What our tiny Island farmers’ market may lack in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Over half of the farmers are local to the Island, which means they travel, on average, only five miles or less from their farms to the market. This makes my heart swell.
Many have followed in the footsteps of parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who paved the way for local agriculture, and now, organic farming and sustainable farming practices. Our market proudly displays small, family farmers with big community spirit, talented artists, musicians, and even, a lovable little pony for the kiddies (and adults).
Strolling through the market this time of year means only one thing: Potatoes. And more potatoes. That is, if you happen to see the market through my husband’s eyes. As many of you are well aware, I live with an Irishman. He knows a thing or two about potatoes. This soup is all him. I love him for that.
My heart swells some more.
MARKET DAY POTATO AND LEEK SOUP, yields 4-6 servings
You want leftovers of this soup. LOADS of leftovers. And for more soup options, check out a delicious, protein-packed French green lentil soup or a hearty pumpkin soup.
Music Pairing: Nick Drake, Place To Be
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh leeks
- 1-1 1/2 lbs potatoes, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 20 black peppercorns
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 5 cups organic chicken stock
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- plain yogurt
- parsley or chives
Method
Halve the white portions of the leeks lengthwise and rinse under cold running water. Clean thoroughly. Slice thinly crosswise and set aside. Prepare bouquet garni by placing bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme together in a small piece of cheesecloth. Bundle and tie with string. Set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add the chopped leeks and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved bouquet garni, chicken stock, potatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are falling apart.
Remove the bouquet garni. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender. Secure lid tightly and place towel over lid for extra protection. Stir in milk and adjust to taste. Serve immediately with a big dollop of yogurt and chopped parsley/chives.
I’m a city-dweller suffering from a severe lack of farmer’s markets. Of necessity I buy my produce from a supermarket – packaged-up, over-priced and often passed its best days. These are beautiful photos, they really capture the charm of a small local market. Jealous… very jealous! :)
What beautiful pictures! I wish I could do my grocery shopping from somebody at Persephone’s Farm, on a sunny farmer’s market.. and a classical Vichy Soisse is always good, isn’t it!
how we miss taking the ferries to the islands…you guys are in such an enviable place! great recipes and photos as always!
What a lovely soup! A delicious combo!
Great shots too!
Cheers,
Rosa
Your post is a feast for the eyes, for the soul… L♥ve the suggested music pairing & the ‘life’ in all the pictures. Did you bake the bread too?
Thank you… I’ve got a really happy feeling. Glad I saw Aran’s tweet!!
This is my favorite kind of meal and the photos are breathtaking. I grew up pulling leeks from my grandparents garden and these photos are taking me back to that moment.. And that smell.
thank you, deeba! and yes, i baked the bread too. a simple irish brown soda bread was requested.
what a sweet and lovely memory, aran!
This is one of my favourite soups. Your husband has good taste. That is a beautiful bunch of radishes. I make a cake using those same sweet potatoes.
You give our garden potatoes reason to sing with purpose! What a beautiful post.
You captured the feel of the market so beautifully here and the recipe looks scrumptious. Thank you for sharing.
Soup looks heavenly!! gorgeous pictures!
Your photos are absolutely stunning. It looks like it was a wonderful trip to the farmers market. It’s funny, I just made potato leek soup yesterday, as well. It’s such good comfort food.
On this snowy New York day your pictures are making me long for Summer….or at least Spring.
Amazing photography! Just picked up some local-grown potatoes and leeks, without really knowing what I was going to do with them. Kismet!
ok, its official – I want to come visit your little island and its farmer’s market! That selection of potatoes alone would be worth the trip. I may not be Irish but my celtic blood (welsh & english) love a leek & potato soup!
Last summer all the veggies from our CSA (garden share) were grown within city limits (a 6 mile radius) and there is something so amazing about eating food from a close proximity, in season and with a personal connection to those who grew it.
Anyways, enjoy your soup – I bet it goes well with the irish soda bread you made the other night;)
xo
Beautiful photos, as always! I love potato and leek soup. It is really out of this world and would be perfect in this snow storm, topped with some croutons!
I love our farmers market–it sounds just like yours and combination of lovely produce, local artisans, musicians and ponies for the kids! I love the sounds of this soup too–simple but full of delicious flavor!
