Potage De Vermont Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium low heat. As soon as it melts, add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Keep the heat moderate-you want the butter and leeks to remain pale in color. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half through their equators, squeeze and shake out the seeds, then chop the pulp.
• Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes; add the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and add the stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Using a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender, puree the mixture until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (In this as in every instance, take care when pureeing hot liquid; it's best, if you have the time, to let the mixture cool to room temperature before pureeing.) Reheat the soup (or refrigerate for up to a day before reheating); stir in the cream and additional salt and pepper as needed. If the soup seems too thick, thin it with cream or water. Garnish with chervil and serve immediately.
• Omit the tomatoes. Cook through the pureeing of the soup. Rather than reheat, cool the soup and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled. Stir the cream into the chilled soup immediately before serving and garnish with snipped chives. (You can also serve this soup hot if you like.)

Steps:

• Sauté the carrots, onion, dill, and celery in the butter in a large saucepan. Sprinkle in the flour 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. Add the stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook for about 5 minutes. Strain out the vegetables, purée them in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, then return the puréed vegetables to the stock. Continue to cook over medium heat until the soup boils, then reduce the heat and let it simmer slowly for 15 minutes. Add the grated cheese, stirring constantly with a large wire whisk until it is melted. Slowly add the half-and-half and stir until well blended. Add the salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once garnished with the toasted sesame seeds.

Steps:

• Make the croutons:
• In a bowl drizzle the bread cubes with the butter, tossing them to coat them well, and in a shallow baking dish bake them in a preheated 350°F. oven, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the croutons are golden and crisp. Season the croutons with salt. The croutons may be made 1 day in advance and kept in an airtight container.
• Make the soup:
• In a large saucepan cook the leeks in the butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are softened, add the broth and 2 cups water, and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the peas and the lettuce and simmer the mixture, covered partially, for 10 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Stir in the mint and in a blender or food processor purée the soup in batches. The soup may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Return the soup to the pan, season it with salt and pepper, and reheat it over moderately low heat, stirring, until it is hot.
• In a small bowl beat the cream until it is thickened slightly but still pourable and season it with salt. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle drops of the cream on each serving, and draw a skewer or knife through the drops, forming decorative patterns. Serve the soup with the croutons.