This from the Norwich, VT Wunderground.com site, just now.

Temperature
5.9 °F
Feels Like 6 °F

Completely ridiculous.

But totally chilly.

Soup is perfect for a frigid day like today.

I love potato-leek soups. This one stands out because the vegetables are roasted first and there is white wine, arugula and Parmesan added. The crispy shallots are a lovely, elegant touch.

Creamy, comforting and delicious, make this soup when you want to warm up.

I served the Curried Ham Crescent Rolls alongside the soup just because I had been meaning to try the recipe for ages. They are the most interesting little bundles of flavor. Creamy curried meat filling studded with raisins and cashews. Divine served with mango chutney.

Roasted Potato Leek Soup

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
4 chopped leeks, white and light green parts,
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups baby arugula, lightly packed
1/2 cup dry white wine, plus extra for serving
6 to 7 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces crème fraÎche
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish
Crispy Shallots (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400℉.

2. Combine the potatoes and leeks on a sheet pan in a single layer. Add the olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Roast for 40 to 45 minutes, turning them with a spatula a few times during cooking, until very tender.

3. Add the arugula and toss to combine. Roast for 4 to 5 more minutes, until the arugula is wilted. Remove the pan from the oven and place over 2 burners. Stir in the wine and 1 cup of the chicken stock and cook over low heat, scraping up any crispy roasted bits sticking to the pan.

4. In batches, transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor, adding the pan liquid and about 5 cups of the chicken stock to make a purée. Pour the purée into a large pot or Dutch oven. Continue to purée the vegetables in batches until they’re all done and combined in the large pot. Add enough of the remaining 1 to 2 cups of stock to make a thick soup. Add the cream, crème fraÎche, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and check the seasonings.

5. When ready to serve, reheat the soup gently and whisk in 2 tablespoons white wine and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Serve hot with an extra grating of Parmesan and crispy shallots.

Serves 8

Crispy Shallots

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

Directions:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat until it reaches 220℉ on a candy thermometer.

2. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes, until they are a deep golden brown. The temperature should stay below 260℉. (I didn’t use a thermometer, because I was lazy. I just kept my eye on the shallots as they cooked and adjusted the heat as necessary so they did not cook too fast or burn.) Stir the shallots occasionally to make sure they brown evenly.

3. Remove shallots from the oil with a slotted spoon, drain well, and spread out to cool on paper towels. Once they have dried and crisped, they can be stored at room temperature, covered, for several days.

Makes about 1/2 cup

Recipes from Barefoot Contessa Back To Basics by Ina Garten

Curried Ham Crescent Rolls

Ingredients:

1 (4.25-oz.) can deviled ham (The original recipe calls for chicken spread, but I had the deviled ham on hand.)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup coarsely chopped salted cashews
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1 (8-oz) can Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
Mango chutney, to serve

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375°F.

2. In small bowl, combine ham, raisins, cashews and curry powder; mix well.

3. Separate dough into 8 triangles. Spoon about 1 tablespoon ham mixture on shortest side of each triangle. Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle and rolling to opposite point. Place rolls, point side down, on ungreased cookie sheet; curve into crescent shape.

4. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes. Serve topped with chutney.

Makes 8

Recipe slightly adapted from Pillsbury.com

Meursault sat at the top spots in my favorite songs list of 2012. I could have put every song from ‘Something For The Weakened’ on my list, but I wanted to share the love with my other favorite musicians.

Settling was number two on my favorite list, but only made it to 42 on The Contrast Podcast Festive Fifty for 2012. (Have a listen to the podcast here.)

I soooo wish I could have been at this show last fall.

Check out Meursault on the band’s Website, where you can link to buy the music.

Cheers!