The leeks in our garden are ready for harvest, and what better timing? Late October, dark and cold. Superstition hanging in the air like a frozen breath. Things that wouldn’t normally bother us, everyday things like the damp stairway down to the basement, suddenly send shivers up the spine. And perfectly, little more than a week before the capstone of this eerie season, the monster-ly leeks with their rockstar hair reach maturity.
Obviously the only way to harvest such a veggie is to sneak-attack them at night. They never saw us coming.
Maybe I will be a leek for Halloween. I think that costume would go over much better in our little farmy town than my “Lindsey Lohan Goes to Jail” costume last year {turns out, no one knows who Lindsey Lohan is around here.}
Isn’t it funny how the spookiest veggie makes the most comforting supper? We enjoyed several hot bowls of Potato Leek Soup this evening next to the cozy wood-stove, and we think you should too:
Rustic Potato Leek Soup
From “The Best Recipe Soups and Stews” by Cooks Illustrated.
4 pounds leeks {rinsed and and chopped into 1 inch pieces. Use only white and 3 inches of light green portion}
4 tb. butter, unsalted
1 tb. flour
5 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 lbs. potatoes chopped
Heat the butter in a large stockpot until melted and foaming. Stir in leeks, increase heat and cover for 15-20 minutes, but do not brown the leeks.
Sprinkle flour over the leeks and coat evenly until it dissolves.
Pour in the stock, whisking continually. Add the bay leaf and potatoes and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with crusty bread. Yummmmm!
Variations:
1. Add cooked kielbasa or white beans just before serving.
2. Let the soup cool and then blend it in batches in a high-powered blender until completely smooth. Return it to the pot to warm it back up before serving. While blending, add a couple slices of a seedy, grainy bread {the gluten in the bread makes the soup extra smooth and creamy, and the seeds/grains [especially ones like flax and fennel] stay intact for a nice texture and add flavor.