First the soup looks delicious…love it…and the pictures are great specially the camel, soooo cute :-)
please do visit, mon ami – we’d love to have you! and you hit the nail on the head – that irish soda bread was indeed the accompaniment. perfect for dipping.
now that you mention it, the pony sure does look like a camel, juliana!
Mmmm this looks beautiful. And I LOVE the pony :)
Heaven knows I love a good potato. What a fantastic post, the intro about the local farmers made me beam. I remember going on holiday to West Virginia and seeing stalls on the side of the road where farmers, literally popped out of their homes and sold their produce. I’ve never shopped so much fruit and veg on holiday like I did then! Enviable.
That soup is brilliant – and THANK you for the music pairing..I keep saying, your meal is only as good as the music you listen to when making it..at least that bodes true for me.
saer
I’m longing for some soup and your sweet smile as I sit in seat 7f.
Love you, your hubbie.
Thanks for showing the market pics, really beautiful. The recipe sounds tasty, I love leek and potato together, especially when it’s in a soup.
Giao, I went to the West Seattle farmer’s market this past Sunday and saw NOTHING approaching the beauty of the Bainbridge market. Time to check that out!! I love that your gorgeous soup has so little dairy in it. I usually think potato leek soups are way too creamy, yours is perfect.
Lucky, lucky! Our closest farmers market doesn’t open until May! I wish it were year round. I like the pony picture :) And this soup sounds fantastic!
wow, great, great photography. Love farmers markets :)
Is your tiny island Bainbridge Island? If so, I just visited for my first time and really really liked what I saw. I was visiting Seattle and took a ferry to Bainbridge Island. I’ll definitely be back. Enjoy your market & your lovely soup!
Gorgeous pics–my heart swells for potatoes and leeks! And farmer’s markets. And soup. Wonderful.
I want a bowl of this soup right now! Do you ship? Your photos are lovely!
One of the few things we can still get fresh here in New England is potatoes) Thanks to root cellars). I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. It looks amazing!
I love this post! I just found your blog today and I am so excited to try these recipes!! I am so happy to find a blog that is so beautifully put together with such an interesting and conscious take on food. Thank yoU!
You have some gorgeous produce there. I love going to the farmer’s market. I feel alive visiting such a place.
The photos are amazing. And those vegetables are gorgeous. Makes me smile.
My goodness I love your blog, I don’t comment enough but there you have it.
The pictures are gorgeous and I always want to visit the island and sit in your kitchen with you every time I read a post. I’m French so the farmer’s market is a place I love so, and it’s miserably cold right now so I could really do with a bowl of that potato and leek soup.
What a lovely, hearty soup, just perfect for this freezing weather. You inspired me. I have two leeks at home. I think this soup would make a delicious dinner tonight. Beautiful photographs!
wow… these pictures are so gorgeous and fresh! nice post my dear ~
This was a touch of Spring for me. Just what was needed. Thank you.
This potato leek soup looks divine!
living in seattle we are blessed with a huge bounty of potatoes each winter! I have several that need to be used so I think this recipe is the ticket! beautiful!
Your photos, your homemade recipes, your stories behind both are what make me look forward to visiting your site. You should be listed in the top 50 food blogs. Thank you for bringing this bit of loveliness for us to enjoy…
Magazine-worthy photography!!! What a soup!
Really don’t know where to start because your post is a visual delight! All those potatoes would have given me so many ideas!
(And who was your friend with the braided hair?)
Farmer’s Markets are the absolute best. I’m so lucky to live in Florida where we have access to them all year round. You can almost plan your week’s menu just wandering around.
Your potato/leek soup recipe looks marvelous. And the Irish Soda Bread is a perfect match.
gorgeous, gorgeous photos! makes me yearn for our local farmer’s market this spring!
This soup sounds so good! I love potato soup. In fact, it might be one of my favorite way to eat potatoes. Your soup looks so creamy and wonderful!
Stopping by your blog is always such a treat. This is no exception.
what gorgeous images! and it’s a fantastic and tempting recipe too–i imagine leftovers would indeed be divine.
now, where can i get a pony like that? :)
As always your photos blow me away. I think its my Irish roots but that soup is calling my name – I feel a pull and with some lovely Irish Soda bread – well we’re talking perfection here.
This soup is one of our favorites, too — so simple, so good, entirely beyond the sum of its parts. But to be honest, it’s the pictures that steal the show here! Just stunning.
