Recipes that make me happy - 3

Leek and Potato Soup

3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Knorr vegetable or chicken stock cube
1 oz butter
black pepper
salt

Clean the leeks thoroughly. They grow them in sand and grit in your soup is horrid. Do this by cutting off the bottoms with the roots on and cutting off the brownest tops of the leaves. Slice the leek in half and rinse under the running cold tap, lifting all the layers to make sure there's no muck left.

Heat the butter gently to melt it in the bottom of a large soup pot. Throw in the sliced leeks and cubed potatoes. Grind some black pepper in; I like about 7-10 good grinds but you might like less. Gently fry for about 5 minutes, stirring gently every 30 seconds or so. Add about 3 pints of water and the stock cube. Bring to the boil and turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree with a hand blender. Add a little more water (or milk) if it seems too thick. Add some salt to taste for you.

You can serve this hot or cold. It's called Potage Parmentier hot or Vichyssoise cold! It goes almost like thin mashed potatoes if you let it go cold and my husband has been known to stick it between two slices of bread as a sarnie...