Cream of Potato Soup

It might not be very exciting, but I find that when fall starts appearing I always want potato soup.  I have a lot of variations that I make, but this is the most basic.  It is just simply good.

Serves 3-4

1 tablespoon butter
1 large or 2 medium leeks, chopped small
5 potatoes, cubed
2 cups water
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Dash ground mustard
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Add leeks and saute until tender.  Add potatoes and stir until leeks coat potato cubes.  Pour water over potatoes and bring to a simmer.  Simmer potatoes and leeks until potatoes are tender.
2. Meanwhile, mix flour and milk together in a measuring cup.  When potatoes are tender, add milk mixture to potato mixture in saucepan and stir well.  Return soup to just a simmer until soup thickens.  Add ground mustard, salt, and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Hashbrown Casserole

 I normally just make the hash browns that are on the package of hashbrowns, but since we got so many nice leeks this week I thought I would try a different take on the old favorite.  It had a lot more flavor and kept all of the elements of the regular hash browns that I like. 

Serves 6-8

1 large or 2 small leeks
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons butter
1 package refrigerated shredded potatoes
1 can cream of chicken soup (I use the Healthy Request kind)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups cornflakes

1. In microwave-safe bowl, mix 2 tablespoons butter with leek and garlic.  Microwave at high power for 30-60 seconds or until soft and bright.  Mix in potatoes.  Add soup, sour cream, and cheddar cheese.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt as needed. Set aside.
2. Grease a 2 quart casserole. Set aside.
3.  In custard cup, melt 1 tablespoon butter in microwave.  In ziploc freezer bag, crush cornflakes with a rolling pin.  Pour melted butter over crushed cornflakes, reseal bag, and shake.
4. Pour potato mixture into greased casserole dish.  Smooth until potatoes are distributed evenly.  Top with crushed cornflakes.
5. Bake casserole in 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.  Serve hot.

Week 12 Box

With all of the flooding that we have had around here, we received a notice in our box that the selection and quality of the vegetables might be effected.  I'm hoping that I'll still be able to continue to have enough each week to do the CSA portion of the blog.  Time will tell.

• Kale
• Yellow squash
• Garlic
• Green beans
• Tomatoes
• Red pepper
• Watermelon
• Potatoes
• Leeks
• Honey
• Basil

Potato Leek Soup with Homemade Crostini

I have a real fondness for potato leek soup.  I lived in England for a time and was first introduced there.  The organic grocery near my college also sold it in cartons, where I was introduced to using it in recipes (it makes a fantastic box macaroni and cheese, if you are so inclined).  But it was the bistro here in town with me now that really deepened my addiction to this simple dish.  There they serve a superb soup with homemade croutons, but they also only serve it in February.  I decided to figure out how to make it myself so I could have it whenever I want.  This recipe tastes even better than some I have had, though I kept some of the potatoes as chunks to prevent that baby-food texture that can sometimes happen.

Serves 5-6

4 leeks, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
3 lbs russet potatoes (about 8 potatoes)
3 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
3 cups milk (I used 2%)

1 small loaf French bread
2 tablespoons butter

1. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium low heat.  Add leeks and garlic.  Stir well and leave to sweat on medium low heat until soft and caramelized.
2. While leeks and garlic are softening, peel and cube potatoes.  Once all potatoes are cubed and leeks are soft and golden, stir potatoes into leeks and garlic in saucepan.  Pour chicken broth over potatoes in saucepan and increase heat to medium high.  Stir in garlic salt and salt.  Simmer potatoes, uncovered, for 30-45 minutes or until potatoes begin to break down.
3. While potatoes are cooking, slice loaf of bread thinly and melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in the microwave.  Place bread slices on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter.  Bake bread slices in a 325 degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until edges are brown and center is crispy.  Remove from oven and allow crostini to cool on cookie sheet.
4. Once potatoes in saucepan are falling apart, ladle about half of potatoes and any accompanying pan liquid into a blender.  Add 1 1/2 cup milk to blender.  Put cap on blender and blend until mixture is smooth.  Pour pureed soup into large serving bowl or soup tureen. 
5. Repeat step 4 with remaining potatoes in saucepan, reserving about 1 cup cooked potatoes.  Stir reserved cooked potatoes into soup in serving bowl.  Season soup with ground black pepper. Serve soup with crostini, which can be dunked in soup or torn up and stirred into soup.

Week 11 Box

The city I live in flooded pretty badly this last week, so there has been a lot of distractions around here.  I was actually surprised that our box came on time and full this week.  At the moment, we have all the roads open here and have no restrictions on using water--earlier this week we were limiting to a bare minimum--but we are still boiling everything used for washing dishes and in or on food.  Hopefully it's all over soon.

• Swiss chard
• Kale
• Green beans (from the CSA and my mom)
• Zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Okra
• Jalapeno pepper
• Leeks
• Savory