* Serves 4-6
1 pound scrubbed, chopped carrots
1 pound winter squash cubed (could use any squash)
4 cups stock or water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium potato, chopped (optional, for heartier soup)
3-4 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 small cloves crushed garlic
Cilantro, chopped , sprinkle on top

Cook all vegetables in the butter for 5 minutes.  Add water or broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer 30 minutes or more. Blend if desired. Choose one of the following to add just before serving:
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup yogurt
1/2 pint heavy cream

from Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair

1 package soba noodles
2t toasted sesame oil
1 onion cut in thin half moons
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
5 shiitake mushrooms, cut into bits-size pieces
2 cups chopped pac choi
4 cups water
1/3 c tamari or shoyu
½ pound firm tofu cut into ½” cubes
1T freshly grate gingerroot
2 scallions cut into thin slices

Prepare soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a 4 quart a-oup pot. Add onion and garlic; sauté over medium heat until onion begins to soften. Add carrot and mushroom pieces; sauté a few minutes more. Add pac choi, water tamari, tofu, and gingerroot.  Bring heat up until mixture begins to simmer. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Plum Forest Farm Adaptations, discoveries.

1.  We use almost any vegetable and double the amount of pac choi.

2. We have never used shiitake mushrooms

3. We add miso at the end and decrease or eliminate the shoyu

4. When we don’t have soba noodles (which are best) we use whatever pasta we have and it is still very good.