Souper Sundae

It's that time of year. The weather is beginning to be chilly and my weekly pot of soup has begun.  This soup is one of my favorites because it is so flexible.  It can be served hot or cold; chunky or smooth. And it is one of the easiest soups to make.  Here is what is on Marilyn's Table.

Potato Leek Soup with Gruyere Croutons
Apple Pie Sundaes with Cheddar Shards

The soup goes together in minutes with a reasonably short prep time.  A large Idaho potato (Yukon Golds would also work well) is scrubbed and cut in cubes.  I leave the skin on because that is where a lot of the vitamins are. Leeks are sliced into half rounds and rinsed thoroughly to remove any sand.  They are then sauteed in butter with a pinch of salt.  The potato is added and vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you prefer) are added and simmered until potatoes are soft. Remove from the heat. I left mine chunky but if you want the soup to be smooth, this is where you use an immersion blender to smooth it out.  Heavy cream and buttermilk are added along with white pepper.  Taste to correct the seasonings.  Warm through to serve or put in refrigerator to chill.

I have seen several recipes for using grilled cheese sandwiches cut up for croutons, so I thought I would try it.  I had a loaf of dark bread with lots of seeds. I cut half inch slices and buttered one side of each.  Slices of Gruyere were put inside and I grilled the sandwich on a panini press. The edges are cut off and the rest is cut into bite sized cubes.  The cubes are dropped on the top of the soup along with a few fresh herbs such as thyme.  I love this soup and will make it again and often.

Apples are plentiful and I thought they would be a nice addition to some frozen yogurt.  Since cheddar cheese often accompanies apple pie, I used it in the preparation of cracker like shards. Flour, salt, cold butter, sharp cheddar cheese, cold water and cider vinegar are put in a food processor and blended until the dough comes together.  The dough is kneaded,  wrapped in plastic and chilled in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough thinly and bake until browned. The dough is cooled and broken into shards to garnish the rest of the sundae.   A Granny Smith and a Gala apple are cored and cut in slices (again I leave the skin on). Butter is melted in a skillet and the apples are added along with both granulated and brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a bit of salt. The apples are cooked until tender and bit of water is added.  Cool the mixture slightly and blend half until smooth. In a large bowl soften frozen vanilla yogurt and mix in the pureed apples.  Return to the freezer to set.  To serve, scoop the apple yogurt mixture into dishes; spoon some of the remaining apples over the top and garnish with the cheddar shards.  Pretty to look at and very yummy.

This week was a celebration of simple food that I will repeat often over the winter.  Next week is Thanksgiving and I will be heading north to celebrate with family.  As always it will be an interesting meal to which everyone contributes.  Also will be fun to hear about granddaughter Kendall's first semester in college.  I will  remember to take pictures of our table and share with you.  We have so much to be thankful for so enjoy your holiday and will see you in two weeks.