Garden-Fresh Vegetable Soup

It seems like ages since I was able to sit down at my computer to let you know what's cooking. We spent a few great days at the coast with our eating and wine-drinking buddies - see photo. The weather was nice, but a little cool at night, thus all the winter clothing. We stayed in our little Airstream dream and shared dinner responsibilities with our friends. I must say, the food was fantastic, as was the cycling and walking on the beach.

To follow that up Reyn and I rented our favorite vacation house in Yachats, Oregon for another week. You may think that was a nice idea, as did we when we made the reservations, but we were soon proved wrong. September is usually one for the best months for weather on the Oregon Coast. Predictably sunny, warm, and wind free. HA! Not this year. On our first day we enjoyed a long pleasant bike ride up the Yachats River Road, then returned to a heavy fog shrouding the coast. The fog turned into cold wind and rain that stayed with us the rest of the week. Day and night, night and day. Day after day. Really.  As the week went on we watched the passing whales and sea lions, read books, ate too many snacks, and even watched a football game on TV, all the while becoming more and more disappointed and depressed. Not what I think of as my ideal vacation. Thankfully, we have now made it back home. The weather is not perfect here either, but I may never leave home again.

The garden survived our absence and is still producing. It was raining at home while we were gone so unfortunately many of the tomatoes have split. The plants are still producing, and more ripen every day, but we will not have enough to put in the freezer this year. We are still harvesting beans, cucumbers, three kinds of squash, swiss chard, carrots, basil, and several varieties of salad greens. Our first head of cauliflower is ready to be picked, and I have spotted a few broccoli spears. So, it looks like we'll continue to have good, garden-fresh meals for a while. Here is the just-picked inspiration for tonight's dinner, a garden fresh vegetable soup.  
It all began with a beautiful leek.  Reyn planted a large patch of leeks early in the spring.  I've been watching them all summer, but haven't picked any until today.  Many of them are still pretty thin, but some are reaching maturity.  We have such mild winters here that our plan is to leave them all in the ground until they are needed, one or two at a time -  our version of cold-storage. The leek proved the perfect base for a delicious fresh vegetable soup.  I was working toward a flavorful soup that would be full of vegetables, but would allow each to retain it's own character - in flavor, texture, and color.  Here's what went into the soup pot along with the leek:
 
Garden-Fresh Vegetable Soup
 

1 leek, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
4 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 chicken breast, bone-in
water to cover
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound, or so, of green beans, trimmed

3 small summer squash, cut in chunks
3 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, and quartered
4 leaves of swiss chard, sliced, stems removed
salt and pepper to taste
 
For Pesto
4 sprigs of fresh basil
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 clove garlic
2 - 3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp parmesan
 
Wash leek and separate the tender white section from the green ends.  Chop the leek greens into large pieces.  In a soup pot add oil and saute leek greens and chopped celery for about 5 min.  Add peppercorns, bay leaf, chicken breast and enough water to cover, then bring to a boil.  Simmer gently for about 15 minutes.  Remove chicken and set aside to cool.  Strain broth, reserving liquid.  Deposit cooked celery, leek greens, etc in the compost bucket.
 
In soup pot heat 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Slice white part of leek and saute until soft and translucent, then add carrots and about half of the reserved broth.  Cook gently until carrots are just beginning to soften, then add green beans.  Continue simmering for about 3 - 4 minutes, then add squash and tomatoes. Cook until beans are tender, perhaps 3 minutes longer, then add the chard.  Simmer briefly, then remove from heat and serve.  The chard and green beans should still retain their vibrant green color.  Be sure to remove the soup from the heat before these greens turn to overcooked yellowish green color. My goal with this soup was to have each vegetable cooked, but not overdone. 
 

Pesto
To make the pesto, simply put pulse all ingredients in a food processor until blended, but not perfectly smooth.
 
To serve:  fill soup bowls and top each with a dollop of pesto, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and a dash of freshly ground pepper.  We loved this soup - so much that it bacame the basis of our dinnertime conversation.  Mostly, Mmmmmm, and Ahhhhh.  The flavors were rich and the vegetables spoke clearly of the bountiful earth.  Very satisfying.    I served it with a rustic loaf of bread, a salad of garden greens, and a nice bottle of red wine.