Up for Yesterday and Potato Leek Soup

Remember those peppers I mentioned yesterday? Well, here they are, all jarred up. They're sitting pretty in the refrigerator where they'll keep for several weeks. Yeah. Right. I already enjoyed some with last night's supper and even though all the flavors haven't yet emerged and melded, they're still so freakin' good. But it's nice to know they'll just keep getting better as the days pass.

These are so simple to make and this is the season (in my realm) to enjoy them! I only mentioned them yesterday so I'll make up for that now and share how I make them:

Hot Peppers in Olive Oil

Hot peppers (whatever you like or have on hand)
Sea or kosher salt
Garlic, sliced
Dried oregano, freshly crumbled
Olive oil

Clean and slice your peppers and layer them with salt in a colander. I don't measure the salt, so trust yourself to add just enough to get the peppers to sweat and release their water. Place a plate on top of the colander and weight it down with something (I use a quart canning jar filled with liquid). Make sense? Walk away … to the gardens … to the studio … to wherever delights you. Just a couple-few hours should do it.

Discard the liquid ~ or better yet ~ add it to some tomato puree for a kick-ass Bloody Mary, or soup or stew, or marinade, or whatever, you get the idea.

In a jar of your choosing begin layering the dried oregano, garlic slices and peppers, as much or as little as you like, along with a pinch of added salt with each layer. Continue layering until the jar is full, and gently pour the olive oil over the top until the peppers are covered. I use a chop stick at this point, to prod any air bubbles up and out of the jar. Once you're satisfied that the air is removed, top off with more olive oil to cover, if necessary. Store in the refrigerator for a few days before using so the flavors can release, mesh and meld. Yeah. Right.

My Nono made these and served them with pasta. Morning eggs would be fried in the oil with a few peppers added for interest. I always added more. These are great served alongside pizza, frittata, on bread, with meat, vegetables, pretty much anything. And the oil can be used in salads for a nice kick or in any way you can imagine.

As for today, I thinned my leek bed so that I'll have some nice monsters later in the season. I had exactly six organic potatoes and two quarts of chicken stock in the freezer, so I made this Potato Leek Soup (more or less) for the winter pantry.

And I caught the ladies practicing some formation work. Or so it might appear.

That's what I made today.

Peace.