Recipe(tried): Root Vegetable Soup and Sage, Rosemary and Parsley Biscuits

While my daughter, Emily was home for Christmas, she came up with these recipes. She did not follow a recipe for the soup but did use a biscuit recipe for guidelines when "inventing" the biscuits. The biscuits were so good, I asked her to make them again on Christmas Day to have with our turkey. The soup is a keeper, too. It was warm, yummy, hearty and filling :-)! (This from a non-vegetarian, meat-eater. Of course, I'm her mother so... :-)! ) I thought that both recipes were so good that I asked her permission to post both.

Root Vegetable Soup

1 medium onion
4 small cloves garlic
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch
pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch
pieces
1/2 a rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-
inch pieces
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 to 3/4-
inch pieces
(And/or whatever root vegetables you like)
Approxiamtely 4 c. water
1 Knorr vegetable cube (used 2 if you use
another brand) (We didn't have any vegetable
broth but use 4 cups of that if you have it.)
Pinch crushed red pepper
Fresh sage, minced
Fresh rosemary, minced
Fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Half and Half or cream
1 Tbl. butter
Olive oil

Saute onion, whole garlic cloves and pinch of red pepper in olive oil until onions and garlic are soft. Add root vegetables and stir to mix with the onion, garlic and red pepper. Add the water and bouillion cube(s) or vegetable stock. Heat on high until soup comes to a boil, then lower tha heat to a simmer. Add minces fresh sage, rosemary and parsley to taste. (Save some of the minced herbs to add at the end.) Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until vegetables are quite soft and some liquid has evaporated. When the soup has reached desired consistency, add extra sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir in 1 Tbl. butter and a splash of half and half or cream. Serve in heated bowls and garnish with parsley.

Sage, Rosemary and Parsley Biscuits

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk (approximate)
3 tsp. baking powder
5 Tbl. butter (cold, cubed)
Fresh sage, rosemary, parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix dry ingredients and herbs (about 25% sage, 25% rosemary, 50% parsley, in those proportions, until good green flecks are visible throughout.)
Cut in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add milk a little at a time, until dough holds together and is a bit sticky. Pat dough out, on a lightly floured surface, to about 3/4-inch thick. Cut with a juice size glass (These were "mini" biscuits.) Bake on ungreased baking sheet for about 6 minutes or until very light brown.