Serves 10 Carrot Soup Base: 5 pounds young, tender carrots 4-5 cloves garlic, peeled 2 quarts bottled spring water 1 cup Chardonnay 3-4 sprigs fresh lemon thyme 2 bunches fresh mint Sea Star™ Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth Garnishes: 1 dozen baby turbin carrots 1 pound brussel sprouts 1 bunch small beetroot (with leaves) 2-3 tender celery ribs 1/3 cup fresh mint chiffonade 1 pound haricots verts (French green beans) PREPARE SOUP BASE: Peel and roughly chop carrots. Peel garlic cloves. Combine carrots and garlic in a large pot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium flame and cook carrots until tender enough to puree. Puree carrots and garlic after removing about half of the water. Place puree back on stove. Place a bouquet garni of thyme springs and 1 bunch of mint (in cheese cloth) into the soup. Add the Chardonnay (to taste) chicken stock, Sea Star™ sea salt and fresh black pepper. Pluck the remaining bunch of mint, then cut the leaves into chiffonade. Simmer soup for one hour (or desired flavor) before removing the bouquet garni. Add mint chiffonade the last 10 minutes of cooking. PREPARE GARNISHES: Remove greens from carrots, peel and split in half, then blanch and refresh. Peel outer leaves from brussel sprouts, then remove the tender inner leaves. Blanch and refresh. Remove greens from beets and wash well. Pick out small tender leaves, blanch and refresh. Peel beetroot, cut into long thin wedges and blanch in just enough water to cover. Cool quickly and cut in 3” julienne pieces. Snip stems from haricots verts, blanch and refresh. To service, heat all garnishes (except beets) in a steamer until fully hot. TO FINISH: Ladle hot carrot soup into warm bowls. Decoratively place all of the hot garnishes on top of the soup. Enjoy with a great glass of Chardonnay.