It might be sunny but it’s cold, so I’m sitting here at the laptop with a weather eye (and nose) on what is going in the kitchen. Something warming is called for, Leek and Potato soup and the only man to ask is Mr Slater. The Kitchen Diaries is a lovely book for people who grow their own veggies (or aspire to like me) It doesn’t really have set recipes, Nigel tends to wander into the kitchen with a handful of ingredients and say ‘What am I going to do with this lot?’ and I often cook this way anyway, so I’m not too fazed by not having exactly the same ingredients.
I have 2 leeks not three, no butter so a glug of olive oil to soften them for twenty minutes. I’ve just added three peeled and diced potatoes to cook for five minutes before adding about three quartes of a litre of chicken stock, salt and ground black pepper and the magic ingredient, a Parmesan rind to simmer for 40 minutes. Now, Nigel Slater has multiple Parmesan rinds lurking in his fridge and I only generate them one at a time but even that is enough to add a gorgeous richness and depth to the end result. At the end, remove the rind and scrape any gooey melted cheese into the soup, blend till smooth (Nigel throws in chopped fresh parsley at this stage but I don’t have any…hmm, maybe I’ll try sorrel?) check the seasoning, reheat and serve with grated Parmesan.
Oh dear, just checked the timer, another twenty minutes to go and I’m starving…but eventually…
I used a few leaves of lovage in the end, not much as it has quite a strong celery flavour but really added to the depth of flavour. I just added a chunk of homemade sunflower seed bread and feel nicely replete …
And now, the washing up…
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Your soup looks very good… have you tried Nettle Soup? I can recommend Hugh F-W’s recipe.
Lovage is a wonderful herb, one of my favourites. Sophie Grigson describes it as the ‘vegetable stock cube’, adding a hearty savoury flavour to soups and caseroles. And it looks fantastic in the garden too!
Celia
The lovage plant is huge isn’t it, very achitectural. I hadn’t realise you can do things with the seeds too so I shall be harvesting them as well this year. P x
Mmmmmm…your soup looks delicious. I already have far too many cook books that one looks rather tempting. One to add to my wish list I think – that and some lovage for the garden.
You had me with the title to this entry. I love the, ‘home-made bread’, just gently thrown in there at the end! I have a packet of grainy type bread flour and a packet of yeast sitting in the corner of my worktop. I keep telling myself I don’t have enough time, warmth, space to actually make the bread. It’s like trying to pluck up the courage to jump in the pool. I know I’ll love it. Once I get started . . .
Yummy! Just my sort of cooking… and one of my favourite books too.
Hi Penny, can I join you? That looks soooooooo good, and soup is my favourite food!
Must look out for the book as that is exactly how I cook too ….. whatever I can find is what we are having tonight!
Enjoy!
Val
I, too, am a follower of Nigel Slater. As you say, no precise recipes just good ideas. He’s so gentle too, not strident.
Hi just thought I’d come introduce myself! We have been parnered up for the good enough to eat swap! I’m really excited 🙂
That is one of my favourites , very good comfort food . There’s a biting wind today so soup was on our menu too . Spinach and courgette ( with goat’s cheese for those who can) .
Am now feeling quite like Popeye .