Now that winter has truly settled in with chilly gray days and fits of rain, I make soup at least once a week. Soup can be so simple to make - chop vegetables, saute for a few minutes, add stock to cover then simmer until done - that I'm surprised more people don't make soup themselves. I could make soup every day for lunch and not have the same soup twice in a month. It all depends on the ingredients you have available and the peculiarities of your imagination.
The most basic soup is stock, in which about equal portions of onion, carrot and celery are combined with meat, poultry or fish bones, covered in water and simmered gently with a few herbs for at least an hour (usually more). The stock is then strained, the veggies and bones discarded and you use it for soup as you like. I like saving up bones (chicken necks and backs for example) in the freezer until there is enough to make a thick layer in my soup pot, then I can make a big batch of stock which can be measured out into 1 or 2 cup containers and frozen for future use. I don't think there is anything wrong with using canned chicken or beef broth to whip up a quick lunch, although I look for ones without MSG and labeled "reduced sodium".
Cream of Asparagus soup, which I've posted a recipe for during asparagus season, is one of my favorites. Creamed vegetable soups with a chunk of good bread are really satisfying on a chilly day and a superb way to get your vitamins. Here's a basic, low calorie master recipe:
Soup of the Day
Saute in 1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 peeled and diced carrot, 1 stalk celery and 1/4 cup chopped onion until soft.
Add 1 - 2 cups of the chopped vegetable you have.
For example: 1 large sweet potato OR 2 smallish potatoes OR 1/2 lb of mushrooms OR 1 large can tomatoes, OR 2 cups frozen corn, etc. Stir and add enough stock or broth to comfortably cover the vegetables, about 2 cups stock or 1 can broth.
Add a 1/4 tsp of dried herbs or spices if you are using them.
Thyme is nice with butternut squash. Garlic, curry powder or coriander can spice up sweet potato. Basil and sugar are good with tomato. Nutmeg can be surprising - experiment! Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes, until vegetables are nice and soft.
Remove from heat and puree with a blender, stick blender or food processor.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Strawberries have made their appearance at the farmers market in the last several weeks. Lush red berries in rows of boxes, tempting me to buy 2 boxes instead of 1. I really only need to buy one since these strawberries are so ripe and delicious that they begin to suffer being left uneaten for a day or two. When I give in to the temptation of the 2nd box, what is left by the end of the week has blemishes, frosty bits of mold, and a collection of squishy, inedible berries lurking at the bottom of the quart. The strawberries look too wonderful though and I tell myself I'll make shortcake or sorbet or something. This week I tried making jam.
When I was a child homemade jams were often given to our family at holidays, jars of jewel tones sealed with a white cake of wax with tops wrapped in a square of checkered fabric. I remember going strawberry picking once with a friend and afterwards her mother made preserves from our haul. Now I only recall her kitchen filled with steaming pots and how superb the jam was. As an adult, I'm trying to branch out into the somewhat tedious process of canning just because the taste can really be worth the investment of time. So far my several attempts at "natural" strawberry jam, without using pectin as a thickener, have not gotten as jammy as they should. My strawberry jam sessions have led me to conclude that strawberry syrup on pancakes or ice cream is really under-rated and nothing beats a jellyroll to use up a sweet mistake. 
