Chase Away Those Winter Blues

The Maid of the Loch basking in the winter sun

Loch Lomond from Balloch Park

Nothing like a daily dose of Mother Nature to chase away the winter blues followed by a heart warming bowl of Tuscan bean soup and dumplings:

Ingredients: barlotti beans; canneloni beans; tin of chopped tomatoes; onions; garlic; leek; carrots; turnip(swede); lemon juice; mixed herbs & a bay leaf.

Fry the onions; leek and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add chopped carrots; chopped turnip and mixed herbs and sweat down for a further five minutes. Add chopped tomatoes, beans, bay leaf and about a pint of vegetable stock. Season with salt and black pepper add lemon juice and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and add dumplings and simmer until light and fluffy.