winter detox soup

Colds and strep have been cycling around the family for weeks, and today when my daughter asked for a spicy green soup for her third bout with strep, I reached for all those familiar herbs and spices we use so often in winter:  fresh ginger root, garlic, thyme (but then, I put thyme in EVERYTHING), sea salt, and dill.  Sometimes a few splashes of hot sauce find their way into a soup, but not today.

We always have bags and bunches of kale and arugula, scallions and potatoes, onions and frozen stocks, but lacking a vegetarian stock, I used the seasoned vegetable base she had from Better than Bouillon, then added a little chicken stock after I ladled out her portion.

SO good!  On my second cup as I look out the window at the freezing sleet blanketing the sidewalk, happy to be warm and inside today, then a smile as I see Stuart Little at the top of the Christmas tree in his wee little canoe - and far from the reaches of two year old Noah.  



winter detox soup

2 heaping cups of russet or red potatoes, cut into chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 large peeled garlic clove, cut in half
several sliced scallions, greens included
a small chunk (about an inch) of fresh ginger, unpeeled

Place the potatoes, onion, thyme, garlic, scallions, and ginger in a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a low boil and cook until the potatoes are soft when poked with a fork.

When potatoes are soft, remove pot from heat and add:

a large tablespoon Better than Bouillon vegetable paste or chicken base
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
kosher salt to taste- I added two little pinches
2 handfuls of arugula.  If they have stiff stems, remove them before tossing into the pot.
2 large handfuls of packaged kale - mine was already de-stemmed and torn
1 teaspoon dried dill

Cook until the greens are soft, then puree in a blender, adding more stock or water if it seems too thick.  Taste carefully before serving.  
Enjoy - and stay healthy!

Corn chowder with baby potatoes and dill

Yet another snowy day!  As I look out my office window I'm amazed at the sheer amount of snow on the rooftops of the house next door.  My roof had to be shoveled yesterday- it is an old, old house, and heat escapes everywhere, which leads to ice dams, which leads to huge leaks inside the house, which leads to crumbling ceilings.  Safe and sound and the snow is light and lovely but there really is an awful lot of it:)

Meanwhile, downstairs, I made a pot of chunky corn chowder perfect for a snow day:  chunks of baby potatoes, onions, and corn, finished off with cream and herbs. A pretty scene, and I relax with my bowl of soup, knowing the shoveling can come later, after the snow stops.


Chunky Corn Chowder with baby potatoes and dill

2 cups quartered baby potatoes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
water to cover the potatoes and onions

Simmer the potatoes and onion until just tender.
Do not drain the water off.

Add :
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 
More water if necessary to just cover the vegetables

Simmer until the corn is tender, then add:

1 cup heavy cream.  DO NOT BOIL.  If you boil the cream, it will curdle.

Taste the soup and add more herbs or salt and pepper as desired.  This serves 4 .

Happy February!

carrot soup with fresh ginger

Here it is, almost mid-November, and in spite of a frost yesterday, a few herbs are still green and growing next to the granite front steps.  Amazing.  I bring in bits and bobs of mint and thyme, the gone-to-seed parsley, and the fragrant lavender to put under my pillow at night and to remember any greenery in the next few days, before the Polar Vortex descends on us.  Thinking of you all to the west of us, especially my grandchildren in Minnesota.

I got up this morning thinking of this bright and cheerful carrot soup, happily had the ingredients, and start to finish, I was done in an hour - just in time to go get my flu shot.  So good!  Carrots are so bright and cheery, and blended into a soup, are earthy and sweet at the same time.

I most often use this recipe with thyme, dill and fresh and dry ginger, but have also made various combinations using fresh orange juice, or even curry powder - it's really up to you and what you like (or even more important, what you don't like).


Carrot Soup with ginger and dill

2 cups water 
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 1/2 cups peeled, sliced carrots
1 tablespoon peeled and grated ginger root
1/2 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried dill, or 2 teaspoons minced fresh dill
1 cup sliced celery (about 2 stalks)
salt and pepper to taste
extra water or stock for thinning the soup

In a large saucepan, add the water, stock, carrots, celery, ginger root, ginger, dill, and the salt and pepper.

