Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Lookie Here, I Was Gifted My First Dutch Oven!

Yes I know, another foodie post. 

Sorry, but this time of year I become obsessed with food.

Autumn and winter (my favorite seasons) are when I love making soup. LOTS of soup. In fact, I traditionally start bookmarking soup recipes at the end of every August. Autumn and winter are when my tastebuds seem to wake up after a hot and humid summer and long to dance with a variety of herbs and seasonings. 

To be honest, I would be happy just eating various soups all the time because they are one of those food items that are all-encompassing. Think about it. Soup can be a complete meal within itself. 

Anyhoo, back at the start of October, I got together with my dear friend Kelly for a coffee and catch-up date. It was the day after my birthday and Kelly mentioned that she had a small gift for me. 

As soon as I got into her car, she handed me a beautifully wrapped box that was sooooooo heavy. She said, "Happy Birthday, Ron"! 

I'm like, "OMG, what is this, Kelly? It weighs a ton!" 

She's like, "Oh, it's just a little something I got for you." 

So, before we pulled away from the curb, I tore open the wrapping and screamed, "OH. MY. GOD...it's a freaking DUTCH OVEN!!!!!!

I immediately reached over and hugged her and said, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

For all my passion for food and cooking, I have never owned a Dutch oven. So I was ecstatic!

When I got home that day, I unwrapped the Dutch oven, placed it on my stove, and then texted Kelly a photograph.

Lookie, here it is...

Allow me to pause here and share something I never knew. I always wondered why they called it a Dutch oven.

I found this online:

"The story goes that a man from England visited the Netherlands and saw round, fairly shallow pots being made by casting molten iron in molds made from sand. That's why it's called cast iron. The Dutch part was to honor the people who were making them."

That following week, I decided to break into my new Dutch oven and make some delicious soup. I found a Bok Choy Soup recipe online and instantly knew that it was the one I was going to make. I had never cooked Bok Choy, so I investigated several YouTube tutorials and found several that were very informative.

*Note: What I immediately noticed was how fast a Dutch oven heats up and cooks. The freshly chopped garlic I sauteed took less than a minute. 

So, here is a photograph of the soup simmering away in my new Dutch oven...

And here's another photograph of my soup in preparation to devour...

I must say, it was incredibly delicious. The turmeric gave this soup an extra zip! The recipe didn't call for potatoes, but I tossed one in (Yukon Gold) for some added body. I like my soup hearty and full.

And then last night, I made this delicious recipe as well...

Comforting Tuscan White Bean Chickpea Soup with kale (which I found on a new food blog I am now following)...

YUM-MY!

Needless to say, I am in love with my Dutch oven and plan on using it a lot over the next 4-5 months. 

And I just wanted to say again, "THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE DUTCH OVEN, KELLY! I AM SO ENJOYING IT. LOVE YA', MY FRIEND! 😘

Have a grrrrreat rest of your week, everyone! 💗

*Additional fall/winter soup recipes from one of my favorite blogs, Love and Lemons. Enjoy!