This morning I did my final pass thinning the tomatoes, peppers, collards, cabbage and kale down to a single plant in each starter cup and then I crossed my fingers that no fungi or pests find my singletons between now and when they move outside.For now the 38 tomato plants are vigorous and hale and I am excited that fully half of them are from my own saved seed.
I added a few new varieties this year of both slicing and cherry tomatoes and plan to save seed from all I want to grow again next year.The cabbage and collards are nearly ready to be hardened off and will join the lettuce, spinach and leeks I will be direct sowing this weekend.
Now that the 2 week forecast has no nighttime temps below freezing it is time to get the spring garden into full swing!
Variations On A Theme - Potato Leek Soup
My favorite recipes are the ones that resemble a good canvas - a delicious backdrop that can be accentuated and modified by what is in season and/or on hand. Having just finished a post about an overabundance of serrano peppers, I wanted to do a variation on a fall favorite - potato leek soup.This year's leeks are on the thin side which I attribute to my north facing backyard garden, so I harvested roughly 3x the number I would normally use for this recipe.
I decided to add some kick to the background canvas and finely chopped 4 roasted red serranos from my freezer and fresh oregano.
On it's own, this soup is mild but hearty making it a perfect backdrop for any number of flavor profiles.
The genius of this soup is the mandolin sliced potatoes.
Once cooked through and gently mashed, they thicken the stock and the mashing breaks the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.
Add a little cream and cook on low for a few more minutes and voila!
A delicious meal that varies depending on preferences and additions!
Wednesday Market and Hearty Potato-Leek Soup
I visited the Kansas Grown Farmer's Market's Wednesday market for the first time yesterday. It was smaller than I expected with only two stalls, but the two there were well stocked. I had gone looking for Yukon Gold potatoes and onions and left with all I needed.Hearty Potato-Leek Soup3 slices of bacon (more or less depending on your bacon cravings), cut into 1/2 inch squares3 TBS butter3 leeks, thoroughly cleaned and sliced in 1/2 inch chunks1 medium onion chopped7 Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned and sliced in 1/4 inch slices (I leave the skins on, but this is a personal preference)4 cups chicken broth1 cup heavy creamsalt and pepper to tasteIn a large stock pot on medium heat, cook bacon until well cooked. Add butter and when melted, add onion and leeks. Cook until onions are transluscent. Add potato slices and enough chicken broth to cover (about 4 cups). Cook until potatoes are tender. Use a spoon or potato masher to mash up potatoes to desired size and soup consistency. Add 1 cup heavy cream and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat and enjoy!Makes 4-6 servings