Simmer covered until the carrots are very, very soft.
Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to puree.  If it seems too thick, add small amounts of water or stock to thin it to the consistency you want.

This makes 3-4 servings.

I hope your day is beautiful !

ps/  I keep the ginger tuber in my freezer in a ziplock plastic bag and just cut off pieces at I need them.  I do trim off the outer brown peel, but often just grate the frozen ginger into whatever I'm making.  For this recipe, I cut off a chunk, peeled it, and minced it.  I am tempted to start growing it in a pot though:  you can find instructions here .  I'd love to hear from you if you do try to grow it, especially if you have a cooler house in a cold climate.

Great Northern bean soup with kale, tomatoes, oregano and cumin

While Sunday was what we call "that holy moment" - that day when the temperature is still warm, but the leaves are turning bright orange in the sunshine - Monday was chilly and damp, and that brilliant light was gone.  No matter, it was a perfect day for this hearty soup.  

In the past, I've made this with lentils, but that bag of Great Northern beans (similar to cannellini beans, but larger) was too enticing to ignore.  Instead of soaking the beans overnight, I put them in a pot covered with water, bring just to a simmer, then take off the heat to soak several hours.  Then I drain the beans, rinse cold water over them, and put them back in the pot to proceed with the recipe.  They do seem to keep their shape well using this method, instead of turning mushy too quickly.  I also avoid adding salt to the beans until they're cooked, which can toughen the beans.

Prepare 2 cups dry Great Northern beans as above.  Place the plumped beans in a stockpot and cover with half water, half chicken or vegetable stock.

Add to the plumped beans:

1 teaspoon dried or fresh oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch hot pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 
1 1/2 cups canned plum tomatoes, cut up, with the juices
1 clove garlic, minced


5-6 cups torn kale greens, no stems.  The kale is added just before serving, so set aside.

Simmer the herbs, onion, olive oil/butter, garlic, beans and tomatoes until the beans are soft, adding more water or stock if needed to keep the beans covered.

Taste the soup for seasonings and add kosher salt to taste.

Just before serving, turn off the heat and stir in the torn kale. Cover the pot for a few minutes, then serve the soup in big bowls, with a nice crusty bread and some sweet butter.

Enjoy these beautiful days!

craving simple carrot soup ( with ginger)

Oh my word, life has been changing in a snap - one day I wake up and remember my dearest daughter, daughter-in-law and grands have moved to Minnesota, after being two miles away for a few years, when I am suddenly presented with a beautiful new grandson, a fair distance away, but, still, here in New Hampshire.  I haven't seen him in person yet, but he looks so much like my son, I am flabbergasted, and I cannot wait to hold that little boy in my arms.

There it is, the essence of family.  You say goodbye to a sister, a father, mother, stepmother, and miss them every day, and then?  All these little new ones come along, and you love them with all your heart.

Seeing the autumn berries ( and some chilly mornings) reminds me of this earthy soup I love:   sweet with fresh carrots and ginger root, a little thyme, brightly colored, easy to whip up after your farmer's market visit, or a visit to your own garden.  Add a greeny salad on the side, a slice of cheddar and good bread, and lie lazing on the lounge chair on the terrace, looking up at the sky, and accepting the sad and the joy all together.



Fresh Carrot Soup

4 cups light chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups peeled and sliced medium sized carrots (do not use baby carrots, which are dry)
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 - 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
kosher salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a simmer and cook until the carrots are just fork tender.  Remove from heat briefly, then puree a few cups at a time in a blender.  It will be a beautiful bright orange color.  Taste and adjust seasonings before serving, and if it's too thick, just stir in a few tablespoons of water.  You can serve this hot or cold.

Makes four to five servings.

Happy Labor Day!
                                                                                                           

creamy brussels sprouts and arugula soup and 10 inches of snow

Well, we knew it was coming and the weather people were right on the mark - 10 inches of pretty snow, and thankfully no sleet or freezing rain.  I don't know - winter isn't ringing my jingle bells much these days, but it's lovely to look out on.

