I meant to make the Sunflower Pate - but that didn't happen. Do you ever find yourself walking down the produce isle and grabbing things instinctively with no apparent reason? Well, that's what happened to me. Maybe I was thrown off because the store was packed with blizzard preppers - or maybe I was divinely guided to those leeks. Growing up my Mom always had packs of potato leek soup on hand. Knorr - the yellow and green pack - a flash of nostalgia and comfort in a cup. Texture, Taste, Color. I see her in her pink and purple robes. Intense 80's makeup.

So I find myself chopping and throwing things in the pot. I've never made potato leek soup from scratch. Would it add up? Ginger, celery and a dash of turmeric. I've accepted that pretty much everything I make is bold and slightly Indian in persuasion. I clean the leeks really well - because who wants sand in their soup? The smell of sauteing onions and leeks fills the house. That old 50's house wife trick - sauteing onions before their husbands got home from work to make them think they'd been hard at work in the kitchen. It works for me. I'm in the zone of chop - dash - stir. A trance of actions that leads me to my destination. It's not a chosen destination - it's a moment by moment unraveling.

It worked. I got that bliss in a bowl.

POTATO LEEK SOUP

4 Tblsp Olive Oil
2 ea Leeks
2 ea Celery stalks
1 ea Onion, medium
about 4 cups Water
6 ea Red Potatoes, small, diced
4 ea Garlic cloves, chopped
2" Ginger, fresh, chopped
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp French Four Spice (white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, cloves)
1 tsp Pepper, fresh cracked
1/2 tsp Salt

4qt pot

Clean leeks well. Chop leeks, onion and celery. Don't worry about them all being perfect or a specific size - you're going to be pureeing them! Heat oil in pot - add chopped leeks, celery, onion. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add water, diced potatoes, garlic, ginger and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off heat. Puree with a hand blender or in a blender. Serve with a scoop of greek yogurt, fresh pepper and grated cheese. (dayia cheese if vegan!)

Potato Leek Soup