Potatoes possess many charming qualities such as being hearty, readily available, affordable, and mild therefore lending way for countless flavor options and techniques to enhance this starch. My last potato soup was packed with fresh vibrant herbs, today I have chosen celery root, cumin, and lavender as the key components. Lavender tends to scare some people as it is generally thought of as an aromatherapy agent or limited to baked goods. I believe that lavender caries a savory quality that is under-appreciated which adds a floral and slightly sweet flavor to most dishes. It is sometimes paired with sheep's-milk and goat's-milk cheeses. For most cooking applications the dried buds (also referred to as flowers) are used, though some chefs experiment with the leaves as well. Only the buds contain the essential oil of lavender, from which the scent and flavor of lavender are best derived. I have found with this recipe that it works nicely with warm smokey cumin, these two combined allow the rich potato flavor to shine through. You will have your guests asking, "what is that flavor I am tasting" and you can impress them with the answer. A savory biscotti would make an excellent accompaniment for this dish.
Lavender Potato Soup
Ingredients:
3 C potatoes
1 C celery root
1 onion
1 tablespoon butter
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black cumin
1/4 teaspoon lavender
5 C vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
1 purple potato for garnish
Saute chopped onion in butter, add diced celery root, potatoes, spices and bay leaf and saute a few more minutes. Pour stock over vegetables and cook until soft. Remove the bay leaf, puree and season with salt and pepper. For the purple potato, cut into small matchsticks. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees until crispy. Top soup with potato crisps and drizzle with olive oil.
Until tomorrow...Peace.
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