I am recovering from a little accident with my hatchet, so hunting and pecking on the computer without my speediest finger, which is firmly wrapped to protect the stitches.  The doctor gave me a scolding for not using a glove while splitting off some kindling  - and holding the piece of pine board with my bare fingers. Oops.

Today was another perfect day for my newest soup - made with just cooked brussels sprouts and arugula, cumin, hot pepper flakes, thyme, and fresh lemon juice, quickly pureed.  A few days ago I made it with spinach, and that was just as wonderful.  On the really cold days (10 degrees) a cup of  hot soup warms me up faster than coffee,  - another reason I like to keep at least one container of soup in the fridge.   AND I'm wearing my new Santa hat, which keeps me toasty and smiling.  Hope you're enjoying the season!


Brussels Sprouts and Arugula soup

This makes four servings in medium sized cups.

3 1/2-4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, or half water, half stock
1 medium onion, sliced
1 smallish potato, peeled and sliced
1 large clove garlic sliced
hefty pinch of thyme
1 T. unsalted butter OR olive oil
kosher salt
pinch hot pepper flakes, or dash of hot sauce
1 rounded teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups trimmed brussels sprouts, cut in half
2 cups packed arugula or spinach
1-2 lemons, quartered

Drizzle oil or melt butter in large saucepan.  Add the onion, garlic, and cumin and cook five minutes, stirring.
Add the stock or water, the potatoes, salt, hot pepper flakes, and thyme, bring to a simmer, then add the halved brussels sprouts, cover and cook for ten minutes.  

After ten minutes, uncover the pot and add the arugula or spinach.  Stir, then cover and cook another 10  minutes - no more than ten minutes!

Remove from heat, uncover, and let cool for ten minutes.

Using an immersion blender, carefully puree until smooth.  If it's too thick, and a little water, then taste and correct seasonings.  I find it always needs salt.  Squeeze in about 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and taste again.  Serve with extra lemon quarters on the side.

I love this along with a chunk of warm bread and Vermont cheddar cheese.

Hope you're staying warm and cozy ~

spring soup and a fresh chicken salad

It's coming.  Outside may be frozen into icy snowdrifts, and trying to take a walk?  You take your chances on the slip- n- slide paths.  But the temperature is slowly climbing, starting out at 20 degrees, and up to 40 a few hours later. I know you're out there, Mother Nature - and you're bringing Spring!

It's astonishing what a change it makes, knowing we are only a few weeks away from the official start of gardening.  The sun peeks out first thing in the morning, then disappears behind gloomy gray clouds, but still.  We know you're there.  

A morning walk is out of the question right now, but my menu has made a radical turn.  A perfect salad with chicken, goat cheese, and cranberries, and lots of greens, and a daily soup made of handfuls of lettuces, turnip greens, and kale or spinach, with a few baby bella mushrooms sliced up, simmered quickly in stock and pureed.  Only a few weeks ago I was making mashed potatoes with lots of butter, a few too many times a week.  Desperate times, then.

For the soup:

4 or 5 mushrooms, sliced
2 T. olive oil
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
a small bag of spinach, or two handfuls
2 cups other mixed greens from your vegetable drawer: kale, turnip greens, rapini, celery leaves -whatever is fresh.
2 or 3 cups stock, chicken, beef, or vegetable
1/2 t. thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil briefly, then add the greens and stock, thyme and salt and pepper.  Turn heat to low and cover.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, then take off heat and let sit before pureeing with an immersion blender.  Serves 2.

For the salad:

3-4 cups assorted greens, cut to bite size or not
1 large chicken breast, cooked, skinless and boneless, or use leftover chicken.  Dice the chicken in fairly large pieces.
1  1/2 cups dried cranberries
about 5 inches of goat cheese from a log, flaked into large chunks with a fork

Dressing:

Makes 1/4 of a cup dressing.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt

1 teaspoon poppyseeds

salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle on the dressing and enjoy!

Serves 3, depending on your appetite.

Happy almost-Spring!

tuscan vegetable soup with cannellini beans and rosemary

The snow is still here.  Heaps of cement-hard snow, topped with fanciful icing, after the snow turned to sleet and then everything froze.  What do I expect?  It's February.  This is normal, and so is the cabin fever-want-to-go-to-Florida gloom.  It's been a very cold winter, and waking up to 5 degrees most mornings is a little disheartening.  

