best laid plans

perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress

Categories: Soups, Dinner Party, Posted on July 29, 2012 by Sandy Bergsten

My folks arrive in minutes and of course I had a plan in place. Little did I know that Mother Nature had plans of her own. Yesterday at 3:32 PM after trying to outrun a monster thunderstorm I pulled into the garage when bang the lights went out just as the garage door shut. I carefully set down my bottles of Pouilly Fuisse and Bordeaux and felt for the doorknob. It’s a mystery why most of the garages in Dayton are in the basement.

Looking like Jodi Foster in Silence of the Lambs I felt my way up the precarious stairs. When I opened the door I was greeted with a preponderance of fur- my yellow lab has a nervous condition causing her to expel hair when anxious. Great. No power. No refrigerator. No vacuum. Excuse me Mother Nature but MY mother is arriving in less than 24 hours.

Fortunately I had done almost everything ahead of time. Unfortunately all of it was in lockdown in my closed refrigerator and freezer. I found a flashlight, then a swiffer and tried to corral up some of the fur. I looked in the mirror and cursed that earlier that day I thought it would be prudent to wait to shower and wash my hair until the end of the day. Trees cracked and fell. Feeling despondent I took my flashlight, bribed Lucy with a bone and carried my Josephine Bonaparte novel to bed. Under the covers with my flashlight in hand I read about the French Revolution. Certainly I could keep my head while page after page characters were literally loosing theirs. My husband kept calling with updates from his air-conditioned office. Only 358 people had lost power in Montgomery County. Congratulations we were one of them. At six, still in the dark, I cracked open one of the warm bottles Pouilly Fuisse.

The next morning at 5:36 AM I woke with anticipation. The light on the alarm clock was flashing. Hurray we had power and I had no time to waste. I ran down the stairs opened the refrigerator and spotted my chopped leeks and diced potatoes for tonight’s vichyssoise. I had prepped them yesterday morning because at the end of my day, after last minute housekeeping and a shower I was going to whip it together. Best laid plans… I quickly sautéed and simmered then dashed upstairs for a much needed shower. When my husband roused a little after six I called out to have him stir the soup. Here’s how to make vichyssoise- a perfect first course.

vichyssoise 

The key to anything made with leeks is to carefully and completely rinse the grit from the leeks’ many layers. Cut off both the root and just above the light green part and under cool running water separate each of the layers.

vichyssoise

Allow to drain.

vichyssoise

Chop the leeks.

vichyssoise

Because I wanted to complete the soup later in the day I sealed the leeks in a Ziploc bag and placed them in the refrigerator.

vichyssoise

Peel and dice the potatoes.

vichyssoise

If not using right away, cover the potatoes with cool water to prevent discoloring. Drain well before using.

vichyssoise

Sauté the leeks and potatoes over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 2 or 3 minutes. Add the broth and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes.

vichyssoise

With a hand blender carefully puree the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate. This soup is best if made a day ahead of time.

vichyssoise

Stir in the cream before serving.

vichyssoise

For the garnish chop some fresh chives.

vichyssoise

An ideal beginning to dinner, and the perfect start to a wonderful weekend with my parents.

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