For me fall represents a chill in the air, the leaves turning bright colors, gathering berries and mushrooms and soup. Rarely do we eat soup in the summer. Summer fare includes grilled vegies and meat and bright salads but when the cold weather sets in, soup warms up the soul. I need foods to warm me in the cold season since I get blue lips and cold easily.
Since living in Finland I have been learning the art of dressing warmly. Not that I didn’t have hats available as a teen but at the time it just wasn’t cool to go to school with a hat on and so I would walk to the bus stop everyday without a hat. It would have messed up my hair. Thank goodness the trend has changed.
The forest has had an abundance of the Trumpet Chanterelle this fall and when you find one, you might find a patch of hundreds. At times this fall we have had so many mushrooms that our dehydrator has been running non-stop and there has been enough share.
Part of the excitement of mushroom picking is exploring the forest and seeing and hearing birds and other animals.
Below is a Cream of Mushroom soup recipe for those days that have a chill. I used the Trumpet Chanterelle but many other mushrooms work as well.
Cream of Mushroom Soup
400 g/14 oz Trumpet Chanterelle, cleaned and diced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery sliced thinly
2 tbsp butter
1/2 l/generous 2 c chicken stock
4 dl/1.7 c cream (may use a lighter cream or half and half)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
salt
pepper
fresh chives and parsley chopped
2 tbsp corn starch
Croutons
1 loaf of day old bread cut into cubes
olive oil
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Prepare the croutons first and set aside. Cube the loaf and place on a lined baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper and a little chili if preferred. Bake at 350 for about 5 minutes on until golden brown.
For the soup, sauté the onion, celery and mushrooms in butter until the moisture has nearly evaporated. Add the chicken stock and allow to simmer. Add the cream, salt, pepper and white wine vinegar. Check taste. Thicken with corn starch that is mixed in a half cup of cold water. Garnish with fresh parsley, chives and croutons. Enjoy!
I’m participating in the LetsBeWild.com Wild Weekly Photo Challenge! This weeks Challenge is: Fall
tableofcolors 
Oh that soup looks delicious
Thank you!
Herkullisen näköistä keittoa! Suurensitko kuvia tai tekstiä? Tuntuu että ois isommat kuvat nyt! 😀 Ainakin edellisissä postauksissa on suuria kuvia nyt katsottuna. Sulla on aina niin hienoja kuvia!
Pysty suunnassa kuvat tulevat esiin paremmin/ovat isompia. Vähän kärsii tuo kuvan koko jos ne ovat vaaka suunnassa. Olen vähän ajatellut että pitäiskö vaihtaa takaisin siihen toiseen formaattiin 🙂
Gorgeous photos. I can almost feel and see autumn in Finland through your writing. Loved the way you connect the forest, mushroom, soup and fall. Beautiful post.
Thank you for your kind comment!
I have started to eat soups also now when it is colder. Feels like they warm me up a little bit. Have been reading you blogwritings with my phone google reader since your dad linked it on his facebook page. In this post I especially like the photo of water.
I greet you from Oulu. You lived with me at the same apartment one summer over ten years ago.
Here is a few photos of my fall scenery. Enjoy fall and photography! All the best to you and to your family! Keep writing ü.
http://spiraali.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Haivenet/
t. Saara H
Beautiful photos Saara! Yes, I remember when we lived on Pakkahuoneenkatu, that was a fun summer and it was nice to get to know you. Thank you for your comment, I appreciate it! Hope you have a nice fall!
lovely pictures and yummy mushroom soup. I bet those mushrooms are good fried in garlic and butter too. 🙂
Yes, they are delicious fried in garlic or onion and butter and then eaten with toasted bread! 🙂
mmmmy mouth waters just thinking about it. 🙂
You write a great blog, obviously cook beautiful food, and your photos are outstanding. I love them. It is always a delight to see your posts. Thank you.
Thank you so much, I appreciate it!
What a sweet combination! Beautiful pictures!
Thanks!
the images are lovely, and the soup makes me crave a fresh batch NOW!
z
Hopefully you have the opportunity to get a bowl of mushroom soup soon 🙂
thanks! i hope so too! z
I love your photo challenge pictures; beautiful! Your cream of mushroom soup looks so delicious!
Thank you so much!
Congratulations on being in the top five! *(The mushroom soup still looks appetizing! ) Z
Thank you and congratulations to you too! I really liked your photo of the lone tree.
muchas gracias! the ceibo trees of this region are amazing!
see you on more challenges!!
z
Congratulations! Gorgeous photos. I love the “remnant from the ice age era” most!
It’s actually one of my favorites too, and congratulations to you too for being in the top five!
Congratulations to you!
And I hope I could try that mushroom soup. 🙂
Thank you and congrats to you too!