But, I have one of my baby geraniums beside the bed, and it is budding, so that will do.

I have been longing for my Tuscan Tomato soup, but very suddenly have to gear down eating anything too spicy or acid - a side effect after the pneumonia I got in the fall.  The winter has addled my brain, because only today did I think of adding more vegetables, less tomatoes, and no hot sauce.  But lots of rosemary, tarragon, thyme, and basil!  A little butter and a spoonful of sour cream topped the second bowlful, and now I'm happy:)

To make about 3 big bowls of soup:

1 small onion, peeled and diced

2 T. unsalted or salted butter

1 t. olive oil

1/2 cup peeled carrots, cut on a slant

3/4 c. sliced celery

1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces, with some

   of the juices

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 t. thyme

1 t. basil

1/2 t. kosher salt

4 sprigs rosemary

1/2 t. tarragon

Place the olive oil and butter in the stockpot.  Add the onion and cook five minuts, then add the celery and carrots, the stock, the tomatoes, and the herbs and salt.  Simmer for 25 minutes, then add the cannellini beans and cook for another 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream or curls of parmesan, or a nice thick chunk of good bread with butter.

Spinach and Sweet Potato soup with butter-braised spinach and cheese toasts

My two very favorite vegetables are spinach and sweet potatoes, so naturally it occurred to me yesterday that they might make a mighty fine soup for lunch.   And was I right !   It's a lovely, smooth soup, with lots of flavor and a hint of hot pepper and thyme.

I had been reading Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1, and came across Julia's recipe for  Canapes aux Epinards, which is braised spinach mixed with swiss cheese ( thinking goat cheese would be wonderful, too) and piled on buttered, toasted bread, so I made that as well.  A delicious spinach feast for a late lunch, sitting in the sun, watching the snow melt.

For the Spinach and Sweet Potato soup:

Serves 3 or 4.

4 cups packed, washed spinach, stems ok

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup slice white of leek

1/2 cup peeled, diced sweet potato (large dice)

heft pinch of thyme

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of hot pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon unsalted butter stirred in at the end

In large saucepan, place stock, sweet potato, and leek white.  Simmer until potatoes are tender.

Add the thyme, nutmeg, hot pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the potatoes, then add the spinach.  Simmer a few minutes, take off the heat, stir, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  

Uncover the soup and, using an immersion blender, puree the soup, then add the butter.  Serve immediately with spinach and cheese toasts.

The spinach and cheese toasts:

There are two steps to making these  - first you cook and drain the spinach, then braise it in a little butter. then you saute the spinach with cheese and the toasts in butter ( or oil), then heap them , sprinkle more cheese on, and run them under a broiler.  I used a toaster oven since I only made 8 little toasts.

2 cups fresh, washed spinach, firmly packed, stems removed

a saucepan of boiling water

Place all the spinach in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, then run cold water over the spinach to retain the color, and drain again.

When the spinach is cool, take handfuls of the spinach and squeeze all the moisture out.  It's amazing what you end up with - a handful of spinach!

Chop the spinach finely.

In skillet, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, then add the spinach and stir until the spinach absorbs the butter.  Sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg  and salt and take off heat, scraping into a bowl.

For the toasts:

3 slices or so of white bread ( I use Pepperidge Farm), trimmed of crusts if desired, and cut into quarters 

3 T. unsalted butter and/or olive oil

Toast the bread in the butter or oil in a skillet, on both sides, removing when golden.

Assembling:

Place the spinach back in the skillet with a little oil or butter.

Grate about 1/4 cup Swiss cheese ( or use another cheese).

Sprinkle a tablespoon or so on the spinach and stir.

Place a spoonful of spinach on each toast, topping with a pinch of cheese.

Place under broiler just before serving just until cheese melts.

