Thank you, Nan Ray.

The cookbook has awakened our tastebuds and Rick is having a blast exploring new recipes.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ yellow onion finely chopped
2 lb. carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 small parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon brown sugar
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
¼ cup peeled and finely chopped ginger root
Salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

In a large frying pan over medium heat melt the butter with the oil
Add the onion carrots and parsnips and sauté until the onion is soft but not browned
About 6 minutes
Sprinkle in the brown sugar stir and cook 1 minute more
Pour in 1 cup of the stock and stir to dislodge any brown bits on the bottom
Transfer the contents to a large pot
Stir in the remaining 5 cups of stock, the ginger, ¼ teaspoon of salt and several grinds of pepper
Cover and cook for 1.5 hours or until the carrots are soft
Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and process until smooth
Transfer back to the pot and rewarm on low setting
Ladle into warm shallow bowls and sprinkle with parsley, serve at once

The New Slow Cooker by Brigit Binns