Nikki

Greg and I have been obsessed with our local french bakery Trompeau so I thought it time to try making baguettes at home. When perfect baguettes for $2 give me an excuse to stop by Trompeau, I wonder if baking at home is worth it.

Instructions for making french style baguettes

In small bowl, dissolve 1 tsp yeast in 1/2 cup warm water. Combine 4-5 cups flour and 2 tsps salt. Add yeast mixture and 1.5 cups water. Mix dough until you can knead it. Knead on lightly floured board for 6-10 minutes. Put in bowl and cover with damp towel. Let rise until doubled, around an hour. Punch down dough and divide into four pieces. Roll each piece into baguette shape and let rise until doubled. Preheat oven to 450. Brush baguettes with mixture of 1 egg beaten and mixed with 1 tbsp cold water. Score loaves with a sharp knife. Pour 2 cups hot water into a pan and place into preheated oven to provide moisture. Bake for 15 minutes and lower temp to 400 and bake for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown.

Inspired by one of our favorite dishes at Watercourse, Greg and I invented our own version.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 sliced carrots
• 1/2 red onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 can coconut milk
• fresh tomatoes
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• pepper of your choice (serranos, jalapeños, habanero)
• 1.5 cups water

In a large saucepan, combine the butter and carrots, occasionally stirring for 5 minutes. Add red onion and garlic and cook until onions start to loose their color. Add tomato sauce, paste, fresh tomatoes, coconut milk, garam masala, curry power, water and salt and pepper to taste. Eventually add pepper(s) if you like a little spice. Once the soup has thickened, puree mixture with food processor, blender, or immersion blender.