I am running a day late for French Fridays with Dorie because we have a sick girl in the house. I had to pick my daughter up from school early yesterday; it seems she has a cold. My poor little girl is so congested! Unfortunately my husband and I are not feeling optimistic about our own health, but so far neither one of us is ready to admit we have the cold too.
We will be discussing two FFWD recipes today: Hélène’s All-White Salad and Leek and Potato Soup (a make-up from the early days). Let’s start with the salad!
Hélène’s All-White Salad
When Dorie’s friend Hélène opened up a restaurant, she created a bunch of “color-themed” salads. The all-white salad was Dorie’s favorite. It contains celery, apples, mushrooms, and Napa cabbage, tossed with a yogurt-based vinaigrette.
This one had mixed results in my house. I thought it was fine, and would eat it if it were given to me, but I probably won’t make it again. My daughter doesn’t usually eat salads, but I gave her some as an experiment. She picked out all the apples. My husband declared after one bite, “I won’t be eating this one again”!
I think I would have liked this one better with a different type of apple. The Granny Smiths were too tart for my taste. Also, my dressing was a little bitter.
Leek and Potato Soup
The Leek and Potato Soup fared better. The French Fridays group made this one early on and it had received mixed reviews. I read some of the old entries to figure out what people didn’t like about it, and how I could make sure it was a success for us. Very helpful!
I didn’t change much. The main issue is that Dorie tends to like thinner soups. Leek and Potato seems like it should be a bit heartier, so I reduced the liquid by 2 cups (I used 3 cups broth & 2 cups milk vs. the 4 cups/3 cups called for). Also, I didn’t have whole milk, so I used half 1% milk and half heavy cream. The cream definitely added a nice richness to the soup!
This soup can be served chunky or smooth, with any number of toppings. I chose smooth, blending it with my immersion blender and leaving it slightly chunky. For dinner the first night, I topped it with Gruyère cheese and bacon. Everything tastes better with bacon! For lunch the next day, I just used Gruyère and chopped parsley.
I am so glad I had the wisdom of the Dorista’s who made this before me! We enjoyed the soup and I would definitely make it again with my changes.
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This post participates in French Fridays with Dorie, and online group cooking our way through Dorie Greenspan’s book Around My French Table. We don’t share recipes, but I encourage you to get this wonderful book!