Kumara season - and spiced kumara soup

I was 

 Home-grown Christchurch kumara harvested last week

I was recently inspired to see a box of big fat kumara harvested from a Christchurch garden. Christchurch is almost at the southern growing limit for kumara (which is somewhere just above Timaru) but the growers (Tom and Dorothy Innes) have cleverly compensated for the challenging conditions by growing the kumara in a raised bed filled with rich compost and big rounded river stones (which hold the heat). The bed was up against a concrete terrace on the north side of their Ilam house, which also increased the warmth for the crop. Otherwise, they did nothing to the plants except cover them at night until the danger of frost was gone, and keep them well watered, and they grew brilliantly.

I am inspired to try and grow them at home myself, but meanwhile I will just have to take advantage of the new season's organic kumara from up north which are coming down to Christchurch now. I will be making this soup with them - a recipe I got from the Ranui Community Garden newsletter a couple of years ago.

RANUI COMMUNITY GARDEN

MEXICAN SPICED KUMARA SOUP

(serves six)

Ingredients

2 T butter or oil

1 onion, diced

1 T ground cumin

1/2 t turmeric

1/4 t chilli powder

1 kg kumara, peeled and sliced

1 litre water

1/2 t salt

200 ml cream OR creamy plain yoghurt

1 avocado, mashed

1 large clove garlic, crushed

juice of 1 lime

corn chips

Method

Gently fry the onion in the butter or oil until soft and golden.

Add the cumin, turmeric and chilli powder and fry gently for 2-3 minutes.

Add the sliced kumara and roll in the spice mix.

Add the water, mix well, bring the soup to a simmer.

Simmer 20 minutes, or until kumara is soft, turn off the heat.

Make a salsa by mixing the avocado, garlic and lime juice.

Mash the kumara in the soup (or puree the soup).

Add salt to the soup, then the cream or yoghurt.

Reheat the soup gently.

Serve in bowls garnished with the avocado salsa and some corn chips.