Potato Corn Soup

Potato Corn Soup

It is fall again so soup is on the menu!

I love making soup! 
 Love it!  

 This is a recipe of a great corn soup.
When the weather is cool there is nothing better. 
At least that is my idea of better.

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 celery stalk, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
3 ears of sweet corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 2 cups)or frozen
1 bay leaf
3 1/2 cups milk, whole or low fat
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, or Russet, peeled and diced
1/4 green bell pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and green bell pepper and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Add the celery and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes.

2 Add the corn to the saucepan. Add the milk and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 30 minutes. Make sure the heat is as low as can be and still maintain a gentle simmer to prevent scalding the milk on the bottom of the pan.

3 Discard the bay leaf. Raise the heat, add the potatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost fork tender.
the corn kernels and4 Raise the heat, add the thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

This is the makings of greatness.

In the pot goes the onion, green pepper and then the celery.

Potatoes go in next.

Then the corn.

And finally the milk.

This is what it looks like cooking...

HMMM, yummy on a tray... with a little salt & pepper

I got a succulent from my garden.

Janet loved it-(that is why we took a picture).

 I put it in a little blue & white container. 

Here is the corn soup almost finished.
Nothing warms me up like soup.
 What is your favorite thing to eat on a fall day or night, dear readers...
I know you have favorites! 




Love,





Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design.

Winter Vegetable Soup With Pesto

I got this recipe is from All the Best Blog - Winter Vegetable Soup with Pesto

Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did. 

Ingredients
   

Soup
2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, diced
1 6-ounce white-skinned potato, peeled, diced
*3 tablespoons water
8 cups canned vegetable broth
1/2 cup orzo
6 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
(I got frozen green beans)
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Pesto
2 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled

Puree all ingredients in processor. 
Season with salt and pepper

*I made the Pesto a day ahead, but you could also use store bought.

 

 

1. Chop vegetables.

   2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large heavy pot.
 I inherited this pot from my grandmother - I adore it.

 3. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 -12 minutes. 
This is where you use  the 3 Tablespoons of water - no oil.

 4. Add the broth and bring to boil. 

 5. Stir in orzo; boil uncovered until orzo is almost tender, stirring often so it doesn't stick,

about 12 minutes. 

6. Stir in cannellin beans. Simmer beans until heated through, about 3 minutes.

7. Add green beans; reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. 

At this point I added the red pepper flakes. 

8. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Put  a large spoon full of pesto in your bowl. Ladle soup over pesto; swirl to blend. 
Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese.


Viola, its soup time! 
ENJOY!

It has turned cold here in Southern California.
Overcast & Rainy - well, we think it is cold! 50' during the day.

I adore making soup and eating it. What better way to greet this weather...

What dish screams cold weather to you, dear readers?

Tell me...


 Love,


Peggy

       

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design.

Loft Kitchen Makeover in DTLA - Before

I am doing a kitchen makeover in a loft in Downtown LA for a friend/client.

Here are a few pictures of the feeling the client  wants - Chinese/modern.

 An antique Chinese chest on one wall in the dining room.

 This is looking at the other wall in the dining room.

There are two walls in the dining room and a window wall.

Here are pictures of the current kitchen, pre makeover.

 We will get a new stove - this old stove is 36" W

the new one will be 24" W, as we need the space.

 Right now the kitchen is functional!

 The color scheme will be black, red, taupe.

 It is a galley feeling kitchen, long & narrow.

The loft is a corner unit and the views of downtown LA are amazing. 

I promise to take a night shot.

 We will take the cabinet down & install floating shelves for storage to showcase all the wonderful things she has collected over the years and inherited! 

The house keeper at her post - thank god!

Pipes are a constant in a loft all over the ceiling generally and this unit isn't an exception. 

We hung a chandelier in the kitchen she had.

 We're going to cover the chandelier when construction starts!

We will show "after" shots of the kitchen, I promise.

I adore lofts!
So open and so many possibilities.

This loft is truly wonderful.

So dear readers, here we go on an design adventure.

Before & after the renovation,

stay tuned.

Love, Peggy

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Blue & White Ceramics

Lets talk Blue & White Ceramics-

I have always loved anything Blue & White. 

I used to say blue was my favorite color but over the years, I decided all colors are my favorites. 

Green, red, yellow and yes! I consider white a color also - all shades of any color. 

I keep going back to Blue & White. Wonder why?

I ask myself and self answers 

"because it is fabulous."  

I found the above picture of a blue & white kitchen in a magazine years ago.

Those are trumpe l'oeil, plates, books, various things behind the wire fronted cabinets. Isn't this amazing?

This is the Fabulous Blue & White kitchen through a photographer's lens

unknown photographer from unknown mag.

  

Blue & pink! 

in Hamptons by Diamond Baratta, 

2004 Traditional Home

Blue & Vanilla! 

Love these vases + ones seen in the mirror on the wall at other end of the room. 

unknown photographer

Above are two, of a set of four candle sticks, given to me many years ago by friends

"The Ladies" as I call them always ready to shed light on a table.

Oh, I can't forget Henney Penney my chicken!

With Lavender

blue & white gentlemen candle sticks

with my pillow baby behind them. 

And a classic brass topped ginger jar. 

In my humble opinion, expensive blue & white can be put with inexpensive pieces to make a stunning group.

So start collecting that Blue & White and enjoy!

 I am always delighted to hear of your blue & white creations.

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.