Today was a perfect fall day. Not a Perfect Day, per say, but a perfect FALL day. My all-knowing iPhone told me that it was mid-fifties with a chance of rain. I threw on my long sweater, left the Trainer in bed and left to meet a friend in Manhattan.
As I stepped out the front door onto the front stoop I was greated by a grey sky and blowing mizzle. As my father and Mel Gibson would say "good Scottish Weather".
The trees across the street were spectacular, some like the Ginko, already changed and dropping their fruit, smelling of butyric acid and dinosaur times. Others still green with tops afire.
I gleefully crunched through the piles of crisp brown oak leaves piled high around the playground. The frisky wind that blew wet spatterings in my face chased the fallen leaves round and round in an endless game of tag.
When I reached the train station my ears were slightly cold, my nose was slightly red, and my eyes were bright with pleasure. This is a perfect day indeed. Perfect for staying close with friends. Perfect for a mug of mulled cider after a brisk walk. Perfect for a heart pot of filling soup.
Fennel Leek Soup
1 buld fennel
3 medium leeks
3 cloves garlic
3 cups broth or stock of your choice
1 tsp dried whole thyme
olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper
Wash the fennel and leeks. Discard the bottom of the fennel bulb and cut off any bruised or brown parts. Cut off the base of the leeks and seperate the "leaves" to clean out all the dirt. Discard any bruised or dried out sections.
Coursely chop the fennel, leeks and garlic. You can save some of the fennel fronds for a garnish if that's your thing, or chop up all the fennel.
In a medium sauce pan with a little olive oil saute the chopped vegetables until the leeks are bright green.
Add stock and simmer until vegetables are tender.
Puree in a blender in batches until the soup reaches your desired consistency.
Return soup to the pot, add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer to allow flavors to meld.
This soup base is perfect for any type of addition. You can add yogurt to make it creamier of for protien: chicken, turkey, suasage or tofu. And it's great hot or cold.
1 comment:
Because we've been blessed with a long, warm fall, and because I covet the not-quite-ripe green fennel seeds, my fennel bulbs have yet to be harvested. I still have some leeks in the ground because . . . I was waiting for your soup recipe!
Time to harvest both and stir up a pot of comfort food! Thanks for encouraging me to FINALLY finish up my harvest season!
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