Recipes of the Week- Tomato Soup and Sweet Potato Cookies

Here is the recipe that we got from our neighbor, Renera, who makes wonderful food. She got this out of cookbook, but made some changes which you will see at the end. Jeremy made this soup and canned it. (This is our garlic that Jeremy braided, cute huh?)

Tomato, Leek and Onion Soup
2 onions, diced
2 leeks, washed well, sliced thin
1 clove garlic
1/4 c. olive oil
2 Tb parsley, chopped
1 tsp thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 cups tomatoes (peeled and diced) or canned
3 cups chicken broth
salt to taste
tamari soy sauce to taste
1-2 tsp honey
Chopped parsley for garnish
Chopped green onion tops for garnish

Saute onions, leek and garlic in olive oil until transparent, not brown. Combine sauteed veggies and parsley, thyme, bay leaf, tomatoes and broth in 2 quart saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until tomatoes (if fresh) are cooked and flavors are well combined. Remove bay leaf. Season with salt, tamari soy sauce and honey to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley and green onion tops.

Yield- 6 cups

Changes (from Renera):
Add loads of tomatoes, puree everything in the pot, add 1/4 cup dry powdered milk and mix well, do not allow to boil after adding milk, you can use regular soy sauce.

YUMMY!!! Serve with hot bread.

This is our burning bush in the back yard. I thought it looked like "Fall."

This time I am adding dessert to the menu. I got his recipe from Finding Joy in My Kitchen: http://joyinmykitchen.blogspot.com/.
The Great Pumpkin Cookies - Adapted from Mom (I made these with sweet potatoes)

2 1/4 C flour
1 C oats (quick or old fashioned)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 C butter, softened
1/4 C applesauce
3/4 C brown sugar
1/2 - 3/4 C sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C pureed pumpkin (or sweet potato)
1 C dark chocolate chips (or raisins)

Decoration:
-Icing (or peanut butter... PB is fabulous)
-Candy corn, raisins, M&Ms, etc.

Combine together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Meanwhile, cream butter. Then add the applesauce and sugars, mixing well until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg, "pumpkin" and vanilla. Stir to combine.
Then, mix together the wet and dry ingredients.
The batter will be really moist -- but that's okay. These cookies are moist too.
Feel free to shape some cookies before adding in the chocolates :)
Then, decorate away, if desired, before baking. I used dark chocolate chips and raisins.
Stir in those dark chocolate morels to the remaining batter. Yum.
Drop by the tablespoon onto a greased cookie sheet, and spread into the shape of a pumpkin. Add a bit more dough for the stem.
Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes until cookies are lightly browned.
Remove from the cookie sheet and allow pumpkin cookies to cool. Then, decorate with peanut butter/frosting and candy corn, etc., as you desire.