I have always loved flowers. I enjoy growing flowers, drawing flowers, as well as picking them and making arrangements...a bit of a flower child :)
Every year for Christmas, my nephew sends me an amaryllis plant. It arrives in a box just waiting to see the light of day. I immediately pull it out, give it a good watering, and wait for the magic to happen. This year's plant arrived quite close to Christmas, so the growth didn't really begin until about the middle of January. The blooms have been absolutely spectacular! At this point, it's a little past its peak, but still gorgeous. One bud has yet to open, so I should, fingers crossed, still have some blooms to enjoy into March.
On a trip to the grocery store a few weeks back, they had the loveliest hyacinths blooming in water. Not only were the blooms beautiful, the bulbs were a deep purple, a little like a purple onion. I thought that although they were forced to bloom, there might be a chance to save them. I would also like to save my amaryllis, so off to Google!
My search lead me to the loveliest website, Keven Lee Jacobs Delicious Living. The author is an award winning food, gardening, and lifestyle guru who lives in New York's Hudson Valley. As it turns out, since the hyacinths were forced in water, the bulbs are shot :(, but the good news is that my amaryllis can be saved, and he gives very detailed instructions on how to save the bulbs so that they'll bloom again next year. I'm so happy!!!
While I was on Kevin's website, I just happened to stumble upon a picture that caught my attention. In a mug was a very vivid orange colored soup. The soup has some interesting ingredients. Along with the carrots, there's the zest and juice of a large orange and a good tablespoon of grated ginger.
If you would like, 1/4 cup of cream is added at the very end. I thought it looked awfully pretty as it swirled into the carrot mixture.
Kevin serves the soup with a dollop of creme fraiche. I substituted a dollop of Greek yogurt. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!
A fabulous soup for lunch, or a light dinner.
You can find a printable recipe HERE. This is one you will want to keep.
If you would like to take a look at Kevin's instructional video, I've added it below.
By all means, take a little time to look around on his website. Great info, inspiration, recipes, and beautiful pictures.
Have fun!
That is one gorgeous amaryllis! I remember my grandmother "saving" the bulbs for the next year, and then sometimes for a third. Some years it worked, and others - not. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteCarrot and orange soup is a favourite of mine from way back.
Thanks Irene 😊 I have really enjoyed the amaryllis. Fingers crossed that I'm lucky with this one.
DeleteThe soup is so, so good. I had never had a carrot soup like this, but I'll be having LOTS more!
Your amaryllis is pretty. I've had good luck planting them in my garden after they have flowered indoors during the winter.
ReplyDeleteSadly, it's too cold in Chicago for the bulbs. I can plant tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, but not amaryllis :(
DeleteBeautiful amaryllis and what a wonderful Christmas tradition. The soup looks scrumptious, I saved the recipe to make when it gets cold here. I wonder what it would taste like as a summer soup cooled? May have to try that too!
ReplyDeleteI ate mine warm, but in the video, he talks about the soup being a good coolmsoup for the summer. But, I'm one of thosncrazy people who eats warm soup all year round 😊
DeleteThat soup will be tried here - we love soups!
ReplyDeleteYour amaryllis is beautiful. I have a friend who has lots saved over years of growing them and they look fabulous en masse (but she has green hands not just fingers!). Good luck saving yours 😃
I think that you and "the management" will really like the soup. Serve it with some of your wonderful sour dough bread 😊
DeleteMany years ago a friend gave me her single amaryllis bulb after she didn't want it any more. It is the apple blossom pink one and it blooms just about every year. From that one bulb I now have six and the babies bloom, also. They do like to be crowded in the pot. Mine stay outside or in the garage all the time and bloom in the spring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the message and encouragement Carolyn. 😊 I hope I have as much success as you have had. It seems that the clavia plant and the amaryllis are similar in the fact that they enjoy a crowded pot. My aunt gave me an orange blooming clavia, and I was fortunate enough to find a yellow blooming plant. They both bloom in March. I hope that I can get the amaryllis to bloom again as the trio will make quite a show.
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