LEEKS

For the first time in over twenty years I have been obliged to buy leeks. Each year in spring I sow several types of leek and harvest them from September right through until March. This years the severe weather wiped out a bed of sixty late winter leeks and their loss is keenly felt. Bought ones are often spongy and the flavour is never as good, but beggars can not be choosers and so for now I am at the mercy of the commercial growers. Thankfully the curly kale is flourishing and we shall not have to buy any greens this winter.
Leek and potato soup is on the menu tonight served with hot buttered granary toast. When we lived in the north of England it was a favourite meal after a long day on the moor,s, nothing warms you up so fast and it is hearty enough to be a main meal
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Leek and Potato Soup
2 large leeks
1 large onion
12 oz potatoes
a blade of mace of a good grating of nutmeg if you do not have the mace.
Salt and pepper as much as you like
1pt chicken stock
1 pint of milk
small pot of crème fraiche
2 oz butter with a drop or two of olive oil

Wash and chop up the leeks and chop the onion, melt the butter and oil in a large pan, add the leeks and onions and sweat slowly for about ten minutes, make sure the leeks do not brown.
Peel and slice the potatoes and add to the leeks with the chicken stock, salt and pepper there should be just enough liquid to cover the vegetables, add the blade of mace of the nutmeg and simmer for half an hour.
Blitz in a blender with the milk and crème fraiche or pass through a sieve, reheat, check the seasoning and serve. Toast goes better than croutons with this very English soup.
Today I purchased some new leek seed said to be extremely hardy, I have now intention of being caught out again.

The chilly weather has curtailed Miss Twiggies exploits in the garden, she has spent the entire day hugging the radiator or curled up around my lava lamp. The wind is strong and is finding all the chinks in our old windows and doors, walking down the stairs to the hall way is like descending in to a well and the wind whistle through the key hole like a banshee.
I warmed up the kitchen by making a huge batch of Ramshaw Rockies, I had intended to bake oat cookies today but my son asked for more of the Rockies so that was that. I discovered that I was short of walnuts and so I added some chopped almonds and a bag of chocolate peanuts just for fun. I also tested a gluten free flour and I must say the result was surprisingly good.

During the afternoon small flakes of snow drifted down and my robin sat in the ash tree singing his sad winter song, against the grey sky his red breast looked like a small flame and he seemed so full of life in a seemingly lifeless winter world.
I think it will be another hot water bottle night and fluffy bed socks too. I drew the curtains early tonight, I could actually feel the cold striking off the glass. I love to snuggle up in quilts and rugs, I should be denied this pleasure if there were not chilly weather, there is some virtue in all things,