BBZ Soup

[Rags]

Heat oil in large saucepan, medium heat.
Add leek cook till soft, while stirring... about 5 mins.
Add broccoli, zuke, spud and stock and bring to a simmer.
Reduce heat to low, cook 15 minutes stirring occassionally.
Remove from heat and set aside 10 mins to cool.
Put the mixture (not the liquid) in a blender, add blue cheese, blend till smooth.
Return to saucepan on low heat, add cream, season with salt and pepper.
Great with chunky bread or sage scones.

[cyclefan]

BBZ Soup

This sounds fabulous Rags! I'll be sure to try this one when the weather cools off.

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

I want the recipe for the sage scones! Especially since we are in the middle of summer here in the Midwest US, so no thick soups for awhile. I love scones -- just made some a few weeks ago with orange zest, but I love the idea of a savory scone.

[lushy]

BBZ Soup

Man, this sounds like a great combo of flavors. We are growing leeks and broccoli in our garden so will make it when they come up. Thanks!

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

I've never grown leeks, but I love them -- and they are expensive at the store. Are they easy to grow, Lushy?

[lushy]

BBZ Soup

I don't know, this is our first attempt at them. I am praying they will grow because they are expensive, and there is so much waste that I refuse to buy them at the store despite loving them.

I will let you know if they are successful. I think they won't be ready until the end of summer.

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

Good luck! I only buy them once in a great while, too. I love potato-leek soup, and I also do a potato-leek gratin with a bit of black olives and Gruyere cheese.

You're in California, aren't you? I have such clay soil here, I don't think they would grow very well. I actually haven't even gardened at all in a few years, but have a small one this year -- it's nice to get back into it.

[lushy]

BBZ Soup

Ooh, your gratin sounds delicious, you should post the recipe.

I live in Seattle. We get a fair amount of rain and hubby just bought some really good quality soil/manure and so far things are growing well. I do not garden at all, that is Mr. Lushy's thing. I just reap the benefits of it and make dishes out of whatever grows.

[SKendall]

BBZ Soup

This does sound yummy. Good for you Lushy on growing the leeks, I love them. They shouldn't be that hard to grow in PNW although the home grown ones are usually smaller, but who cares. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

I'll post it a little bit later, Lushy and SKendall. Trying to get some work done while baby naps! (The gratin is from a book called Fields of Greens by Annie Somerville, if any of you are cookbook hounds like me.)

[lushy]

BBZ Soup

Total cookbook hound. I read them like novels. I will see if our library has this one. Have never heard of it.

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

Annie Somerville was (maybe still is) the chef at a restaurant called Greens in San Francisco, very well known for innovative vegetarian cuisine. It was originally founded I think in the 70s by Deborah Madison, who has since written many authoritative vegetarian cookbooks. In fact, Lushy, one of the things I really like about Fields of Greens is that alongside many of the recipes, it gives gardening notes. (I just checked the book, and there is a note on growing leeks!)

Now I'm hungry!

[lucky 2.0]

BBZ Soup

Greens is my favorite restaurant in SF. I love how they have their own garden on Mt. Tam @ the Zen Monastary and a lot of their food comes from there, as well as the huge array of fresh flowers. And the place is on the water @ Fort Mason so that always helps. And parking is easy. I have there many times. They have a good selection for veggie heads.

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

Love the books, but have never been there (I have never even been to California, except thru the SF [I think] airport when flying to Beijing). Greens and the Zen place is supposed to also have a good bakery, from what I remember reading.

For veggie heads on this end of the US, and also many great cookbooks, is Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY. Their polenta technique never gets you lumpy polenta (mix half of the cornmeal with cold water, then mix that into the boiling water). Perfect every time!

p.s. and I am not even a vegetarian!

[CS04]

BBZ Soup

Maybe we should start a favorite cookbook thread!