Stuck inside? Try this tasty soup!

If the weather has you stuck inside with some time on your hands, try creating this delicious soup! This recipe is from our French Cooking Series, adapted from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)
Serves Six

INGREDIENTS
3 to 4 cups or 1 pound peeled potatoes, sliced or diced
3 cups or 1 pound thinly sliced leeks including the tender green (you can substitute yellow onions if you don't have leeks)
2 quarts water
1 tablespoon sa4 to 6 tablespoons whipping cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter
2 to 3 tablespoons minced parsley or chives

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
2. Mash the vegetables together in the soup with a fork, potato masher, or similar utensil, or pass the soup through a food mill.

3. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

4. Set aside uncovered until just before serving. When you're ready to finish the soup, reheat to a simmer.

5. Turn off the heat and just before serving stir in the cream or the butter by spoonfuls until you reach your desired consistency.

6. Pour into a tureen or soup bowls and sprinkle with the herbs.

ENJOY!

Our next FRENCH COOKING WORKSHOP begins April 7! Reserve your spot soon - the seats sell out quickly!

About our French Cooking Workshop, inspired by Julia Child:

In this series we'll be exploring the world of French cuisine using recipes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child. At the end of this six-class workshop you will have hours of practice in basics like knife skills, sanitation, classic cooking methods, product identification, seasoning, proper use of herbs, and of course - extensive practice of traditional French techniques and plating principles!

During each session we'll create classic recipes from the book, then an authentic French dish with a modern twist.

WEEK ONE: Preparing Hot & Cold Hors d'Oeuvres
Sample Menu
Fonds D'Artichauts au Gratin (Stuffed Artichokes au Gratin)
Petits Choux au Fromage (Cheese Puffs)
Rilette de Saumon (Salmon Rilettes)

WEEK TWO: Preparing Classic Sauces
Sample MenuBechamel Sauce
Veloute Sauce
Espagnole Sauce
Classic Vinaigrette
Filets de Poisson Gratines, a la Parisienne (Fish Filets Poached in White Wine and Cream)
Baked Chevre Salad with Lavender Vinaigrette)

WEEK THREE: Preparing Hearty Soups
Sample Menu
Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)
Soup au Pistou (Provencal Vegetable Soup with Garlic, Basil, and Herbs)
Forest Mushrooms Consomme with Foie Gras Croutons and Chervil

WEEK FOUR: Preparing & Plating Composed Salads
Sample Menu
Classic Salade Nicoise
Crispy Fried Sea Scallops over Peppercress Tossed in Dijon Champagne Vinaigrette

WEEK FIVE: Seafood Fabrication & Preparations
Sample Menu
Thon a la Provencale (Tuna Steaks with Wine, Tomatoes, and Herbs)
Pan Roasted Halibut over Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Vegetable Fricassee

WEEK SIX: Poultry Fabrications & Preparations
Sample Menu
Poulet au Porto (Roast Chicken Steeped with Port Wine, Cream, and Mushrooms)
Chicken Fricasse with La Fricasse de Champignons Sauvages au Cognac (Fricasse of Wild Mushrooms flambeed in Cognac)

Both Martha Stewart and Ina Garten (of Barefoot Contessa fame) kick started their culinary careers by working through the recipes in the book. The methods and techniques you'll learn will provide a solid foundation of culinary knowledge, and practical applications that will open a new world of possibilities in your kitchen!

Martha and Ina aren't the only ones inspired by Julia. The novel Julie and Julia by Julie Powell is about a woman who, facing a quarter life crisis, makes it her mission to cook every recipe in the book in one year. Soul-stirring revelations (and a lot of kitchen hilarity!) ensue.

If you're in a recipe rut, a skills rut, or even just a life rut, this series is sure to spark a new passion for food and culture that will whet your appetite for richer, fuller life. You may not be the next Juila Child (or maybe you are!), but you'll walk away from this series with a greater appreciation for French food and wine, and the know-how to whip up a mean roast chicken, a perfect Nicoise salad, and more!

Our students creating Creme Brulee, a classic French dessert