The toasts also make wonderful appetizers for a party - enjoy!

sauteed brussels sprouts with lemon juice and olive oil with a bonus

Whenever I make brussels sprouts this way, the word that comes to mind is "bright". Bright in color, bright in taste, with the zing of fresh lemon juice and a glaze of olive oil. I made this Easter Day, and it was inhaled, and leftovers snatched up to take home. I had a packet of brussels sprouts leftover, so I made them again, but this time, faced with solitary leftovers, I made a bonus soup; a handful of spinach, a sprinkle of goat cheese crumbles, and it was perfect for this chilly evening.

To make the brussels sprouts:

4 cups trimmed, sliced brussels sprouts

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

2 T. (approximate) fresh lemon juice

Pour olive oil into a large skillet set on medium heat.

Add the sliced brussels sprouts and water and saute for approximately 7 minutes, stirring several times to make sure nothing scorches.

Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper, and stir, then take off heat and cover.

Taste, add more salt and lemon juice if desired, and a hefty drizzle of olive oil, then serve.

For that glorious soup?

2 cups leftover cooked brussels sprouts

1 cups packed raw spinach, sliced

1 T. butter

1 T. olive oil

1 onion, sliced

2 cups water

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/2 t. thyme

About 5 tablespoons fresh goat cheese, crumbled with a fork

kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

In a stockpot, on medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and stir often until the onion is soft. Add the cooked leftover brussels sprouts, the spinach, and the water, then add the thyme and nutmeg and stir. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for around 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes, then puree in food processor. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired.

Ladle into bowls and top with fresh, crumbled goat cheese and serve.

Hope you had a grand Easter!

sick day soup

I promise, I did eat my hoppin' john on New Year's Day, but I took it along with the antibiotics for a wicked sinus infection, so maybe it didn't count. The headache and half-my-face swelling is much better, but along with the antibiotics comes the total lack of appetite. Thus, toast, gingerale, and that warm green smoothie, now made into a 3 times a day soup that settles nicely.

Today I made it with beet greens, kale, parsley, and spinach, and it was just grand!

To make about 3 cups:

1 peeled onion, chopped

1 T. olive oil

2-3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock ( the vegetables should be just barely covered)

1/4 t. thyme

pinch of fresh nutmeg

a few drops of hot sauce

a pinch of ginger

a small sprig of de-stemmed rosemary
2 1/2 cups packed greens ( I used kale, parsley, spinach, and beet greens), chopped

salt and pepper as needed

~

Gently saute the onion in the olive oil in a medium saucepan for 5 minutes.

Add the broth, herbs, spices, and greens and cook until the greens wilt down and are softly cooked.

Remove from heat and let sit about fifteen minutes, then puree with an immersion blender or a regular blender. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve in cups or glasses with golden, buttery toast.

spinach and mushroom soup and a mushroom walk

Yesterday I took a long walk in the woods , on the hunt for mushrooms, not for eating, but the wonder of those astounding fungi. I still buy those plump white mushrooms at the store, saute them a bit in butter or olive oil, and eat on toast: heavenly. The sea sponge-like mushroom above is known as a "coral" mushroom, and I'm told they're not good eating 'shrooms, but I find Mother Nature amazing - who would have thought this was a mushroom?

When I came home, I made up a spinach and mushroom soup that was light, but filling, along with an open face sandwich with sauteed mushrooms. What a perfect September lunch!

Spinach and mushroom soup

~

1/2 cup diced potato

about 2 1/2 cups water , or half stock, half water

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, sliced

hefty pinch of thyme

a pinch of nutmeg

a pinch of hot pepper flakes

1 t. butter or olive oil

4 medium white mushrooms, quartered

4 cups loosely packed spinach, destemmed if needed

kosher salt to taste

~

Place potatoes, garlic, and onion in the water/stock and simmer until the potato is soft.

Add the nutmeg, thyme, hot pepper flakes, butter or oil, and mushrooms. Cook briefly.

Add more water if needed, then add the spinach. With the back of a spoon, pack down the spinach as it cooks down. After the spinach has wilted and cooked, turn off the heat and cover. Wait ten minutes, then uncover and stir.

Puree with an immersion blender or regular blender and taste for seasonings.

~

What I'm reading:

Cold Mountain ( also watching the movie again)

Hope you're enjoying September!

chilled parsley and romaine soup

It's a true summer day - sweltering heat and humid, and the urge to spend most of your time in the closest available body of water. Happily for me, after dipping my toes in the pond in between errands and appointments, I had this soup ready and chilled in the fridge for a late lunch. Perfectly light, but full of flavor, it was all I needed on this very hot day.

