Vichyssoise with sorrel

Sunday 29 April
Our version is the rustic one. Others might call it cheap and lazy, but in fact, the overly raffiné version (created by Louis Diat at the Ritz c. 1917) doesn't appeal to our pleasant peasant sensibility: too much waste, and running the purée though a sieve or chinoise produces a perfectly uniform and utterly bland texture, besides dirtying a utensil unnecessarily. So 1) we don’t peel the potatoes, 2) we use way more of the leeks than purists would, 3) we don't strain it, and 4) we tend to turn it back into Potage au cresson. In this case, we made it on the lazy Saturday, left it to chill overnight, added some half-and-half (left by our guests), some cream as well, and then a chiffonade of sorrel from the garden. Vive l'Amerique!