Allottment Swoop - visiting from a previous tumblr post...

Our dear friend Kath has got an allotment. Most weekends I imagine our Kath can be found happily digging and pulling and planting and kerfuffling on her little veggie patch - helping mother nature make real food. Over the year we have pinned our expressions to ‘mildly interested’ while listening to tales of muck shippments, allotment politics and the correct way to lay out your onions. (Apparantly you lay them out in neat rows on the ground with the stalks still attached, before you plait them together french onion seller stylee and hang them from your kitchen ceiling.)
I love seeing pics of Kath in her trusty green wellies, wielding spades and hoes alongside an army of sexy looking, outdoorsy chaps -all ruddy cheeked and puffed up with effort. It’s almost worth volunteering myself… almost.
What I really love is being the lucky recipient of the allotment harvest. Recently we scored some huge onions (no stalks on - these were the few Kath got stuck into before noticing her neighbouring ‘lotty didn’t go to the bother of lopping them off…) and a mahoosive courgette.
I made allotment soup…

• 1 cup chopped celery
• Half red onion roughly chopped
• Huge courgette chopped into large cubes
• Juice of two lemons
• Chilli (any type)
• Stock
• two - three tablespoons olive oil

Put the oil in the pan and add the chopped onion and celery, shove the lid on and let them get to know each other in the steam and sizzly heat.
Now’s a good time to chop up your courgette or marrow. I don’t like adding the middle bit with the seeds and stringy stuff, but you can if you’re not squeamish.
After the onion/celery mix has been going for a few minutes, sling in the courgette chunks and stir them around. Cover half the pan with the lid and let it all get a bit sweaty for another couple of minutes. While you sort out your stock.
I use bought stock, in all and any form - you just need enough to cover the veggies comfortably.
Add the stock & chilli flakes or oil to taste (I don’t like it too hot so half a tspn to a tspn is enough for me) - check the heat and let it all cook until soft.
You can add the lemon juice at any stage, round about now I’d squeeze your lemons, or just tip out a couple of ladles full from the bottle - and add to the soup.
(Or you could take the rind off, cut them up into chunks and drop them into the soup too).
Cook a little bit more - and then whisk the whole lot up until it’s smooth.
At this point you can adjust the seasoning - I liked it with quite a bit of rock salt added so it had that lemony, chilli, salty vibe going for it.
I loved this soup and would give it 3 stars ***.
Podge only liked it and would probably only give it 1 * but I’m not asking him in case he doesn’t give it any.