I returned from a week out of town and made a tour of the garden. It had been a hot week and the window boxes and pots were in dire need of a thorough soaking. The tomatoes had started to ripen…finally, and the potato barrel was looking dreadful. Then I realized it was time to harvest! Only a couple of the plants had any green left on them, so I started pulling out the yellowed and withered plants. With an old plastic pot I removed soil till I could get down far enough to dig my hands into the roots. It was messy business, but pulling out potatoes was so much fun! Some were small but a few were pretty decent size. All in all, not as many as I had hoped, but a grand experiment for sure. I’ll do it again next year. Now, how best to enjoy these lovely russet potatoes? My favorite, and something I hold near and dear to my heart—potato soup. I have toyed with the idea of an entire cookbook dedicated to potato soup but somehow it never fits into my crazy life. There are so many variations. My mother always made us potato soup when we were sick or just hungry late at night. I made it as the first meal in our tiny apartment in San Diego after our wedding many years ago. You may think it a bit crazy to make soup on a hot day in August, but this one is perfect hot or cold. Remember the old French classic Vichysoisse? I served the soup tonight to my husband in the same “wedding gift” dishes as that first meal in 1971, but this time the potatoes were right out of the barrel in the back yard.
Ladle out a few potatoes with the soup and puree for the baby. Adding some broccoli or peas will make it even more delicious and nutritious.
Leek and Potato Soup
Serves 4 Prep time: 30-40 minutes
2 tablespoons butter
1 large leek, white and light green parts, chopped
4 ounces ham, diced
2-3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced, about 1 pound
3 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon minced chives
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a medium pot. Add a chopped leek, cover, and cook gently until softened, but not browned. Add 4 ounces diced ham, 1 pound diced potatoes and 3 cups chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. I like my soup chunky, but you can also mash the potatoes with a wire masher or puree with an immersion blender. Add 1/2 cup cream and reheat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a few snips of fresh chives.
Serves 4
