Potato Leek Soup and Kale Chips

So the day finally arrived...our first CSA pick-up day! For someone who hasn't always been a big vegetable fan, I was surprised how excited I was to see what vegetables we would get to take home. The farm warned us that the shares would start off small since the season was just beginning. Seeing as how we had just started our plants in our garden I was amazed that they had anything for us at all the first week in May. I set off after work and drove down a tiny road to a cute little building in the middle of a huge field. Twenty minutes later I was happily driving down the road with my reusable bag filled with a bundle of 4 leeks, a bundle of kale, a cilantro seedling, and a package of organic bacon and scrapple (a personal favorite).

On my way home, I stopped at Joe's work to show off our new loot. We started brainstorming ideas of what to make, and my excitement slowly turned in to nervousness. Leeks I was pretty comfortable with, thanks to Food Network and Top Chef, but kale was a completely different story. I just kept thinking it reminded me of lettuce gone wrong. My mom never even attempted to make me try kale or any other form of cabbage/greens when I was growing up. But I was determined to be a grown-up and eat all my veggies. 

The next night I came home from my 2nd job of the day, completely exhausted and starving, to find my amazing boyfriend stirring a pot of soup that smelled wonderful. He had come home from work, and in typical Joe style, threw himself in to creating Potato Leek Soup from scratch without a cookbook in sight. I know ladies, how lucky am I! 

When using leeks the most important part, that no one thinks about myself included, is cleaning them. The Internet has some great videos that show you exactly what to do. The key is to just keep washing and washing until you think you can't wash anymore. 

Potato Leek Soup

4 leeks (cleaned and cut in to small pieces)

3 lb. white potatoes (peeled and cut in to small pieces)

5 c. chicken broth

butter

minced garlic

1/4 c. cream

1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt

fennel, dill, tarragon, salt, pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, saute the leeks with 1 or 2 tbsp. butter and minced garlic until the leeks are soft. Add the uncooked potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the cream, yogurt and spices. Take off the heat and blend until smooth. An immersion blender is a cook's best friend. 

The soup was wonderfully thick and flavorful. Potato soup is my favorite kind of soup and it was better than any I had had at restaurants. We had the soup for several days, and it reheated easily. My favorite was dipping warm soft pretzels in it. Our first CSA experiment was a success!

The kale had continued making me nervous but I finally thought I had found a solution. Someone had suggested making kale chips. I had never heard of this but it seemed like the perfect answer. In her new cookbook, Gwyneth Paltrow says her kids can't stop eating them so if kids eat them I figured I'd survive. 

This is the easiest recipe!

Kale Chips

kale (washed and torn in to medium size pieces, equally sized)

olive oil

salt

Coat the kale with olive oil and salt in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast the kale at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes. Make sure to check every few minutes.

Well the second CSA experiment was not as successful as the first. Due to our oven's inconsistent temperatures and my lack of care in making the pieces equally sized, only some of the chips turned out the way they were meant to. The chips were good but the kale taste was definitely present. The crispiness was refreshing and they tasted great crumbled up in the potato soup and in a red sauce the next  night. It wasn't a complete success but you live, you learn. 

Overall, it was a wonderful beginner week for our CSA experience. Can't wait to find out what surprises await us next week! Cheers!