dinner

Potato Leek Soup with fresh Sorrel

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We know that fall is the traditional leek season, so I picked up a bunch at the farmers’ market this week and decided to make potato leek soup, one of my favorites. And for a riff on the traditional, I decided to give it a lemony freshness with sorrel. I realize sorrel is usually considered a spring vegetable/herb since it makes such an early appearance when we’re so hungry for fresh greens. But mine is spectacular right now. It was ravaged as usual in summer, but the new leaves are large and lush because of the fall coolness. 

The idea wasn’t an original. I took inspiration from Marian Morash in The Victory Garden Cookbook, published in 1982. Remember the PBS show The Victory Garden with James Underwood Crockett? It was a Saturday morning staple, especially because Marian Morash always cooked something directly from the garden. That show and Organic Gardening Magazine still put me in a nostalgic haze. They helped make me who I am today.  

When I couldn’t find a good recipe to use sorrel (other than my sorrel sauce for salmon), I looked to Marian’s cookbook for ideas. Here is her basic recipe, with a few tweaks of my own. I have reduced amounts to make soup for two. 

Potato Leek Soup with Sorrel

  • 2 good-sized russet potatoes
  • about ten sorrel leaves
  • 1 T. butter
  • ½ c. chopped leeks (one or two, depending on size; white parts only)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
  • Lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ c. evaporated milk or buttermilk 

Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Wash the sorrel and remove the ribs and stems. Chop. Melt the butter and saute the leeks and garlic over gentle heat until soft. Cook the potatoes and half of the sorrel in chicken broth until the potatoes are fork-tender (about 20 minutes). Add the leeks and garlic, and puree. Return to the pan and season to taste. Stir in the remaining sorrel and milk or buttermilk and heat gently. Serve either hot or chilled. My dill is going crazy so it’s a perfect garnish. 

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Helene and Vegetable Bean Chili

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I live in Asheville. We survived and are coping. Hurricane Helene caused untold damage and suffering, with many, many houses damaged in our neighborhood by falling trees and inundating rain. But we are Asheville strong and will recover and rebuild.

Being in a situation without power, water or communication certainly makes one take stock of what is important. We scrambled for candles and lanterns, potable and flushing water, and gas to run generators. We frantically tried to cook everything in our freezer as it thawed (I am lucky to have a gas stove we could light with matches). As we handed food out to neighbors and hosted neighborhood dinners, I decided never to let my freezer get that full again. I love to put food by, but the food I lost was such a huge waste.

The community spirit certainly lives on, and our neighborhood, which came together to help each other through the last month, is having an outdoor chili supper tonight. We will all bring food, be grateful for the electricity to plug in the slow cookers, and happily drink our bottled water (no potable water available yet, and probably not for another month).

It’s to be a cool evening, perfect for chili, and there will be a myriad of chili flavors for all to sample as well as plentiful sides and delicious desserts. Most of all, it’s a chance to check in again with neighbors and friends to see just how everyone is doing.

I’m taking vegetable chili, full of vegetables, beans and most of all, tummy-warming flavor. You can put anything you like in this chili and it will keep a week in the fridge and in the freezer for three months. This recipe serves 4-6 and is easily doubled for your own neighborhood chili supper. It’s a great slow-cooker meal.

Vegetable Bean Chili

olive oil for sauteing
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can chopped green chilis
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled if you like, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chili powder of choice (I like a combo of regular chili powder and chipotle chili powder
2 t. ground cumin
1 ½ t. smoked paprika
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
2 15 oz. cans black beans (I don’t drain and rinse – the juice adds flavor)
1 15 oz. cans pinto beans (see above)
2 c. vegetable broth or water
1 to 2 t. cider vinegar (brightens the flavor)

Garnishes: chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, tortilla chips, sour cream, grated cheddar or jack cheese

Warm the olive oil until shimmering in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, chiles, carrot, celery and a few shakes of salt. Saute until the vegetables are tender and the onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and their juice, beans and broth or water. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or put into the slow cooker on medium for about three hours. At this point check for salt. If you used unsalted beans, it will definitely need salt. Before serving you can remove a third and blend it to make a thicker chili if you like. Garnish to taste.

My path in the woods before Hurricane Helene

My path after Hurricane Helene

Homemade Stock

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Homemade stock

In my vein of saving money and making food taste better, one of my go-to’s is homemade stock. There’s nothing quite like the scent of a kitchen with a pot of simmering stock on the stove. 

It’s a fantastic way to extract flavor and nutrients from ingredients while reducing waste and homemade stock adds depth and richness to soups, stews, sauces, and risotto. 

I keep a bag in the freezer into which go all of my vegetable scraps. When I have a bagful, I toss them into a large, heavy pot for a long, slow simmering. You can also toss in chicken or beef bones if you are a meat-eater. 

Most vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, leeks and garlic make a delicious stock. Be sure to use the peels, especially onion and garlic, as they make the stock richer. Don’t use potato peels or scraps from cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli since they make the stock too strong. I also glean parmesan rinds from my grocery – they often sell them fairly inexpensively – and toss one or two into the stock for richness. 

Add whatever herbs you have handy, either fresh or dried, such as parsley, thyme, bay leaves, basil and oregano. 

Cover with a substantial portion of water and put on a low simmer. The longer you simmer it, the richer your stock will be. Four to six hours is adequate or you can cook it in a slow cooker on low overnight. 

I prefer to salt my stock when I use it in a recipe, but you can certainly salt it as you make it. 

Once the stock has simmered long and slow, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean container to remove the solids.

Let the stock cool completely before storing it. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for several months. I freeze mine in 1-cup portions for easy use later. 

Oven Baked Risotto

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 3/4 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine, (optional)
  • 3 cups stock (here’s where your homemade stock will shine)
  • 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, (optional)
  • Additions: prosciutto, brie, mushrooms, pumpkin, butternut squash, peas

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In an ovenproof saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring to coat the grains with oil, about 1 minute.

Stir in the wine and cook until completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Stir in 1 ½ cups water, the stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and bake, until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, 20 to 25 minutes.

Remove from oven. Stir in ½  to ¾ cup water (the consistency of the risotto should be creamy), the butter, cheese and parsley. Serve immediately.