Potato Leek Soup!
Do you know what time it is? It’s time for a big batch of Potato Leek Soup to warm your tummy and keep you nourished! Here is Doris’s recipe for it that makes Nate want to fly the coop (cue song).
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Use only white and light green parts of the leek, discarding the dark green leaves.
3 tablespoons salted butter
2-3 pounds leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced (about 5 cups) and rinsed
1 clove garlic chopped
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or veggie broth
1 pound of red potatoes (3 medium), scrubbed the cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf
Generous salt and pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Stir in the leeks and garlic. Cover and cook until the leeks are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the broth, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. Discard the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. I actually like to blend it with a stick blender–it’s still chunky but creamy.
A Good Sweat:
Sweating the leeks in a covered pot, just before adding the liquid is the key to this recipe. It might seem like this recipe calls for a lot of leeks, but the large quantity – which cooks down considerably when you sweat them – is necessary to develop a deep, well-rounded flavor for this soup.
Preparing Leeks:
1. Trim and discard the root and the dark green leaves.
2. Slice the trimmed leek in half lengthwise, then cut it into 1/2 inch pieces.
3. Rinse the cut leeks thoroughly to remove dirt and sand.
Waffles inspired by JJ’s dad
JJ’s fondness of breakfast comes from her dad who loves to make a big brunch on Sunday mornings, usually involving fresh squeezed OJ, fruit salad, bacon or sausage, and either sourdough pancakes, or JJ’s favorite: pecan waffles. JJ and Doris have adopted his tradition, but they have them almost every morning, not just on Sundays!
Pecan Multigrain Waffles (by Doris, but inspired by JJ’s dad) Makes about 12 waffles.
2 cups multigrain flour (sprouted wheat, buckwheat, oat, barley, etc)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
2 whole eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut oil (or butter)
2-3 TB honey, brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, water, and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
3. Heat coconut oil and honey together on stove on a low temp to melt, and chop pecans.
4. Pour liquids (not the coconut oil and honey) into the bowl of mixed dry ingredients and mix until combined.
5. Add heated coconut oil/honey mixture and pecans and mix (don’t overmix!). (Do this last because the coconut oil hardens when it comes in contact with the liquids.)
6. Plug in waffle iron and set to highest temperature setting. Let the batter rest while the waffle iron is heating up.
7. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Put a baking sheet on the bottom rack to catch crumbs and hold extra waffles, and a cooling rack on the middle rack to prevent waffles from touching oven rack itself. Lay the waffles on this rack to let them crisp all over.
8. Put about 1/2 cup batter on the iron and close tightly so batter spreads out.
9. As they are done, put waffles in oven to to keep warm.
10. To serve, spread with coconut oil or butter (optional), and add real maple syrup, yogurt, and sliced fruit.
YUM!!