Cream of carrot soup

2 lbs. carrots
2 medium potatoes
3 or 4 large onions
1-2 *fists* of garlic (not cloves!)
~1 T dried thyme
~2 t ground coriander seed
~2 t ground ginger root (less if you don't like hot food)
~1/2 t black pepper
~1/2 t ground cardamom
~1 C good red wine
1 C sour cream
salt to taste

Peel and dice the first four ingredients, and put in a large pot.
Yeah, it seems like a whole lot of garlic, but it makes a lot of soup and
it's going to cook for a long time. Add the seasonings, then the wine,
then water until the veggies are completely covered. Bring to a boil and
then slowly simmer, stirring occasionally, for hours. You cannot overcook
it at this point. When you think it's ready, test the largest chunk of
carrot you can find--it should be quite soft.
Strain the soup through a colander, reserving the liquid. Puree
the veggies in a food processor--you'll probably have to do this in
batches. Use a little of the liquid to help it form a smooth puree. Stir
the sour cream into the puree; you may not want to use the whole cup, so
try adding less and tasting it.

Strain the reserved broth into the puree through a fine-meshed
sieve. (The spices will have given up all their flavor by now, and they
make the soup kinda gritty.) Stir it in, and then *carefully* salt it.
Makes lots--probably enough for a first course for 10. Serve
warm. If desired, you can simmer some broccoli florets in the strained
broth while you're pureeing and then throw those in for color and texture
contrast.