Leek and Potato Soup

While I'm thinking about soup...the other Sunday I made leek and potato soup with leeks from my Dad's garden.  This how I did it.  I do hope, incidentally, that anyone who reads this doesn't think that I think I've invented something new when I post about things I cook...I know that everything I make has been made thousands of times already and that most people reading will know how to do it...I just like posting about it!

Anyway, leek and potato soup.  I chopped all the leeks I had.  Being home-grown they smelt delicious and onion-y, quite unlike the ones you get from the supermarket.  I must grow leeks in my garden at the soonest possible opportunity...I then chopped three medium sized potatoes.  I use roughly the same weight of potatoes as leeks, as I like a thick soup. 

Then I melted some butter on a low heat.  This is my splendid soup/casserole pot.  It's brilliant for making large batches of things.

Then I added the leeks and the potatoes and let them sweat for five minutes or so. 

Then I added one pint of chicken stock and one pint of water.

Then I brought my soup to the boil, turned down the heat, let it simmer for half an hour or so...then it was time to play with my new toy!!!  Mum bought it for me and it is VERY exciting.

It makes lovely, chunky soup and takes much less washing up than the liquidising jug on my Kenwood.

While I was making my soup, I had the most beautiful view of our next-door neighbour's flowering currant tree...

...and I was acompanied by an attention-seeking cat.