Leek tops and slow cooked chicken

I always try not to waste food, but until I had spent some time in a kitchen with my French friends and neighbours making a communal charity meal, I never used the green leek tops. I was a chop-em-off and compost them girl! When I tried this at the salle des fêtes kitchen, cries of horror went up all around me and it was explained these would be tidied up, thoroughly washed and added to the vegetable soup to give bulk, but more importantly flavour.

Leek tops

I am now converted. Whether they make their way into a soup or I use them as a flavour bed for a slow-cooked chicken, I never now throw them out (except for the first few outer leaves). This weekend I’ve used them in my slow cooker and they are a gift that keeps on giving. Having flavoured the slow-cooked whole chicken, the leeks were then added to the stockpot with the chicken carcass to make a delicious stock. The stock then became a tasty soup and a base for a risotto using the leftover chicken and the white leeks. There was also enough cooked chicken for a homemade pizza.

Ready for the slow cooker

If you have a slow cooker, here is my tried and tested, perfectly moist chicken.

1 whole free-range chicken

1 onion or three leek tops, finely sliced

1 carrot finely sliced

Herbs and spices of choice

1 glass of wine – I use white or rosé

Enough water to give a liquid level of 2 cm in the bottom

Brown the chicken on all sides in a frying pan to give it some colour.

Place the chopped vegetables in the slow cooker with the glass of wine and then place the chicken on top. If necessary add water to cover the bottom to a depth of 2 cm and add your herbs or spices of choice, season with salt and pepper and then cook on low for about six hours. The chicken will be falling off the bone, but remains deliciously moist. My favourite flavours are cumin and curry powder rubbed into the skin, or parsley sprinkled over plus a few lemon slices added to the cavity or a crushed garlic and herb rub, but the possibilities are endless. This is a great dish if you want to spend the afternoon in the garden or out on your bikes.

Courgette Soup

I have had a lot of recent requests for my courgette (zucchini) soup recipe, as it seems I am not the only one with a potager glut at the moment, so here it is. Bon Apetit!

Freshly picked and ready for the soup pot

Courgette Soup

Sauté a finely chopped onion and 1 tsp of cumin seeds in some olive oil or butter, add 1 or 2 cloves of garlic and then add the diced courgettes (however many you have). Season with salt and pepper, 1 tsp each of ground turmeric and fennel and then just cover either with chicken or vegetable stock and simmer until the courgettes are tender. The great thing about soup is that anything goes, if you don’t like some of my spice choices, or you want some extra heat from a chilli then go right ahead. I always use a homemade chicken stock and find this with the courgettes makes a creamy soup that is more than thick enough for me, but if you want to add a potato to give more body please do. This recipe can also be used with butternut squash, pumpkin or any other member of the squash family.

A winter warmer

 When cooked and cooled a little, blend until smooth. This soup can be served warm or chilled and also freezes very well. In the winter I love to add a generous sprinkling of grated cheese to warm soup for a comforting lunch, but in the summer a chilled bowl with a swirl of natural yoghurt, or some finely diced fresh tomatoes and basil leaves sprinkled on top makes a very refreshing meal. For something a bit special a poached egg added to either the hot or cold soup is also delicious. I love to serve my walnut bread with this soup.

For me this humble courgette soup is something very important. I love everything about growing courgettes from germination through to harvest, they fascinate me and being able to make something so simple, tasty and healthy during the summer that I freeze for winter is superb. Our winters can be very cold and the warmth of a soup for lunch plus the positive memories of warmer days and good harvests keeps my winter blues away.

This recipe is featured in FrenchEntrée's 100 French recipes to celebrate 100 issues of FrenchEntrée magazine.

Cooking to cure a cold

Despite the occasional blast of warmth, blue sky and sunshine so far May has been Grey. 

Grey May Go Away. 

I have had enough and due to this weather I now need your sympathy, as I have not one poorly male with a cold, but two poorly males with colds! Poor me, I know, but I have been trying my best to make my favourite tried and trusted remedies to get them back on top form asap.

The first thing I always turn to is my Nan Elizabeth’s fresh juice with honey. Nan lived with us when I was a child, which although had it’s benefits, having three generations under one roof wasn’t easy all the time!  What it did mean was that when we were poorly Nan was there, and let’s face it we all know you get more sympathy from your grandparents than your parents, so I had no complaints. Whatever ailed us Nan would make her freshly squeezed lemon, orange and honey drink, in a large light brown Tupperware jug, so 1970’s. The jug would sit on the kitchen counter and we would be encouraged to help ourselves throughout the day. As a child the juice seemed to magically stay warm and the jug full, but that is probably just my memory playing tricks with me. Whenever the sniffles hit now I make Nan’s juice, but sadly I don’t have a Tupperware jug to keep it in. Packed full of vitamin C and good local honey there is something very comforting about this childhood drink that must be good for you, Nan said so.

Bright vibrant colours

In a 500ml (one pint) jug add 4 teaspoons of honey to the juice of one lemon and two oranges and top up with boiling water. Drink regularly, warm if possible.

The second remedy I like to make is my spicy chicken stock soup. I’m sure chicken stock has magical healing powers and it is light and easy on the stomach, so perfect for when you are poorly. The added garlic, onions, turmeric and chilli are all good for you too, especially when you have a cold. The one I made today certainly blasted through my sinuses and gave them a good clear out.

Spicy chicken soup

Two onions, thinly sliced

Lots of garlic, thinly sliced

Two fresh chillies, I left the seeds in but do whatever you prefer

2 teaspoons of Turmeric

500ml (1 pint) of chicken stock, homemade from boiling a carcass if possible

500ml (1 pint) of water

2 handfuls of fine angel hair pasta

Sauté the onions, garlic, chillies and turmeric in a little olive oil until the onions are soft. Add the liquids and bring to the boil, then add the pasta and simmer until cooked. Serve with sympathy. ps I’m not very good at that bit!