Leek Season!
Hi, VOH Buddies!
Leek season has arrived at View of Heaven, and we couldn’t be more excited! Our garden is growing beautiful, delicious leeks that are ready to make their way into the kitchen. If you’ve never cooked with leeks before, think of them as a close relative of onions and garlic—but with a wonderfully mild, slightly sweet flavor. They belong to the Allium family and are a delicious way to add extra flavor to all kinds of meals. Before cooking with fresh leeks, give them a good cleaning. Dirt can hide between the layers of their leaves, so gently separate the green and white sections while rinsing them under cool water. A few extra minutes of washing will help make sure your garden-fresh leeks are nice and clean before they reach your cutting board. And here’s a little leek secret: the green and white portions are both edible! Each part brings its own delicious flavor and can be used in soups, sautés, casseroles, and so many other dishes. Leeks also provide nutrients such as folate and iron and contain vitamins A, C and K, making them a tasty addition to a balanced diet. So, VOH Buddies, don’t forget to enjoy your veggies, and add our VOH dried herbs to elevate them to the next level!
When the weather starts getting cooler, there’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of homemade soup. Our VOH Potato Leek Soup is creamy, hearty, comforting, and wonderfully simple to prepare. With just a handful of main ingredients, this recipe comes together in less than an hour, making it a great choice for a cozy family meal. My family tried this recipe a couple of days ago, and we absolutely loved it. The recipe, originally from www.allrecipes.com was modified by us to give it the special VOH Italian Herb flavor, which is a must in most of our foods. This soup was so delicious that we knew we had to share it with all of our VOH friends! So, as those cool fall days arrive, grab some fresh leeks and potatoes and give this comforting recipe a try. Your family might just ask you to make it again!
Ingredients
8 VOH potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 leeks, cleaned and sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp VOH Italian Herb Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Prepare your ingredients. Peel and cube the potatoes, clean and slice the leeks, and cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces.
Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes and chicken broth in a large saucepan or stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then continue cooking until the potatoes are tender.
Cook the bacon. While the potatoes are cooking, place the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until the bacon is evenly browned. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.
Sauté the leeks. Carefully reserve about 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in the skillet and discard the rest. Add the sliced leeks and sauté over medium-high heat for about 8–10 minutes, or until they become tender and fragrant.
Bring everything together. Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the heavy cream, cooked bacon, and sautéed leeks. Add the VOH Italian Herb Seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix everything together until well combined. Finish and serve. Remove the soup from the heat and serve warm. Grab a spoon, cozy up, and enjoy!
And that’s all for today, my VOH Buddies!
We hope you enjoy this warm, comforting recipe and find a delicious way to use the wonderful leeks growing here at VOH. There’s nothing quite like bringing fresh ingredients from the garden straight to the family table!
Until next time, keep growing, cooking, and enjoying all the wonderful goodness that comes from the garden!
Sincerely,
Victoria
Farm Writer
