Spring Vegetable Soup

Carefully clean and trim a pound of leeks. Slice them very thinly, using the tender green parts as well as the white parts. Throw them in the cauldron.

Add a pound of washed and quartered new potatoes (I used Yukon golds, but reds will do fine).

Add two or three large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into chunks.

Throw in a bunch of fresh asparagus, cut into one inch segments.

Cover with chicken stock and water and drizzle extra virgin olive oil over it.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 40 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender to the fork, puree in small batches in the blender and press through a medium chinois. Enrich with cream, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash (to taste) of white wine vinegar. Return to heat and gently bring back to serving temperature.

Serve with a drizzling of herb infused extra virgin olive oil (finely mince parsley, rue, thyme, savory and a couple of leaves of lovage and steep overnight in a good finishing grade extra virgin olive oil) and garlic rubbed thyme toasts (cut thin rounds of sweet baguette, brush with goose fat or olive oil and toast. Rub with a cut piece of garlic and sprinkle fresh thyme on them. Float them in the soup).