soft and wet snow came down a smile crept across my face. Snow connects me to some of my most vivid memories. As I drove through a few cities there was proof that snow had come and gone, leaving behind a sheet of white on the farmer's dirt fields. And then, however briefly, I drove through an unexpected area of heavy snow. It lasted a few minutes and melted on impact. No sign it arrived at all.

W and I love snow. It's romantic and beautiful and a reminder of the winters of our youth. It ushers in the weeks preceeding the holidays and brings about a change of spirit amongst the people you cross paths with. It's also the signal of the season and time to start decorating our house. Something we looked forward to long before we bought our house.

The time we shared before moving into our first house was often  met with discussions of the days during the holidays when we could get a tree and place it in the corner of the grand room not far from the fireplace, the perfect picture of holiday warmth and love. And, since last year was our first year here, this is our second chance at making an impression. A chance to add to our collection of ornaments and decor.

The snow and colder temperatures means weekends inside with the fireplace shaping our silhouette against the wall. It promises weekend afternoons in the kitchen making a pot of soup, sipping holiday cocktails around the aged soapstone table in the living room and the occasional afternoon escape for a nap. Fully entrenched in the season, creating family milestones to reminisce about years from now.

After a few days flirting with warmer temperatures not often seen in the middle of November, the frigid early mornings slowly brought us back to the reality that's just setting in. As the day creeps on the temperatures have stayed cold. And it doesn't change. And it won't for a while now.

After another early morning shoot spent alternating between the warm confines of a house and the cold wind outside, we wrapped up and headed home. All the while we talked about getting home, putting the fireplace on and getting comfortable for the day. And I flirted with the idea of hot batch of soup for instant comfort.

W went upstairs to upload the images from the shoot and get to work in post-processing and I found my familiar spot in the kitchen making this soup. The ingredients created an aroma that was intoxicating and it wasn't long until that scent filled the house. Nothing beats a pot of soup or some baked goods in the oven to instantly change the mood of a house.

There was plenty left for our new Sunday winter ritual. We'll wake up and insert ourselves in the day. In the afternoon we'll sit down and connect over this soup and talk about plans on decorating the house and things that need to get done. And then, although early, we'll get the tree set up. It helps imbed the spirit inside of us.

It arrived quietly and without fanfare. It left a whisper of what's in store and the promise of rituals to come. And it was a dress rehearsal of the months ahead. I'll be ready to make soup and sit by the fire and watch the snowstorm blanketing the neighbourhood outside.

From my kitchen to yours,

Michael


Pear & Gorgonzola Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 sweet white onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 small buttercup squash, peeled and choppped
• 1 leek, thinly sliced, green part only
• 1 celery, chopped
• 4 large pears, cored, peeled and chopped
• 2 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
• 1 cup gorgonzola
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup pumpkin ale (any ale or seasonal ale will do)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• sea salt & cracked pepper
• 4 tbsp. squash seeds, toasted (garnish)
• 2 tbsp. gorgonzola (garnish)
• 1 tsp. rosemary (garnish)

Prep:

1. Add butter and oil to a stockpot over medium heat until butter melted. Add in onion, carrot, leek, celery, squash, pears and rosemary and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add in stock and ale and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Pour into a food processor or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot and stove.
4. Add in gorgonzola and heavy cream and bring back up to temperature. Do not bring up to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Pour into bowls and top with toasted seeds, small chunks of gorgonzola and rosemary.
6. Serves 6.