The recipe came to be because I was determined to use all that beautiful produce from the farmers market and the farmstand before it wilted, and the dark, leafy greens of the Italian parsley were especially gorgeous. In the vegetable drawer next to the parsley, sat the head of romaine, so, voila! - a soup was born. Parsley is so often used as a garnish, while it is a very tasty and healthy herb that should be used more as a vegetable. For more flavor in any of your summer salads ( pasta and potato come to mind) just add in a cup of chopped parsley to perk up the taste.

The recipe: ( makes 3 servings)

1 T. olive oil

half of a large white onion, peeled and sliced

2 large cloves peeled garlic

pinch of thyme

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups roughly chopped parsley

2 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

1 t. dried dill, or 1 T. fresh, finely minced

kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, then add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic, thyme, and stock and bring to a low boil, then add the parsley and romaine. Cook for 5 minutes and remove to cool for a few minutes.

In two batches, puree the soup in a blender ( it's HOT - be careful!). The immersion blender didn't work well, because the parsley and lettuce were undercooked, and too rough for the immersion stick.

Stir in the dill, a little salt ( you can add more just before serving, if needed), and pepper, and chill for at least an hour.

Garnish with violas, mint, or, if your sugar snaps are blooming - a little pea blossom.

Hope you're enjoying your summer!

Simple Sunday: Spinach soup with mustard vinaigrette

Rain, rain, rain. It's been so cold, and so rainy, that I'm back to hot soups - in this case, my Popeye soup: green, green spinach and arugula soup with lots of hot pepper flakes and a swirl of mustard vinaigrette, leftover from lunch. A swirl of heavy cream would do just as well.

Hope YOUR day is filled with sunshine and warmth!

potage parmentier: leek and potato soup with fresh chives

Hurray for Spring! When a friend offered me some fresh chives from her garden, I showed up the next morning with scissors in hand. My own pitiful chive plants were still too small to cut, so I was delighted to see her exhuberant plants nearly ready to bloom.

A peek in the fridge showed the last of the leeks and those lovely baby potatoes, so on we go to the traditional leek and potato soup ( or potage parmentier) with the first fresh shower of chives sprinkled on top. My soup is not pure white, as is usual, since I don't bother peeling the baby potatoes - there wouldn't be much potato left if I did. And I do use a little of the pale green leek when making the soup, so if you want a very white soup, stick to just using the white parts. Sometimes I even add several teaspoons of minced chives when I puree the soup, which makes it even more green ( see above), but the chive/oniony flavor is more pronounced done that way. So I stick to a little sprinkle of chives on top, and pass the little dish of minced chives for those who want a more intense chive flavor. And to celebrate the huge spread of violets over the lawn, I added those pretty little flowers to each plate.

To make 4 servings:

2 cups washed and sliced leeks

Trim each leek, then cut into 4 inch pieces. Cut the pieces lengthwise, and rinse under running water to get the sand and dirt out. When clean, cut the leeks into 1 1/2 inch pieces and continue with recipe.

2 cups sliced baby potatoes

4 cups light chicken or vegetable stock

1 t. thyme

1 t. unsalted butter

1/2 t. kosher salt

Place the leeks and potatoes in a pot, and add the stock, thyme, butter, and salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to low, and cover with a lid slightly askew, so some of the steam escapes. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Let the soup cool a little, then use an immersion blender or a regular blender. If you use a regular blender, fill the blender only halfway and puree carefully, then do the next batch. When it's hot, you're liable to get a little messy explosion of soup.

To finish:

3 T. or so of finely minced chives for sprinkling

1/2 cup medium cream

kosher salt to taste

a pinch more of thyme if desired

Potage Parmentier is meant to be served warm - if you serve it at room temperature or chilled, it is then called Vichyssoise.

Serve with a nice fresh arugula & violet flower salad . Just make sure the violets aren't growing on a chemically treated lawn, and no cute little puppies have been watering the lawn:)

Enjoy!