I have begun to investigate slow cooking. With the arrival of Daisy’s calf fast approaching, and Sheila the Babe (hopefully this week), then the milking and the cheese making, I will have at least another two hours work a day and that does not include the clean up. The barn I can clean with a hose. Don’t you wish you could do the same with the kitchen! So I need to find ways to save time. The crock pot has never appealed to me. I honestly prefer my food freshly picked and prepared. But until I get my head around this new regime I am going to have to resort to making dinner in the early afternoon then leaving it to cook alone. My other problem is my old rickety gas stove that has not quite worn itself out yet, needs supervision. It cannot be left on in the house when I am out of the house. So I am reconsidering the less than sexy crock pot.
Yesterday was a case in point, we were racing to get the fencing finished and Daisy’s milking parlour ready. There was no time to muck about in the kitchen. The Kitchens Garden had garlic almost ready to harvest and the broccoli was going to shoot in the terribly hot winds we had yesterday. The lettuce has gone past it. So no quick salad. 
So the dinner ingredients were already decided. That is the best garlic we have grown. 
The challenge: what can you make in a crockpot with these ingredients and leave to cook inside while you are outside for hours. Broccoli and Garlic Soup. Adapted from Not Your Mothers Slow Cooker Cookbook. 
Chop up the peeled broccoli stalks as well as the florets. In the slow cooker add oil, thyme, lemon juice, chicken stock and salt and pepper. Muddle in a whole bulb of chopped and crushed garlic. I cooked it on low for about three hours, then pureed most of it.
It is not a pretty soup but it was good. And fast to serve with minimal clean up.
And now a wee surprise. Daisy and I. Daisy is walking like a cowboy now and not going very far, and so when we were not fencing (again the heat was in the high nineties but this time with gale force winds) I was hanging out with her under the trees. John took the camera from its fencepost and managed to nick an unflattering shot of me in his nieces T-shirt, which I redesigned with a pair of kitchen scissors, and my work skirt, my hair blown straight up, looking like I have been dragged through a bush backwards.
This is probably the first time I have included a full picture of me in the blog. But I have been thinking of perspective lately. How to show size in the shots. A box of matches and Daisy would be silly. And this image does give you an idea of how large Daisy really is. I am 5’7″. Now look at the size of her head again. She just needs to swing that head to dislodge a fly and she has inadvertantly knocked me for a six. She is a gentle giant lately though. Such a big animal to have in my care. Stepping so carefully, poor fat cow in the heat.
Good morning. Queenie Wineti, The Bobby (this years steer) and Hairy MacLairy are all out in the newly fenced Dairy Mistress paddock. They are more than happy with their new field. I can check them from my kitchen window which makes life very easy. And gives me something to look at when I do the dishes. (Where is that hose!)
I think we have an ordinary day ahead of us. The usual chores and rounds. So it will be a good solid and peaceful day. There are no surprises in the plan. Touch wood. You have a lovely day too.
celi
The Kitchen's Garden 
100 responses to “A rare sighting of miss c and Broccoli with Garlic Soup”
Hey look you’re back! Those are some good looking veggies.
well done greg, so to fix the problem you UNSubscribed the re-subscribed.. unfollow/ follow.. it seems there are others with this problem too. I also have people i am following who are not appearing in my lists .. I must do the same.. have an excellent day!
You are right- a box of matches would have been silly (although the thought gave me a good laugh). I have to say, that photo of you two really does help me see how big Daisy is. And how nice to see you in front of the camera!
It will be a rare appearance, I feel most uncomfortable up there, as you can see I was walking OUT of the shot at speed! c
Soup sounds wonderful.
Thank you Rosemary.. c
You look lovely! And next to Daisy too, what a treat. The soup sounds fantastic too, love the addition of the toppings on the side.
I am having a toasted sunflower and pumpkin seed revival at the moment and eat them with everything! c
I’m happy that you included the photo of you and Daisy…it really does give us an idea of how big she is and how lovely you are.
She really is a big girl.. morning karen! c
Daisy is beautiful, but you win the contest! It’s wonderful to see you with your animals once in a while – maybe soon with a “newborn.” The soup looked good; broccoli soup is one of my favorites.
Pulled pork is another thing that my daughter cooks all day in the slo-cooker. It’s yummy.
yes, i would like to do pulled pork too, though this is not a dish i am familiar with, I would need to do some research.. Morning Lois! c
Add some potatoes and mushrooms and you have a hearty winter soup, winter is here, brrrr. Another good reaon to work on the farmy I could be a lot trimmer 🙂 Looks like Daisy’s calf is going to be a big one too. Enjoy your day. Laura
morning Laura, not too big I hope, but there is definitely a calf in there! c
How nice of you to make a special guest appearance on your blog. 🙂 If that’s how you look after being dragged through bushes, you must be stunning on your good days.
The crockpot sounds like a good idea. I imagine it heats the house far less than the gas stove will. Hope the heat drops for you soon.
It is a strange feeling having my own picture up there, I have to say that i was in a quandary, it seems to take away some of the magic.. I think today will be cooler .. hope so..the heat is very hard on the sheep.. not to mention big fat cows!.. morning bill
Great shot of the two of you!
Morning Yummy! c
I think it’s a great photo. Good on John for taking it!
Picked some radishes for our salad last night, only to discover that they were starting to bolt…major disappointment. Our dinner solution on too-busy days – and they ALL are, right now – is to season-up a steak or chop at lunchtime, then grill it at dinner. Then I roll some beans/peas/broccoli/whatever is left in the freezer in a pan with some hot butter and garlic.
Not sure I could ‘sell’ soup in hot weather…but it would be a welcome change!
Wishing you cooler temps today!
Yes, the steak is a very fast feed as long as i remember to get it out of the freezer!! How disappointing to find your radishes bolting, ours are all over too and the lettuce is almost ready for the chooks! so sad.. c
You two look great! I use Jim, my husband as a matchbox. He gets to stand in front of all sorts of things.
Poor Jim, I think i can remember him standing in the doorway of that mini village in Italy somewhere.. He is a good fella to oblige.. c
Lovely ladies on a walk. Lovely meal served in very lovely dinnerware. It’s just a Lovely Day!
Those plates are so old! aren’t they pretty.. c
Somehow I expected you to walking about in Wellies instead of sneaks 🙂 Glad John took the pic. So that’s what broccoli looks like in nature. Morning, Miss C. t
Gumboots when it is almost 100 degrees are was too hot, I wear them in the morning when i am mucking out! and especially when I am in with the pigs! c
oh dear, my heart goes out to Daisy, I remember that stage of pregnancy where just walking is a major effort, and in the heat…ugh!
Yes Beth and she is just plodding along.. c
Afternoon, is it me or does Daisy have one heck ofa suspicious look on her face, she looks like she’s saying (to John) ” what are you doing taking my photo, you know this isn’t my best side for portraiture”?
Lovely to see you Celi!
She does have that look doesn’t she Claire, she and I are usually very careful about composure!! c