The weather is wet, cold and dreary here in St. Louis. For dinner I'm
doing a plain old roast chicken and soup. I'm using a soup recipe I like
out of one of my old cookbooks, "LES POTAGES ET LEGUMES" by Marie-Pierre
Moine and illustrated by Nadine Wickenden.
Potage Bonne Femme
(Winter Vegetable Soup)
Serves 4
2 tsp sunflower oil
4 tbsp butter
2 large waxy potatoes, peeled
3 leeks washed, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots peeled and chopped
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 shallot, very finely chopped
1 boguet garni
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
4 tsp heavy cream, to serve (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
*I'll also add a couple of peeled turnips cut into small pieces along with
a large diced stalk of celery.
In a large heavy saucepan, heat the oil and melt 1/2 the butter over medium
heat. Add the vegetables and saute' for a few minutes. Season. Pour in
about 1 quart of boiling water. Add the boquet garni and simmer 35 to 40
minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Leave to cool for a few minutes, then remove the boquet garni and process
soup in a blender or food processor. Strain through a sieve back into the
pan, pushil well with back of a wooden spoon. Stir in the stock. Adjust
the seasoning, gently reheat. Just before serving swirl in the rest of the
butter and add a teaspoon of cream to each bowl.
I'll throw together a salad and this will be dinner. Dessert will be a
bakery bought blackberry pie a' la' mode.
Michael
--
“It requires a certain kind of mind to see beauty in a hamburger bun.”
_Ray Kroc, creator of the McDonald's franchise