Potato Leek Soup dressed up with Spicy Watercress

Recipe by our CSA member Cheyenna Weber!

As the weather turns colder and we begin getting leeks and potatoes, it's the perfect time for a potato leek soup dressed up with spicy watercress. Try this vegan classic from beloved East Village institution, Angelica Kitchen, for creamy, rich, and quick weeknight dinner.

From Angelica Home Kitchen: Recipes and Rabble Rousings from an Organic Vegan Restaurant

Creamy Watercress Leek Soup

"It has a beautiful emerald color. it should be served the same day it's prepared to take advantage of the freshness of the watercress. Good watercress is crunchy and has a sharp peppery flavor, which is balanced in this recipe by the potatoes and the olive oil. Watercress is traditionally available in the spring. It has long been cause for concern among mothers and grandmothers because it grew on the sides of streams where it could pick up parasites. With modern cultivation methods, this is no longer a worry. Serving suggestion: This recipe is a twist on the classic French leek-and-potato cream soup known as Vichyssoise, which is served cold. You can do the same, with some thinly sliced cucumbers arranged on top.”

Try this: Substitute mizuna, tatsoi, baby mustard greens, or spinach for the watercress.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 2 large leeks, white part only, washed and chopped to yield 3 cups

• 3 to 4 cloves garlic peeled, left whole

• Pinch of salt

• l pound potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 bunches watercress, washed, drained, and coarsely chopped

• l tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon, leaves only

• Lemon juice to taste

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

• Combine the 1⁄4 cup oil, leeks and garlic in a heavy-bottomed 3-:-quart: saucepan over medium heat.

• Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add pinch of salt, lower flame, cover, and cook 15 minutes longer, stirring from time to time.

• Meanwhile, prep potatoes, add them to the pan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil.

• Lower flame and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

• Add the watercress to the soup and simmer 1 to 2 minutes longer.

• Add tarragon and remaining olive oil. Puree the soup until creamy.

• Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• If the soup is too thick, thin with additional water to desired consistency.

Leeks and Butternut Squash (Fall Recipe)

From CSA member Bruce Thomson!

Leeks

Chop up the leeks!

Cook ‘em

Put them over some protein, like salmon!

Apple cider syrup drizzled over roasted butternut squash

Recipe for syrup

White Bean/Kale/Sausage Stew Non-recipe Recipe

From CSA member Ellice Lee

Feel like cooking with some CSA greens and what's in your pantry & fridge? This is a non-recipe recipe that will make a quick & easy meal.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)

• Handful of CSA greens (kale, dandelion greens, rainbow chard)

• 1 can of white beans (Great Norther or Cannellini), drained, rinsed

• 2–3 Sweet Italian Sausages (removed from their casings)

• Crushed red pepper flakes (I used Korean Gochugaru—spicy!)

• Olive oil

• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Remove sausages from their casings and break up into a nonstick skillet with a splash of olive oil over medium- high heat. When sausage is close to being fully cooked (or buy fully cooked sausage and sauté), add beans and combine till warm. Throw in a big handful of chopped greens until lightly wilted. Top with another splash of olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Add salt & pepper to taste and you're done! Serve with your starch of choice (I prefer brown rice).

This recipe has been adapted from Bon Appetit

Oi Muchim (Spicy Cucumbers)

From CSA member Ellice Lee!

One of my favorite things about Summer is eating crunchy, fresh veggies—and especially if they're spicy and a tad bit sweet! This recipe is a quick go-to. It takes about 15 min to prep and 15 min of marinating and then it's ready to serve. Tastes even better on Day 2, so you can always make this a day ahead of time.

Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)
11⁄2 pounds (680 g) Korean, English hothouse, or Persian cucumbers
1⁄4 pound (115 g, or about 1 large bunch) Chinese garlic chives, cut into 1 1⁄2-inch (4 cm) pieces (or substitute green onions!)
1 cup (100 g) thinly sliced sweet white onion
2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes—make sure you use the flakes, not the powder, or else it will be REALLY spicy)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (non or lightly seasoned)
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar (or honey, agave)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
11⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

Directions

Cut the cucumbers into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces, then cut each of those pieces in fours.

Place the cucumbers in a large mixing bowl, then add the garlic chives, onion, gochugaru, rice wine vinegar, sweetener of choice, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and salt.
Mix everything together well with your hands, then pack it into a nonreactive storage container, such as glass or plastic.

You can eat this right away, but it tastes better if left to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will last 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

This recipe has been adapted from Sohui Kim's Korean Home Cooking.

Pair a Potato with a Spice Blend

Member Chris Phillips recently read a curious headline about a personal smell museum opening in Los Angeles. That got me daydreaming and Googling. I found there are bunches of fairs and trade shows and even libraries dedicated to fragrances.

My nosy nose won’t be able to make it to any of these for a while, but this was a reminder to explore my own scent museum of sorts right here: the spice blends in my kitchen drawer. I have garlicky-green smelling Green Goddess and sweet gingery Five Spice powder. 

As the nights get longer and we zoom past the end of peak summer vegetables, grab any spice blend to spark up your supper. Potatoes will be a reliable part of our CSA baskets over the next weeks and will surely be part of the winter shares too.

How about roasting potatoes in a warming garam masala? Or top a baked potato with plain yogurt and za’atar. I like to peel, cube and roast sweet potatoes with the Turkish blend from Penzeys which stars bracing sumac and cumin. If you’re cooking for kids and want to explore simpler spice blends, seasoned salt could be a way to start.

The Atlantic ran some recipes for CSA-inspired dishes including these potatoes roasted with garam masala. If you’re curious about moving beyond Mrs. Dash and learning more about the spice blend trend, check out this article in Eater too. 

Be generous with your spice blends - pour them out in your potatoes and use them up. They will fill your kitchen with amazing fragrances plus spice taste better when they are used up quickly.