Digging for a great bowl of soup
We recently went to the annual get-together of the All Rockhounds Pow-Wow Rock Club at Mattawa, Washington. Eric’s parents were actually some of the original members of the group and we joined several years ago.
Every spring, the group meets at the Buckshot Ranch campground and takes several trips up the Saddle Mountains to look for petrified wood. It’s a lot of fun and it’s great to see everyone.
This year, Eric took several people to a location that hasn’t been dug for a long time. He and his dad used to spend quite a bit of time there and they brought back some great pieces.
However, it’s really a major climb and not for the weak of heart (or stamina). The climb is straight up the side of the mountain, through a draw, and takes over an hour for even someone in great shape.
They got some nice pieces of wood, so the harrowing trip was worth it for them.
The next day, we went to another site that also hasn’t been worked for many years. It’s more flat ground, though, so it was easier for those who would never survive the other climb.
There, we picked up bags of small pieces of petrified wood. It’s also a great place for the little tykes – very safe and easy.
The Pow-Wow Club is a field trip group. This summer, we will travel to Madras, Oregon, and in the fall, we go up to the Teanaway River near Cle Elum, Washington. They are a great bunch of people and we always have a good time.
Most of the folks show up either late Friday evening or Saturday morning very early. (The first caravan goes out at 8 a.m.) We got there Friday afternoon when it was still pretty quiet.
We visited with some of the folks who showed up early and one older couple invited us to have dinner with them. They had brought a container of homemade soup and as most of you know, I’m a sucker for soup!
I could probably eat soup just about every day and never get tired of it. Some bread or a sandwich makes it a full meal and doesn’t leave you feeling like you just climbed the side of a mountain.
After a great meal and fellowship, we headed home to get our gear ready for the rest of the weekend. We typically don’t camp over at Mattawa since it’s so close to home.
In the spirit of the rock club, I’m going to share one of my favorite soup recipes. Enjoy!
Vegetable soup
2 small leeks, white part only
1 large potato, peeled
1 small onion
2 stalks celery
1 medium zucchini
12 green beans
2 medium carrots, peeled
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons water
2 quarts chicken stock
4 to 6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 medium garlic cloves
30 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
Salt and pepper
Cut the leeks, potato, onion, celery, zucchini, green beans and carrots into 1/4-inch diced cubes.
In a 6-quart stockpot, combine 3 tablespoons of the olive oil with the water. Add the vegetables and sauté over medium-low heat until all the water evaporates. Do not brown the vegetables.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cook at a gentle boil for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with the metal blade, put the tomatoes, basil, garlic and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Pulse until pureed.
Stir the puree into the cooked soup. Do not let the soup return to a boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the soup hot or cold from a tureen or in individual bowls.
Serves 6.
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