Vichyssoise.

This was the first time I had a word pop into my head that I didn't even know how to pronounce. Vichyssoise.

Turns out it is a cold soup of sorts. Apparently, my subconscious wants me to make this!

From Wikipedia:
Vichyssoise (pronounced /ˌvɪʃiːˈswɑːz/ US dict: vi·shē·swäz′) is a thick soup made of puréed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. It is traditionally served cold, but can also be eaten hot.

So I pulled up a recipe from Allrecipes.com. (I tend to like using this recipe site. Also foodnetwork.com--I love Alton Brown recipes and Ina Garten recipes!)

*http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/vichyssoise/detail.aspx

*http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/leek-potato-soup/44627.html  ---This link is to an Alton Brown video. It shows the process and I used a mixture of his recipe and the one from Allrecipes.

Ingredients I used:

*4 leeks (they were pretty thin) (see the Alton Brown link for the chopping process)
*Yukon Gold potatoes (I used a little over a pound but I think it may have been too much)
*3 Tbsp butter
*4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth)
*1 cup cream
*1 cup half and half
*salt and pepper

-Sweat leeks with salt in 4qt pot on medium low heat 15 mins. Every recipe I found stressed the importance of NOT letting them brown.
-Add chopped potatoes and chicken broth
-Bring to boil then quickly reduce heat to a simmer
-Simmer 30 mins or until potatoes are soft
-Pour into a blender and puree until smooth
-Stir in cream and half and half.
-Serve cold or hot

I dug up some fresh Yukon gold potatoes from my Grandma Zimmerman's garden what we helped plant earlier this summer. They are delicious! Smooth and buttery. Great for vichyssoise.

I also served the soup with some slices of bratwurst made locally (Redneck brand) to make it a heartier meal.

The general consensus was that my vichyssoise was a hit! Everyone liked it. But then again, that was all they would  get for dinner... so they had to eat it. :)

I, however, was conflicted. I would recommend eating it warm because the soup got kind of a 'skin' as it cooled.

I used too much potato and tipped the balance of flavors. It should have had a more developed leek flavor.

Either way, I just love the process. Enjoy your vichyssoise!