I received Ina Garten's cookbook, "Barefoot Contessa At Home" from Elizabeth I. at my bridal shower and have been dying to make something from its beautiful pages. Once the rain started coming down and I realized I had a fridge full of veggies from the Farmer's Market, I pulled out the ever handsome bright orange Le Creuset we received from Tom J. and the stars aligned.
Fresh Pea and Leek Soup. I made some adjustments to the recipe based on what we had at home (I wasn't about to go out to the store in that weather!) and it turned out absolutely delicious. Below is the original recipe, with my changes noted.
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 leeks)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
4 cups chicken stock
5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 10-oz packages frozen peas (I used frozen)
2/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (I used a small handful of fresh tarragon instead)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup creme fraiche (I used about 3 tablespoons of mascarpone cheese instead - delish!)
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives (I didn't have chives, but I'm sure they would be quite yummy.
I also added about 2 tablespoons of lemon zest and about 1 tablespoon of fresh nutmeg.
Heat the butter in a large saucepan, add teh leeks and onion, and cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the onion is tender. Add the chicken stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the peas and cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the peas are tender. Off the heat, add the mint (or tarragon, basil would probably be nice too), salt, and pepper. Here I added the lemon zest and nutmeg.
Puree the soup with a blender (I highly recommend a Vitamix - talk about a life changing appliance!) or immersion stick blender. Once the soup is all pureed, whisk in the creme fraiche (or mascarpone, or heavy cream) and chives and taste for seasoning. Serve hot with croutons, pita chips, or toasty baguette.
Then pour yourself a nice glass of crisp white wine, snuggle in with your new husband (or old husband, if that's what you have available) and watch a movie. Hopefully something better than "Thor", which is what we chose. Bad choice of movie, great choice of soup recipe!
