Carrrots are Orange

So... I looked around the web about interesting facts about carrots that I could work into a story. There are no intersting facts about carrots. The best I could come up with is that China is the world's leading producer of carrots. Take that one to your next cocktail party. Also, carrots are orange.

I can say something interesting about soup. Well, at least a question - why does a cup of soup cost $6? Dude. Soup is one of the cheapest things to make.

I have eaten great carrot soup around the world - from Galway to Paris to Seattle. A good, creamy carrot soup would make a great appetizer to your upcoming Easter dinner. For me, I was opting for this as a full meal after running. To balance the sweetness (and to boost the carbs!),  I added a parsley, bacon dumpling. Enjoy!

* Ingredients *
For the soup...
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
6 cups chicken borth
2 pounds carrots, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly grated ginger root
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and Pepper
Sour Cream

For the dumpling...
3 strips bacon, cooked
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 tableshortening
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup parsley, chopped


* Instructions *
1. Add butter to stock pot. Melt over medium heat. Add onions. Cook until translucent.
2. Add carrots, brother, ginger and  cayenne pepper. Bring to boil and simmer until carrots are tender. About 10 minutes.
3. Transfer broth and carrots to blender or food processor. Pureee until smooth.
4. Transfer back to stock pot and fold in cream. Bring to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. For the dumpling, mix all ingredients. Spoon batter on to greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  
6. Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream, dumpling and chopped fresh parsely.