Soup Stand

I am a big fan of soups. I could eat them almost any time, but living in the brisk northwest had given me the opportunity to push these hearty concoctions on my family year round. Today, I have woken up with visions of potatoes and leeks with a sprinkling of bacon bits. While bacon is not officially on our list of "Haves," I have taken the liberty of buying some at the grocery store. I just did not think we would be capable of such an endeavor to smoke our own pork belly, and we would have had to plan so far ahead!

We have an uneventful morning meal of fruit smoothie and grilled toast and lunch proves to be similar. But then the UPS man arrives with something I have been waiting for...THE PASTA MAKER. We unveil it like it is a piece of art. I am so excited, I can barely contain myself. Unfortunately, the making of the pasta will have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight's dinner is already in the works...or at least mentally planned in my head.

We proceed to cut the potatoes while the leeks soak in water to eliminate any grit, all the while the shallots and bacon are sautéing in a stock pot with some thyme cut from the back porch. Leeks are then added to the mix. I make a small rouge to help thicken things, add chicken broth and potatoes, and simmer until tender. Once ready, we take out half the potatoes and leeks and use a potato masher to crush the ingredients still in the pot. Once completed, we reintroduce the potatoes, etc along with some cream, salt, and pepper and simmer for a few more minutes. Right as I am about to serve, Brian whips out some croutons he had made earlier from some of our fresh-made bread. Perfection.



I almost forgot, somewhere in there, we shucked our peas and cooked them. The peas were not the best peas I have ever had, but the act of shucking was quite therapeutic. I highly recommend it!