Food Issue - Recipe: Leek and Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke) Soup

Ingredients for soup

1 stick of butter

10 medium-sized leeks rinsed clean and chopped (green trimmed for stock)

1 3/4 lbs. sunchoke, with skins and rinsed

1 entire garlic bulb, peeled and sliced

1/2 lb. Georgia Crispin or Rome apples, peeled, cored and cubed

1 cup of any Georgia chardonnay

Ingredients for stock

Leek greens

1 bunch cilantro

Kale stems

1 bulb garlic sliced in half

4 carrots

1 bunch parsley

2 jalapeños

1 bunch sorrel

1 gallon of distilled water

For the stock:

• Prepare ahead of time by placing all ingredients in a stock pot. Bring to a boil.

• Let simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat, allowing cooked ingredients to rest in pot until stock is ready for use (I suggest an hour later).

For the soup: • Sauté the leeks, garlic and apples with butter for 15 minutes at a low temperature in a heavy soup pot.

• Chop sunchoke in small 1/2-inch slices and add immediately to soup pot after slicing (they tend to oxidize quickly).

• Continue to sauté for 5-10 minutes, turning frequently, and mixing in soup pot. Raise heat slightly until vegetables are dry and stick to the bottom of the pan.

• Deglaze adding chardonnay in 1/4-cup portions until absorbed, still turning and tossing frequently.

• Add the drained stock and raise temperature to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 30-40 minutes until all is tender enough to emulsify with hand blender or regular blender.

• Puree as fine as possible. Serve with a room temperature dollop of Sweet Grass Dairy Fromage Blanc.

• Serves 8.

David recommends local Georgia salted butter sold at Sevananda. Sunchokes, leeks, garlic, sorrel, cilantro and parsley found at the Decatur (Wed.), East Atlanta (Thurs.) or Piedmont Park (Sat.) farmers markets at Green Leaf Farms stand (farmer Greg Brown). Jalapeños from Emeka at the Decatur Farmers Market. Apples and wine found at the Your DeKalb Farmers Market.