Ode to the Leek

A harmony of deep green, baby-grass-light green and glowing white, infinitely layered, too big for the vegetable drawer. Yes, you called it, the leek. This sprouting bottomed, oniony, winter vegetable has my utter adoration. The leek is overlooked, or even, in some cases, unheard of as anything less than obscure. However the results, when washed and cooked properly, are phenomenal.

The other day I was watching Ina Garten, per usual, and she reminded me of my task, ever put on the back burner for some more exotic endeavor, of conquering the homemade soup. In a world where condensed is king, the homemade soup has, for many, been virtually left in the dust. My roommate couldn't understand why I would attempt anything other than microwaved Campbell's, my friends were a tad unbelieving, and I, paring knife in hand, was ready for an adventure filled with long hours of simmering, a cacophony of herbs, and a ton of chicken broth. Then, I thought of the leek. And after that inspiration came the omnipresent (at least in my family) leek and potato soup. However, this simple, savory soup carries with it the question: where's the meat? Let me tell you, there is no need. What I found, through some experimentation and a little help from the internet, was that a simple but nonetheless hearty leek and potato soup could be crafted with some basic ingredients and less time than I thought.

I went to the grocery store and purchased the following: 3 healthy lookin' leeks, 3 large baking potatoes, 1 Qt. organic free-range chicken broth, fresh rosemary and a big ole' garlic bulb.

Then, I dove in. In a large soup pot I put about a 1/4 a stick of butter until fully melted. Then sliced 3 cloves garlic thinly (so you can really have something to bite into) and put that in with the butter. Next, I sliced the leeks, using only the light green and white parts, in 1/2 inch thick slices and added that to the garlicy butter for 5 minutes until semi-translucent and aromatic. I cut the potatoes choppily as to give it a rustic look, all the while keeping them about the same size and added that to the pot along with 1 qt. chicken broth, 4 big sprigs of rosemary, leaves attached to stems, and a few good pinches of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. I brought the whole mixture to a boil and then turned down the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-soft and everything tastes right. To finish, I put freshly ground pepper and salt to taste and topped with FRESH grated parmesan.

With some focaccia or tortilla chips... that was a superb dinner.