Potato Leek Soup

Adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon 

2-3 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 potatoes, peeled and chopped 
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock 
Salt and pepper to taste 
Optional: red pepper, chopped
1 cup crème fraiche 

Saute leeks until soft in the butter and olive oil. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a boil. If you want to add peppers, add them as well. Let soup simmer until all vegetables are soft. Puree soup if desired. Add a dollop of cream and enjoy! 

Kale Squash Soup

Feel free to beef up the ingredients. Just about any fall vegetable would be good in this soup.

Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Onion, chopped
Some sort of grain – barley, rice, pasta, etc
Stock – enough to cover all ingredients and cook grains
Kale, destemmed and coarsely chopped Thyme
Sage

Toss squash with olive oil and salt. Roast in a hot oven until just tender. Cook onions in a stock pot until just translucent, add broth and grains. Boil until grains are cooked. Add remaining ingredients, season to taste, simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Serve! 

Spinach, Mustard Greens and Potato Soup

4 tbsp oilve oil
1 medium onion
1-2 lbs potatoes, cut into 1 in. chunks
8 cups water (or 4 cups stock, 4 cups water)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch of mustard greens, coarsely chopped
1 bunch of spinach, coarsely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sour cream
Optional: 1⁄2 tsp crushed red pepper 

Heat 2 T olive oil in a large pot/stock pot. Add chopped onions- sauté until golden. Add potatoes and cook for 3 or so minutes. Add stock/water and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins or until potatoes are tender. 

In another pan, heat remaining 2 T olive oil- add garlic and sauté for just 1 minute until fragrant. Add mustard greens and spinach and cook until greens are wilted. 

Add greens to potatoes and puree soup in small batches in a blender (or use an immersion blender). Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream. 

Beef, Onion and Beer stew

From Tender, by Nigel Slater.

Serves 4.

Butter
1 1/2 lbs. stew beef
2 lg. onions
few sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 bottles beer, or 2 sm. trappist bottles
2 or 3 bay leaves

for applesauce:
5-6 apples- tarter the better
butter
little bit of sugar
dash of cinnamon

Melt butter ina large casserole pan( that has a lid). Cut beef into 4 pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper, then lower into sizzling butter. Brown the meat on all sides. Thinly slice the onions while the meat browns. Once meat is browned, remove to a plate and lower the heat. Add onions to pan with thyme leaves and cook until soft and pale. Stir in flour and then pour in the beer and add bay leaves. As it starts to boil, add the beef and its juices to the pan and lower the heat. Season with salt and pper, cover with a lid and place in the oven at 300. Leave in the oven for an hour.

Peel apples for sauce- core and cut into rouch chunks. Put in a pan with a little water and the butter and bring to a boil. Turn down heat. cover with a lid and leave to cook to a sloppy mass. Sweeten with a little sugar and cinnamon, then beat with a fork until smooth. 

When stew is ready, serve with applesauce. Season as needed.

Cabbage Soup Three Ways

Green Cabbage- Savoy, Napa or green
4 tblsp butter
lg. onion
2 tblsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp. allspice
5 cups stock
fresh squeezed lemon juice, or white wine or rice vinegar to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Core and shred cabbage. Heat butter or oil in soup pan- add cabbage, onion, salt and pepper. Cook until cabbage and onion are tender at med. heat. Stir in sugar and allspice. Add water or stock and continue cooking for about 15 mins. Add a tblsp or 2 of lemon juice then serve.

Option 2- Asian style
Use Napa cabbage if possible- cook cabbage and onion in peanut oil- let the vegetables brown a bit. When you add the sugar, also add 1 tbsp. minced gresh ginger. Add 2 tbsp. soy sauce with the stock or water. Use fresh lime juice instead of lemon at the end.

Option 3- with potatoes and tomatoes
Add 2 med. potatoes, peeled and cubed along with cabbage and onions. Substitute scallions for onions if possible- reserve some for garnish. Just before adding stock of water, stire in 2 or 3 ripe tomatoes, cored, peeled and seeded, and roughly chopped. Also, 1 tsp. fresh thyme. Omit the sugar and allspice- garnish with scallions and serve.