Potatoes and Leeks

The garden provided me with some potatoes and leeks today. I have been ruthlessly clearing out summertime crops which have been keeping on during the earlier parts of autumn. Not too ruthless I have to say, there are still some beans left in the garden and the pumpkins are rampant and are showing very little signs of dying off. I have been breaking off the fresh growth on the pumpkins because it really is going to come to nothing. They are a mess but there are plenty so I am not complaining.

We have been eating a lot of meatless meals. It might seem a bit strange, living on a  farm with a fresh supply of poultry and lamb that we don't eat meat every day. The kids could gladly (as long as it isn't a lamb they have played with) eat meat daily and their requirements for it are probably greater than ours. So tonight, they will enjoy a cottage pie whilst Tim and I have a potato and leek soup. Simple food, where the flavours can shine.

No real recipe for the soup. I usually follow a similar formula for all of my pureed vegetable soups. Prepare the vegetables, boil them until tender (adding stock if necessary) and then puree. It works with most of the root vegetables anyway. Sometimes I will add lentils or even a bit of cream after pureeing.With the potato and leek soup, I will saute the leeks in butter before cooking with the potatoes.  Quick, easy and generally healthy too. A chunk of parsnip and thyme bread on the side and it's a meal.
Tracy