Getting Creative

Tonight I finally got the cookbooks out and attempted to put together a recipe for the soup Dad and I made up last week. It was delicious. We used these two recipes as inspiration, but pretty much made up our own thing. It took me a while to compare the recipes and remember what exactly Dad and I did, but I think I did a fairly decent job. Here's the recipe, as I remember it (of course, you may have to alter things to suit your taste buds...and to adjust it so it works best):

CREAMY POTATO ZUCCHINI SOUP
Serves approx. 6-8 people

Approximately 8 small-medium potatoes, peeled, washed, and diced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
6-8 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Half a medium onion, chopped
1-2 Tablespoon butter
2 bay leaves
Approx. 6 cups vegetable stock (you need enough to make it look like soup!)
4 oz. cream cheese
Approx. 1/2 cup milk (or heavy cream, if you have it)
Dash nutmeg
Oregano (fresh or dried, your choice) to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste (if you'd like to try something new, try white pepper instead of black)

In large pan, saute zucchini, onion, and garlic in butter until onion is soft, but not brown. Add oregano, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

In large pot, bring potatoes, bay leaves, and stock to a boil.

Add zucchini/onion mixture to potatoes. Reduce heat and cook gently for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Remove the bay leaves.

Transfer soup to blender and puree in batches until smooth.

Return the soup to the pot and add the cream cheese, milk/cream, and nutmeg. Stir on medium-low heat until the cream cheese is melted.

If you wish, serve in warm bowls garnished with chives, parsley, or croutons.