Celery Root & Leek Soup
Danielle French, a creative chef and the owner of South Pond Farms in the Kawartha Lakes area of Ontario, about 75 minutes from Toronto, has shared a favorite soup recipe that eases the chill of autumn. With its deeply rich celery taste, this hearty and creamy soup has a pure vegetable flavor. Danielle suggests serving the soup with a crusty bread (in the Toronto area, the Blackbird Baking Company has a prominent spot in our craft bakery directory) and a glass of white wine.
South Pond Farms, a popular venue for weddings with its picturesque barn, fields and pond, offers a lunch table open to the public on Wednesdays during May to September and a four course supper on the last Thursdays of the month from May to October. In addition, brunches with classical music are regularly scheduled throughout the year; cooking classes and workshops drawing together artisanal food, art and culture are also offered at the farm.
1 T butter or olive oil
In a heavy saucepan, melt the fat and add the leeks. Turn the heat to medium low and sauté the leeks until tender about 10 minutes.
Add the celery root, pear and chicken broth and bring to a boil. (Celery root and apple is also a great combination and an apple can be substituted for the pear in this recipe; Early macs or cortlands are a good apple variety to use.) Simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the celery root is tender and then add the parsley.
Turn the heat off and let cool slightly. Purée the soup with a blender or hand-held immersion blade until smooth.
Season with pepper and salt to taste. Serve with a dollop of cream or yogurt (in Ontario, Best Baa Dairy Yogurts is included in our farmstead and artisinal yogurt directory).
This simple soup of celery root and leek is delicious with just these two special ingredients with the celery root lending creaminess and depth of flavor, but this recipe can also be used as a soup base to which other vegetables are added. For example, increase the broth component by 1 – 2 cups and add 2 cups of diced carrots or squash.
[Editor’s note: We take special pleasure to promote opportunities for a diner to enjoy a meal at a farm.
In addition to our listing of South Pond Farms in the dining directory for Ontario, our dining listings include a number of listings worth special attention: In the Vermont dining directory, Cloudland Farm in North Pomfret (Windsor County); in the New Hampshire dining directory, the Hilltop Café at the Temple Wilton Community farm, one of the oldest CSAs in the country in Wilton (Hillsborough County), and Ariana’s Restaurant at Bunken Farm in Orford (Grafton County); in the Maine dining directory, Flanagan’s Table in Buxton (York County), Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport (Cumberland County) and Graze at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester (Cumberland County); in the Massachusetts dining directory, Just Right Farm in Plympton (Plymouth County); in the New York dining directory, Dancing Ewe in Granville (Washington County), Fable at Stone & Thistle Farm in East Meredith (Delaware County) and the Bees Knees Café at Heather Ridge Farm in Preston Hollow (Albany County); in the Virginia dining directory, The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm in Lovettsville (Loudon County); in the Ohio dining directory, the Malabar Farm Restaurant in Lucas (Richmond County); in the Indiana dining directory, The Loft Restaurant in Zionsville (Boone County); in the California dining directory, Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena (Napa County); and in the Arizona dining directory, The Farm at South Mountain offers 3 dining options, The Farm Kitchen, Morning Glory Café and Quiessence in Phoenix. FWB]
