Creamy Tomato-Potato Soup

Cooler fall weather always brings about a shift in our cooking habits. We've been enjoying soups and breads, and this soup was perfect for a rainy fall evening. It was good following the recipe, but uplifted to fantastic with the addition of some sage and thyme. This is modified from a recipe in Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World

Creamy Tomato-Potato Soup

3 tbsp olive oil or butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed
1 small onion, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, peeled (drained canned are okay)
Approximately 1 pound potatoes, russet or another non-waxy type, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream or half and half, plus more as needed
5-6 fresh sage leaves (in bouquet garni)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (in bouquet garni)

1. Heat oil or butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the leeks. Seed tomatoes and chop pulp.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove sage and thyme. Using food mill, inversion blender, or regular blender, puree mixture until smooth. If there is more than your blender can handle, work in batches. This is easier if the soup is cooled before blending, but it's not necessary to cool it. Reheat soup. Stir in cream and additional salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin with cream and water.

Chicken Breasts with Sage

One of our favorite things about the garden is the opportunity to experiment with different recipes. Sarah & Jeff and Michelle & Scott are part of what we like to call Lazy Dog Test Kitchens. It's a great way to give suggestions to customers on what they can do with our vegetables. I know sometimes figuring out what to cook is the biggest obstacle in making dinner.

Scott and I picked up Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World a few weeks ago, and this chicken recipe was a perfect match with the Lazy Dog Salad Mix. We're looking forward to trying it again when the potatoes are ready. We haven't tried the balsamic variation, but the lemon was delicious. The pan sauce is just calling out for roasted fingerling potatoes.

3 Tbsp olive oil, butter, or a combination

2 garlic cloves, peeled & lightly crushed

20 or 30 fresh sage leaves

4 chicken breast halves

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in deep skillet on medium-high. Add garlic and half the sage, then chicken skin side down. Brown chicken well, rotating breasts as necessary (don't worry about the bone side), for 5-10 minutes. Turn meat browned side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Add remaining sage, along with the 1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice and stock. Turn heat to low and cover; cook until the chicken is tender & no trace of blood remains near the bone, 15 minutes or so.

3. Transfer chicken to platter. If the sauce is thin, raise the heat to high, stirring and reducing until it is thick and glossy, just a few minutes. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice. Season to taste with salt & pepper.