I am about to embark on a journey. A journey to myself.

A time has come in my life where I have to put everything and others aside and look inside myself to find me.

And so my dear readers and my beloved foodie friends, we must also part for 8 weeks.

What better way to leave you all then with something green.

Green is life, spring and nature. Green stands for growth, renewal and health. For healing, for Go and permission to proceed, for going back to what is true to you. Green points to emotions and feelings including hope and heartfelt connections. Dream interpretations associated with green suggest that you ask yourself the following 3 questions:

• What is calling you to grow and get closer to your true self?
• What in your life or your personality is just starting to blossom and needs a bit of attention to fully develop?
• What aspects of yourself or parts of your life do you need to heal the most?

These sound like the right 3 questions for me just now.

Be happy and safe my Dears and I will see you again in June.
Love, Karin

So I take leave from you with a lovely green recipe while I embark on my journey of self-reflection and healing.

Fresh Pea and Wild Garlic Minted Soup

Fresh Pea and Wild Garlic Minted Soup
Serve hot or cold

Ingredients:

• 500 grams of unshelled fresh peas (substitute 350 grams fresh frozen peas if not available)
• 1 bunch of wild garlic also know as bear’s garlic, ransoms, or wood garlic
• 1 leek – green part
• 2 medium-sized potatoes
• 2 sprigs of cilantro
• 2 sprigs of tarragon
• 3 sprigs of mint
• 2 spring onions – white parts
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 liter / quart of your favorite vegetable broth
• ½ washed organic lemon – juice and peel – zest the ½ lemon
• 125 ml / ½ cup of cream
• salt & fresh ground pepper

Putting it all together:

Shell and wash fresh peas (or remove frozen peas from the freezer and defrost in a sieve to remove excess water). Wash the wild garlic and divide in to 2 bunches – chop one bunch and set the other aside for later. Peel the spring onions and chop.

Wash and chop the other herbs reserving 1 sprig of mint removing the stems. Peel and chop the leeks and place them in a bowl of water to thoroughly remove the sand. Peel, wash and chop the potatoes.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a soup pot, add the spring onion and stir-fry them 2 minutes so the do not burn. Add the peas, potatoes, leeks the herbs and the chopped wild garlic. Stir-fry again about 3 minutes.

Add the broth and the lemon zest and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer.

Cover and simmer (lightly bubbling) for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and purée carefully with an immersion blender taking care not to burn yourself. Add salt & pepper and lemon juice.

Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a lightly bubbling simmer and cook down without a lid for 10 minutes to thicken.

In the meantime cut the remaining ½ bunch of wild garlic into strips and chop the leaves from the remaining mint sprig. Mix together and reserve one handful for serving.

Remove soup from the heat, stir in cream and wild garlic strips and the mint. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in bowls with crusty bread and reserved strips for decoration.

You can also cool it and serve it cold like Vichyssoise.