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I've finally decided that I am a writer - all the other things I do just pay the bills. Someone eloquent once said that if you do what you love, the money will follow. Well, let's just see about that.

RIP Aggie

RIP Aggie
Aggie was my fifteen-year-old cairn terrier - or maybe I should say I was her 55-year-old person! She was my faithful companion, spoiled rotten and I am still trying to figure out what to do without her.

Peter the Cat...

Peter the Cat...
This is Peter the gingersnap tabby! He's seven years old and has just been promoted to Peter the Very, Very Good. He is working his way up to Peter the Great...

Bee - the Cat Who Came From Somewhere Else...

Bee - the Cat Who Came From Somewhere Else...
Bee is Peter's buddy. He's eight years old and has made himself right at home. I guess cats really do come in pairs or sets of three!

And Jasper makes three!

And Jasper makes three!
Jasper is our new guy - the Cat From Another Place. He's four years old and we think he likes it here - so far, so good!

Buzz about...

Thursday, October 07, 2010

First, you take a leek...

Wait - aren't we making potato soup?  Hee hee!  Sorry, Julia - I mean Potage Parmentier.  I channeled the immortal Julia Child tonight, much to Aggie's chagrin, and made potato leek soup for dinner.  It was divine - but then, I am a connoisseur of potatoes.  I have been known, much as it pains me to admit it, to order the vegetable plate at the Cracker Barrel with a baked potato, french fries, mashed potatoes and hash-brown casserole.  Ugly and starch-filled, but true.  Aggie, on the other hand, is a card-carrying carnivore and doesn't often let me forget it.  This evening, she was forced to eat from her own bowl.  Oh well...

Ingredients
3-4 cups of diced peeled potatoes (about a pound)
3 cups thinly sliced leeks, including the tender greens
4 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons softened butter
3 tablespoons minced chives or parsley

What to do next...
Simmer vegetables, water and chicken broth together, partially covered for 40-50 minutes in a 3-4 quart saucepan. Mash the vegetables into the broth with a fork or you can use a food mill - but what a screaming pain in the mess. Julia disdains the texture of soup pureed in a blender but have at it if you are determined to have smooth soup. Add salt and pepper to your own taste. Just before serving, bring soup back to simmering and then remove from the heat to stir in the butter.  Top with chopped chives or parsley. Easy and amazingly good! Makes 2 quarts of soup for six to eight servings.  You can serve it cold the next day and call it vichyssoise.  And probably charge double for the fancy-sounding name.

2 comments:

  1. What!!?? No pictures of the finished product?:-(

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  2. Sounds yummy! I love potato leek soup. Maybe I'll make some of that this week. I love to make big batches and then freeze them and they are ready on those freezing cold rainy nights. Wish it would cool down a wee bit more so I can make soup!

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