Indiana Local Food Soup Swap Day

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me that January 23, 2008 was National Soup Swap Day. After reading about the concept, it sounded like so much fun (plus a great way to try some new soups without having to make them myself) that I've decided to declare Saturday, January 26, 2008 as Indiana Local Food Soup Swap Day.

Oh, sure, it was 60+ degrees outside this week and hot soup might just be the last thing on your mind. But it's a safe bet that old man winter isn't through with us yet in Indiana and my guess is that by January 26, we're all going to be reaching for our sweaters and a bowl of hot soup. If you want some ideas on how to organize your own swap, check out these suggestions: Download soup_swap_guidelines.pdf . Since it's a local food soup swap, ask your friends to be sure that at least one of the soup's main ingredients is Indiana locally grown, produced, or raised and ask them to include the name of the producer with the recipe.

I think we'll need something to munch on with those soups, so I'm experimenting with some puff pasty pinwheels stuffed with local cheese, bits of locally smoked salami, and my homemade basil pesto; a corn muffin made with roasted Indiana corn meal, and oven baked local cheddar and Parmesan cheese crisps. I'll share those recipes plus a recipe for the "Perfect Grilled Cheese" sandwich in the next few weeks. This weekend, I'm also going to experiment with a matzo ball soup recipe where you use chicken feet as part of the broth making process. I hear the feet, which are removed from the broth before making the final dish, add an incredible flavor and color to the broth. I'll let you know!

Next week I'll post some soup recipes using local ingredients including The Juniper Spoon's Butternut Squash and Apple Soup and a spicy Thai Inspired Pumpkin and Coconut Soup. In the meantime, if you need a recipe to inspire you, check out this site's recipe sections for my Chicken Noodle Soup (you can always find local chicken,flour,and eggs) and Tomato Soup (if you canned tomatoes this summer, this one is a real treat bursting with the fresh taste of Indiana tomatoes, easy to make, and a perfect partner for that grilled cheese sandwich).

So, get out your favorite soup recipes, visit a winter market or farm market for some inspiration, and ask your friends and neighbors to join you in the first annual Indiana Local Food Soup Swap Day.