You Say Potato, I Say Leeks

Another vegetable we were lucky enough to receive through our One Straw Farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) this fall was leeks. While I used the mild, onion-flavored vegetable in a variety of dishes, my favorite recipes were the Roasted Potato Leek Soup below and "Rocket Pie" (recipe to be posted at a later date).

A Leek Cultural Connection:

• Due to my Welsh heritage, I was happy to learn the leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, traditionally worn along with the daffodil on St. David’s Day.
• Legend has it that King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd had his soldiers identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in battle.
• In Shakespeare's Henry V, Henry tells Fluellen (a Welsh captain) that he is wearing a leek “for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman.”

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Recipe: Roasted Potato Leek Soup
adapted from Ina Garten, Back to Basics

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned of all sand (This means you will need approximately 4 leeks.)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving (As I mentioned in a previous recipe post, when using wine in my recipes I rely on what was served or sold the prior day. For this particular recipe I used Essay's Chenin Blanc. Heck, even Robert Parker gave it a good review so make sure you plan ahead and drink a glass while you're cooking!)
• 6 to 7 cups chicken stock (Ina Garten recommends using homemade stock but as you can see below, I cheated with Swanson chicken broth. You could also easily substitute vegetable broth. I actually prefer to mix a little vegetable in with my chicken broth.)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces crème fraîche
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (Save some extra for garnish.)
• Crispy Prosciutto (Ina Garten recommends using Crispy Shallots - a great alternative for my vegetarian friends. We had leftover prosciutto that I wanted to use up so I heated some oil on medium and crisped up the prosciutto to use as a garnish.)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

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3. In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor fitted with the steel blade, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a puree. Pour the puree into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to puree the vegetables in batches until they're all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, creme fraiche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings

4. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan. If using, top with crispy prosciutto.

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