The soup was easy. There are many variations of the leek soup. This one (minus the fennel) results in a mild-flavored but very satisfying concoction. (Throwing in a can of tomatoes would spice things up.)
- olive oil
- 1-2 leeks
- 1-2 potatoes
- broth
- watercress
The salad took the most work. Inspired by The soul of a chef, I tried the "roasted beet salad with horseradish vinaigrette" mentioned in it (minus the truffle oil). Basically, you roast beets (both red and golden) in the oven for 30+ minutes, peel and slice them, top with watercress and dress with:
- 4 ounces olive oil
- 3 ounces rice vinegar
- 3 tbps grated horseradish
- 2 tbps orange juice
- salt & pepper to taste
It worked. But... next time I'd cool the beets properly (e.g. overnight) and make less vinaigrette (the recipe as stated serves four). Also, I am curious how the chef plates it because as described in the book the arrangement of beets (in alternating colors) isn't visible under the greenery.
Since the oven was already hot for the beets, I baked some fingerling potatoes, which were starting to sprout in the pantry.