Dianna and Sam, mother and son, each brought a recipe to share. Dianna’s French Potato Leek Soup connects her to the French and French Canadian family she grew up with in a small village åin Vermont near the U.S.-Canada border. Holidays like Christmas and Easter were a time for the whole family to come together in Montreal or Vermont. These occasions involved no arguments, just “whose house are we having it at and what does everyone want,” says Dianna.

Dianna learned to make this soup from a family friend who was a chef in France in the 1940s. It requires relatively simple ingredients, which have been accessible throughout her life. The rest of her cooking skills com from watching her mother who “couldn't afford for me to make a mistake.” Her mother also taught her how to avoid waste and make the most of her food. For example, when Dianna was growing up, she saved the peels from potatoes to start broths and stocks for future dishes.

Later as a mom herself, whenever she cooked she made a bit extra to have leftovers for meals later in the week and emphasized cooking from scratch to keep her family healthy. She also ensured that her children knew how to cook and found Sam to be a natural who “changed the entire meaning of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich” by spreading the peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla and rolling it up.

Like his mom’s recipe, Sam’s chili uses easily accessible ingredients. His chili is not for any specific occasion and he finds it to be something many people enjoy. Sam explains that he feels like he can make this “for whoever,” and “that’s what makes it awesome.” He adapts to different situations, adding more or less spice depending on who he is cooking for. Sometimes he makes it with bison, other times with beef. He describes cooking as personal, a way to express your creativity and preferences.

French Potato Leek Soup

Servings: 3-5
Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp of butter
• 2 leeks
• 5-7 potatoes
• 2 32 oz cartons of chicken broth (Imagine or Pacific brand preferred)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to paste
• Grated Italian cheese (optional soup topping)
• 2 stems of parsley (for garnishing)

Serve with

• 1 baguette of French bread
• 1 jar of strawberry jam (sugar free preferred)

Instructions:

• Warm butter and olive oil in pot while cleaning leeks.
• Slice leeks as thinly as possible.
• Saute chopped leeks in pot until they appear a little translucent.
• Peel potatoes and then begin chopping them into bite-sized chunks
• Add both cartons of chicken broth and pepper to the sauteed leeks. Add potatoes when finished chopping.
• Simmer on medium heat for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cheese as desired and sprig of parsley to garnish before serving. This dish is best served with a side of bread and strawberry jam.

Beef Chili Recipe

Ingredients

Serve With

Instructions