Potato Soup

Too much month at the end of the money? LOTS of potatoes and turnips lying around from a CSA box or your garden? Or simply lingering because they last so long, you can afford to save them for the end of the grocery week?

I used up lots of my Colvin CSA potatoes and turnips in this simple, delicious soup. It's a basic potato soup that is kid-friendly, makes a lot, and is fairly inexpensive. There is time spent on the front end peeling and chopping and braising, but after that, it's fairly straightforward. It reheats fine, too.

Potato Soup
~based on techniques from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Simply in Season, and Joy of Cooking

• 2 pounds potatoes
• 1-1 1/4 pounds young white turnips
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 6 T. butter
• 3 bay leaves
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups milk
• garnishes: bacon bits, chopped fresh parsley, shredded cheese

1. Start onions slow cooking over medium heat in 2-3 tablespoons butter.
2. Peel and roughly chop potatoes and turnips. Blanch turnips in boiling water for 6 minutes. Drain.
3. Add chopped potatoes and bay leaves to cooking onions and stir/cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are starting to brown and soften slightly.
4. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in large skillet. Add turnips and 1 cup chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer (covered) until turnips are tender, 10-12 minutes. Note: entire turnips recipe can be made ahead of time and just added in when the puree step comes.
5. When potatoes have browned slightly, add 1 cup chicken stock to the pot and deglaze, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Cook and stir for a few minutes. Add remaining 2 cups chicken stock plus enough water to cover potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender.
6. Combine turnips (and juice) with 1/2-2/3 of the potatoes (and some juice) in a food processor. Pulse until mostly pureed but still slightly chunky. Add back to pot with remaining potatoes and stir in milk. Reheat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

~Serves 8