What do you do with a bumper crop of fresh, sweet carrots? I ran across a recipe for curried carrot soup and decided to play with it and make it my own. It came out so good that my carrot-indifferent son had second helpings. It takes a little time to make, but it's so totally worth it.

Creamy Curried Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs., peeled and sliced
4 qts. water, lightly salted
1 med. yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup butter, divided
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1 c. half & half
1 c. milk
1 c. part skim ricotta

1. Boil the carrots in slightly salted water until they are tender and easy to mash. Drain them, reserving 2 cups of the water in which they were boiled.
2. Saute the onion and celery in 1/4 cup of butter until they are tender and soft.
3. Mash the carrots with a fork or masher until they are a slightly chunky puree.
4. Add the seasonings and the remaining butter to the mashed carrots.
5. Beat the carrots with an electric beater on low speed, gradually adding the milk and half & half.
6. Stir in the ricotta until it is evenly distributed.
7. In a stock pot, combine the pureed carrot mixture with the reserved water. Bring the soup to a simmer and let it cook for about 15 minutes. 
8. Garnish with basil or mint leaves and a dollop of sour cream.

Rich, thick and sumptuous, this soup is sure to become a family favorite on cool autumn nights.