Oh, these photos are breathtaking!! So vibrant, clear and inspiring. How cute is that pony!!
This soup looks great. The farmers market is the perfect spot to find the freshest ingredients. I am currently reviewing the book Earth to Table (post should be up by the end of the week.) Excellent book about buying local produce from hard working farmers…..and the recipes and photos, truly amazing.
ok, is that a real horse? Kinda looks like a cute little stuffed animal. Or it could be the cutest horse I’ve ever seen. Those yams are also pretty insane. Incredible photos, wow…
I always love photographs from the market. The soup looks delicious but I am going to have to wait till it gets a bit cooler before I make any soup! I am holding a recipe contest on my blog and I really hope you participate!
I love potato leek soup! I will definitely try this version. Great photography!
therockymountainwoman.com
Amazing pictures!! And you made my favorite soup!
Need to visit a farmers market really really soon.
Can it please just stop snowing outside my window first …
hi, i’m a big fan of you blog and obviasly of your fantastic recipes.
Can you please, tell me what camera do u use… i love the way your make your pictures.
congratulations..
mica
wow. great photos. i love picking up things at the farmer’s market and making a big soup with them on the weekend, especially in the winter. thanks for sharing :)
Great ingredients and photos!
Did you go to the market with that soup in mind, or did you wonder around, see the ingredients and then decide to make the soup?
Hi Paul, I let the market and produce do my recipe/meal planning for me. It’s more fun that way and guarantees I’m eating seasonal produce, when they’re at their peak.
I just found you via Design*Sponge and I can’t get over how gorgeous your blog is! This recipe looks so lovely too.. perfect for the cold weather these days! Love, love the combination of potato and leek. I’m gonna have to try these next time I go to the market!
I made this soup the other day and it is absolutely delicious!!! My whole family loved it! Thank you so much for the recipe! Unfortunately my blender broke down when I tried to use it (haha just my luck) but I managed to puree by a whisk hahah I can’t wait to make this again (with a blender this time. ) Thanks again :)
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Desiree! Hopefully, the blender will be on better behavior for you next time!
Oh. My. Gosh. That horse picture. I *love* it. Your photography is to die for, and I’m psyched to have found your blog!
The thyme does is all. I love this soup becuase it can be eaten chilled in summer as well.
Lovely pictures. I, too, love farmers markets. There are not enough of them here in Canada. Thankfully, there are farms that, sort of, take care of the problem: http://majology.mymaj.net/?p=464
I’m making your soup tomorrow. Thank you so much for this splendid suggestion.
I love all your photos… amazing! unfortunately in Florida Farmer’s markets are not very popular and whenever there is one is usually seasonal…
this soup is making me drolll!!!!!!!!!!!! yummmmmmmmmmmm!!! love the shots btw :D
G this looks beautiful — I absolutely adore the pictures you took at the market, especially one of the cute baby horse (or mule?) :) I really enjoy going to the farmer’s market and talking personally to the farmers about their produce and just their backgrounds in general — I always say it’s important to know where your food is coming from. Breathtaking post, thank you for sharing :)
[…] out this recipe, story, and photographs of “Market Day Soup“ Posted in Blogging, Dishes, Recipes, foodies | Tags: Blogging, food photography, food […]
Gorgeous pictures! And when I realized you live on Bainbridge Island, that made it ten times better! I live in Silverdale and had no idea you guys had such a great farmer’s market-looks ten times better then the one in Gig Harbor off of the freeway. I’ll definitly be checking it out sometime!
This was an incredible recipe! So simple yet so delicious! Please post more! =) Thank you.
[…] go with it, I made this Market Day Potato and Leek Soup from one of my favorite food blogs, Kiss My Spatula. Her blog is beautiful and inspiring and chock […]
How cute! love the music too – U-2!
So good to see such a great, great blog. I really enjoyed your sense of humor and cooking sense. Looking forward to making this and a few other of your recipes.
Happy Spring in Washington.
Kathleen
What a wonderful farm experience, at least as seen through the photos you posted. They are beautiful shots, all of them. Love seeing the sliced leeks in the bowl. Such freshness, such a look of springtime. The soup looks divine. I’ll take a cup!
[…] is Kiss My Spatula’s Market Day Soup. Complete with music pairing. [She does this with all her recipes. Such a great idea, because […]