Recipes

Potato Leek Soup

  • 1/2 pound bacon
  • 3 to 4 medium leeks
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups hot chicken stock
  • 4 cups milk (or part half-and-half)
  • 2 pounds Carola potatoes
  • 1 bulb of celeriac (optional)
Cook chopped bacon over low heat for a couple of minutes. Roughly chop the white part of the leeks, discarding the tougher green part or reserving for use in vegetable stock. Wash leeks in cold water; drain, then add to bacon and cook on low heat about 15 minutes.

Drain off all but 3 or 4 tablespoons of bacon fat. Add flour, cooking and stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens; do not allow it to brown. Add the hot chicken broth and milk.

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1/2- to 3/4-inch cubes, substituting a bulb of celeriac for a couple of potatoes, if desired. In a second pan, cook the potatoes (and celeriac) in boiling water about 15 minutes, then drain. Run cold water over to stop the cooking; drain again, then add to the soup base.

This recipe appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on Nov. 5, 2002. View the archive here.

"Fragrant Greens" Stir Fry

Adapted from "The Complete Stir-fry Cookbook"

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 10 oz broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1/2 lb french fillet green beans, stem-end snapped off
  • 1 walla walla sweet onion cut into 1/2" wedges
  • 8 oz cabbage, shredded
  • 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/4 cup Thai basil, shredded
Add oil to wok or large skillet, coating sides. Sti-fry broccoli and beans 3-4 minutes until vegetables are bright green and tender. Add onion and cabbage and stir fry until just softened. Combine lime juice and brown sugar (make sure to dissolve sugar). Add to wok or skillet with the basil. Toss and serve immediately.

This is a very versatile recipe. You can substitute lemon juice for lime juice, sweet basil for Thai basil, and many other vegetables, to your taste. It has been recommended to leave basil whole until needed. Noodles cooked ahead of time can be stir-fried with the vegetables but you will want to double or triple the lime juice/brown sugar mixture in that case.

Root and Barley Soup

  • 1/2 cup barley
  • 3 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 leek, chopped
  • 1 rutabaga, peeled, cubed
  • 1 celeriac, peeled, cubed
  • 2 potatoes, peeled, cubed
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled, chopped
  • 3 cups broth
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup Swiss chard leaves, chopped
Cook the barley according to directions. In a soup pot combine the oil, butter, leek, rutabaga, celeriac and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, salt, thyme, water, and stock and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Puree half the soup in a food processor and return it to the soup pot. Add the cooked barley, milk and chard and bring to a simmer just until the chard is wilted.