Snow Storm Soup and Biscuits

It's snowing in Minnesota. The weather prediction yesterday afternoon was for an inch or so, by evening the weather folks had us at 3 to 6 inches. And that's what we've got. It started at midnight. By three this morning the grass was white. At 10:30 we had at least five inches on the grass and sidewalks. Heavy wet stuff, weighing down trees and shrubs. Knew I should have picked some sage yesterday.

Time to see what "potluck" would bring forth for lunch. Just the right ingredients for something I'll call -- Snow Storm Soup -- I pulled six carrots and three apples from the fridge. Peeled, chopped and cooked in a couple of cups of water until tender. Added a can of diced tomatoes and the last of a jar of salsa. Seasoned with some ginger and cayenne. Swirled it smooth with the immersion blender. While that was cooking I made some old fashioned sour milk biscuits from an 1840s recipe. I divided the dough in half. Sharp cheddar cheese in one part and rolled out the rest to make cinnamon rolls. No need to hit the bakery for tomorrow's breakfast.

If we are lucky Mother Nature will melt the sidewalks on this first of the season snow. If not, we have a tasty treat to reward our own shoveling efforts. Happy winter!

1840s Sour Milk Biscuits

2 teaspoons vinegar

2/3 cup milk

2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon butter

1/4 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine vinegar with milk, stir and set aside to sour, about 5 minutes. Mix the flour salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Add butter to boiling water to melt and then stir into the flour mixture. Then add the sour milk. Stir with a fork and then knead briefly. You may need to add a bit more milk or flour to make a dough that is firm enough to work and not sticky. Break off pieces about an inch in diameter. Place on lightly greased baking sheets and bake until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Makes about 2 dozen biscuits

For Cheese Biscuits - stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese with the flour.

For Cinnamon Roll Biscuits - lightly flour working surface, pat dough out in a rectangle until it is about 1/2 inch thick. Spread with soft butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll up along the long side. Slice about an inch thick and bake. NOTE: if you pat dough out on floured waxed paper it may be easier to roll up.