The most AMAZING soup

Today is all thunderstorms and air that is just chilly enough to keep the windows shut. The one thing I miss about living on Douglas in the townhouse was the sound that the rain made on the roof... you could keep the windows clear of rain drops and watch the downpour out of the big window in the living room.

And then the basement would flood... ha.

At our new place, our ceilings are so big (14 feet...) that it's impossible to hear the rain, there isn't enough ledge to keep the water off the screen, and the damn screen in porch gets our giant speaker wet.

Today is dedicated to finishing up the homework that was due over spring break, starting my final paper (already!) and figuring out my class schedule at WMU for the fall. (16 credits and 2 extra classes at KVCC, oh my!) I have a feeling that if I wasn't living with Ryan I would not see him at all. And it's nice to come home to him yelling at his xbox. It's charming...

So today is just miserable, can't get into the book for my Women's Studies class, and something needed to be cooked. I thought about cookies (which might show up later) but this soup is the mose AMAZING thing I've made all week.

It smells fantastic when you start making it, the onions, the garlic, the peanut oil just smell delicious. Then you throw in the rest of the stuff, take off the heat, blend, and stir in the spices and corn.

It's nice because it starts off mild and sweet and just hits you with just a little spice at the end from the jalapeno, and bam, perfect little bright spot.

I made cornbread for it too... come over and eat this with me.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeño Bisque
Serves 2 if that's all there is for dinner, or 4 as a first course

1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds total), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 medium jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Scant pinch ground cinnamon
Finely chopped scallions, green parts only, or minced parsley

1. In a large saucepan or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté until just soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stock and bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or a food processor, purée contents of pot, in batches if necessary, until smooth.

3. Reheat soup, stirring in jalapeño, corn, molasses, salt, cayenne, black pepper and cinnamon. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, topped with scallions or parsley.