Potato Leek Soup

The second in the series is one of my favorites so far, potato leek soup. It has a full, rich flavor and will fill your stomach without any need for a side dish. Plus, I was able to make it with some really great vegetables grown in my Aunt De and Uncle Ron's garden, where they did use composting and did not use synthetic chemicals to grow some really delicious vegetables. I was so excited about these, I took some pictures:

Here, we have the pear-potato.

Next is the impressively-sized garlic bulb that is larger than the palm of my hand.

And here are a number of potatoes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors, coexisting peacefully.

Accompanying the potato diversity and many cloves of garlic in this soup is the leek - in my opinion, one of the most undervalued and best-named vegetables.¹ And so, without further adieu, the recipe:

Superlative soup.

Potato Leek Soup²
(Fills a 2-quart slow cooker, about 3 bowls)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp dried thyme (can substitute fresh thyme)
1 tbsp dried rosemary (can substitute fresh rosemary)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1.5 large or 2-3 small leeks,  chopped
2-4 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1.5 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
5-6 cloves roasted garlic
Whole milk, half & half, or cream, added later

To roast garlic:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the cloves attached. Cut off the top of the bulb so that the cloves are exposed. Cover in (olive) oil, wrap in aluminum foil, and place on baking sheet. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Remove cloves, being sure to separate from the skins.

To make the soup:
Add all but the dairy to the slow cooker, making sure everything is submerged in the broth and water. Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4. For a smooth soup (recommended), put soup and dairy product of your choice into food processor and puree.

(Oh hey, the footnotes:)
1. For example, shouting "I've got a leek!" Also, imagining the scene if this were actually Benny Franklin's quote: "A small leek can sink a great ship."

2. Recipe ganked and modified from here.