An Autumn Dinner....despite the heat

We are having a little heat wave in the Golden State.  But, this is what I had planned, so this is what I made.  Plus, I am feeling a bit under the weather and soup is the ultimate comfort food.

Homemade Wheat Herb Rolls

Roasted Sweet Potato Soup

The bread recipe can be found here.

Here's the soup recipe:

Approximately 2 pounds sweet potatoes, baked

Approximately 4 Tablespoons butter

One large onion, chopped

Two stalks of celery, chopped

One medium potato, chopped

Six cups chicken broth  (you can use vegetable broth if you are vegetarian)
One-third cup pure Maple syrup

Approximately 1/4 cup half-and-half and a little more for garnish

Chives fresh from the herb garden for garnish

After you bake the sweet potatoes, scoop out the insides and set aside.  Discard the skins in your compost bin.

Saute the onions and celery in the butter until tender.

Add the broth and potato and cook about 10-15 minutes until the potato is soft.

Add the sweet potato mash and the syrup and stir.  Here is where I took the immersion blender (hand blender) to it.  (If you don't have a hand blender you can puree it in batches in your food processor or blender.)  Puree until smooth.  Reheat while stirring and then add the half-and-half.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.  Depending on the broth you used, very likely you will not need to add additional salt.  Serve with a dollop of half-and-half and a few sprigs of chives.

Have I ever mentioned how much I adore beautiful food?