4 tablespoons butter
2 cups shredded cabbage
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1 pound leeks (white and pale green parts only), washed and chopped
5 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
salt and ground white pepper to taste
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups half and half
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the cabbage, potatoes, and leeks, cover, and cook over medium heat until slightly tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the stock or broth and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and prcess until smooth. (To make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)

Return the puree to the same saucepan over medium heat and whisk in the half-and-half. Heat through over medium heat. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with the parsley.

Notes:
Probably I’ll serve this with shredded old cheddar cheese as Mecandes loves it over any sort of potato soup. If today wasn’t a Friday in Lent, I’d also sprinkle some bacon bits over the top with the parsley.

Tonight I’m also trying these recipes I found on allrecipes.com - Irrestible Irish Soda Bread and Gooey Brownies with Shortbread Crust.

In case you’re in the market for a cookbook, Mecandes got me this one just after we got married. A gift right after he bought me The Joy of Cooking… Irish food is that high on the agenda. No recipe I’ve tried from this book has failed. They’re all delicious. The ingredients can sometimes be a tad on the gourmet side – most of the recipes are from famous chefs, doing their interpretation of classic recipes – but substitution has worked for me. I do my best with what is available and it hasn’t diminished our enjoyment of the food. The spirit of your cooking and your love is, after all, what’s most important.

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or large pot. Cook tightly covered on high heat or simmer over a very low flame for 5 to 6 hours. Serves 4 to 6.

Notes:
I never thought that my kids would eat this, but it passes because the potatoes and sausage. They don’t even seem to notice the cabbage… somehow. {shrug} Ya just don’t ask questions when your kids eat cabbage without complaining. Though personally, that amount of cabbage is a little much. I tend to use a little less than one half of a large head of cabbage. Oh, and I think I double the stock proportion. But you give it a try and see what ya think.

For the meatballs:
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoon minced onion

In medium bowl, combine beef to onion and shape into small meatballs. Bake 350 for 20-25 minutes.

12 cup chicken broth
2 cup spinach, chopped fine
1 cup dry small pasta
¾ cup diced carrots
prepared meatballs
dash of onion and garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

In large stockpot, heat broth to boiling and stir in everything else, except pasta. Cook pasta separately and add in at the end. Simmer soup for 30 minutes. Add pasta and cook for 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

Notes:
When soups call for gigantic amounts of broth, I have one of two strategies. If I have some homemade stock, I prefer to do half stock and half chicken soup base. But if not, it’s all chicken soup base. Though I buy a brand from a health food store with no added salt or MSG. Otherwise, be careful on the salt!

One plus of this soup is that it stirs up very quickly. But don’t let that deter you from letting it simmer and giving that wonderful smell to the house. However long you bloop it, just be sure to put the pasta end at the end or it will get way too bloated.

Oh, and on the spinach… when I was growing kale in the garden, I substituted it for the spinach. No one noticed. And don’t be afraid to toss another chopped onion or some celery in either. If there’s one way that I cook like my mother, it’s in soups. She, when cooking anything, would open up the cupboard and you would never know what might be lurking in tonight’s jambalaya or “homemade” spaghetti sauce. Thankfully, I didn’t inherit that trait except in this one area of soups which to me are by definition completely fair game for “What’s in the fridge and needs to get eaten? ”

4 tablespoons butter
2 lbs. boiling potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 lb. leeks, (white and pale green parts) washed and sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, sliced
5 cups homemade chicken stock or canned low-salt broth
2 1/2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
salt and ground white pepper to taste
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the vegetables, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock or broth, 1/2 cup of the milk, the bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Discard bay leaf, and let the soup cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor in batches and process until smooth. (To make ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.)

To serve immediately, heat the puree in a sacuepan over medium heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups milk. Heat through, ladle the soup into bowls, and swirl int 1 tablespoon half and half into each serving. Sprinkle with the chives.

Notes:
1. The leeks I gleaned from last summer’s garden were not extraordinarily white, but I use them in this soup. The flavour is still there, however the final product isn’t very white. Oh well.

2. Heat slowly – it has tendency to stick. Freezes well. Sour cream could be substituted for the half and half or it could be left out all together. Mecandes likes grated cheddar on top instead.