Spring is still soup season

THE OTHER DAY IT WAS SO BLUSTERY AND COLD that I decided soup was in order. A nice between-season soup is the leek-potato one, and you can add fresh parsley or other greens to it just before serving to give it a fresher spring flavor. I found that I’d written a blog about it years ago, and it sounded good enough to recycle. It reminded me to sweat those leeks (awful as it sounds)! And though I was lacking stock or broth of any kind, I just used water and it was still just fine. With some bread or popovers, and perhaps a salad — I’d call it a meal fit for the season.

Fresh leeks are a glorious, yet humble, sign of spring. A few years ago, when I was visiting Cathy in California, a neighbor brought over a big bagful of freshly picked leeks, and I set to work on some leek-potato soup.

Most of this work took place around the sink, as leeks like to hold on to dirt in their layers, so they demand a lot of cleaning.  Basically, you cut off the dark green leaves and the root-y bottoms, then run the rest (the white and light green parts) under running water, making sure you clean between the layers. (Alternatively, sometimes  you can find trimmed, cleaned leeks in your grocery store.)

If the leeks are very fat, slice them vertically before cutting your horizontal slices.

I had never been quite happy with the texture of leeks in the soup I’ve made previously, so this time I consulted Cathy’s cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, and these experts supplied the ultimate tip: sweat the leeks.

It’s not the most attractive term, but basically it means that you saute the slices of leeks in some oil or butter (use your judgement for how much) and then put a lid on top for 15 minutes or so. The leeks continue to cook in their own moisture, and they will become meltingly soft and intense.

Now all you need to do is to add some vegetable or chicken broth, a bay leaf and perhaps some thyme, salt and pepper, and a few potatoes — red or white or Yukon gold — cleaned and cut into about 1/2-inch dice. You can leave the skins on if you like. Cook till the potatoes are soft, then smash some of them against the side of the pot to thicken the soup.

It’s nice left chunky like this, with pieces of potato and leek in your soup bowl, or you can blend some or all of it for a silkier texture. Some minced parsley or other greens, and a dusting of Parmesan, is good just before serving.

I found this advertisement in a store flier. Were the mushrooms leaking out of the strudel?

Do not confuse a leek with a leak. If in doubt, please contact me for proofreading advice.

 

Lovin’ the oven…

Carolyn's kitchen window

It’s stormy outside today: rain pounding the window, leaves swirling through the breeze and sticking to the wet streets and sidewalks. This is just the sort of day it feels luxurious to stay home and bake something in the oven.

I’ve been thinking lately that I love my oven.

Well, not my oven so much (a standard GE electric model that doesn’t even have a light to tell you when the oven’s on or one of those handy windows that let you peek inside. Plus, it runs 25 to 50 degrees too hot*) — just any oven especially on a fall or winter day.

The oven is a wonder. A few recent examples:

Cinnamon-walnut rolls

Challah with poppy seeds

Aviva's Jonathan Apple Pie

Of course, the oven not only works miracles with baked goods. I use it all the time for roast potatoes and vegetables (roast potatoes are far easier, less time-consuming (and less caloric)and just as tasty as fried potatoes, in my opinion) as well as roast chicken, of course.

Last week, after I mailed off my manuscript to London (with some anxiety but greater relief), I decided the occasion called for something I love but rarely make: a potato-leek gratin. I was inspired by some beautiful organic leeks I’d bought at a self-serve farm stand — and I had already made leek-potato soup a few days before.

So, the gratin– which is basically the same as scalloped potatoes. It’s not difficult to make, and an hour in the oven transforms potatoes, leeks, milk and a bit of cheese into the ultimate comfort-food dinner.

Just out of the oven: potato-leek gratin

As far as I’m concerned, forget about this as a side dish. Just call it supper.

Potato-leek gratin adapted from Russ Parsons.
Note: A lot of gratin recipes call for cream. Certainly, you could use some in this recipe, or half-and-half, but even low-fat milk will work just fine. You could also add sauteed mushrooms, as Parsons does, along with the leeks. If you don’t have leeks, substitute sauteed onions or garlic.

• 2 large leeks, white only, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes (any kind, peeled or not)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 2/3 cup milk
• salt, pepper and nutmeg

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a casserole, either a rectangular one or a square one for more layers.
2. Melt the tablespoon of butter or heat the oil in a skillet and gently saute the leeks for a few minutes; then cover the skillet, lower the heat and let the leeks cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Slice the potatoes as thinly as you can and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Arrange them in a rough layer in the baking dish, and season with salt, pepper and freshly grated nutmeg. Then distribute the leeks over them along with half of the grated cheese. (If you are using the square pan, you can just use a third of the leeks and the cheese, and add another layer).
4. Top with the remaining layer of potatoes, as solidly as possible, and scatter the remaining cheese over the top.
5. Bring the milk to a simmer in a small saucepan and pour over the potatoes. You should be able to barely see the milk under the top layer. Bake for about 55 minutes to an hour, until the top is thoroughly browned and the gratin is a compact mass. Remove from the oven and serve.

I didn't have dessert, but I'm still thinking about Aviva's pie

* P.S. I recommend getting a cheap oven thermometer so you can check out your oven. A lot of my baked goods were over-baked until I realized that the oven was running hotter than the dial read, and figured out how to adjust it.

Spring is still soup season

THE OTHER DAY IT WAS SO BLUSTERY AND COLD that I decided soup was in order. A nice between-season soup is the leek-potato one, and you can add fresh parsley or other greens to it just before serving to give it a fresher spring flavor. I found that I’d written a blog about it years ago, and it sounded good enough to recycle. It reminded me to sweat those leeks (awful as it sounds)! And though I was lacking stock or broth of any kind, I just used water and it was still just fine. With some bread or popovers, and perhaps a salad — I’d call it a meal fit for the season.

Fresh leeks are a glorious, yet humble, sign of spring — and when Cathy’s neighbor brought over a big bagful of freshly picked leeks, I set to work on some leek-potato soup.

Most of this work took place around the sink, as leeks like to hold on to dirt in their layers, so they demand a lot of cleaning.  Basically, you cut off the dark green leaves and the root-y bottoms, then run the rest (the white and light green parts) under running water, making sure you clean between the layers. If the leeks are very fat, slice them vertically before cutting your horizontal slices.

I’ve never been quite happy with the texture of leeks in the soup I’ve made previously, so this time I consulted Cathy’s cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen, and these experts supplied the ultimate tip: sweat the leeks.

It’s not the most attractive term, but basically it means that you saute the slices of leeks in some oil or butter, and then put a lid on top for 15 minutes or so. The leeks continue to cook in their own moisture, and they will become meltingly soft and intense.

Now all you need to do is to add some vegetable or chicken broth, a bay leaf and perhaps some thyme, salt and pepper, and a few potatoes — red or white or Yukon gold — cleaned and cut into about 1/2-inch dice. You can leave the skins on if you like. Cook till the potatoes are soft, then smash some of them against the side of the pot to thicken the soup. It’s nice left chunky like this, with pieces of potato and leek in your soup bowl.

I found this advertisement in a store flier. Were the mushrooms leaking out of the strudel?

Do not confuse a leek with a leak. If in doubt, please contact me for proofreading advice.