Around the World in 80 Foods: Dutch Potato, Leek, Celery and Smoked Gouda Soup

The young woman with strawberry-blonde hair and sea-green eyes looks over at me from her very Dutch crackers and Edam cheese appetizer and grins. "Are you blogging about me again?" she asks in amusement. 

"Noooooo...." I reply innocently from the glowing aura of my laptop screen. "I'm blogging about your food!"

Mona VanArk, intrepid archaeologist and archery master looks down at her cheese and crackers. "You mean my snack?" 

"Not exactly. I mean your family's secret Dutch soup recipe!"

She pauses with a large hunk of Edam in her mouth and looks at me queerly. "Well, it won't be a secret anymore if you blog about it!"

I nod seriously. "True. But, you've done all these amazing things in your life and you never let me talk about them, except in novels! I have to write something about you!"

Mona rolled her eyes in amusement. "And that's the only thing you could come up with to describe me?!" 

Now it's my turn to be amused. "Ah...but this is no ordinary soup....as you well know!"

This top secret recipe includes: 

4 VERY large red potatoes, cut in bite-sized cubes

1 1/2 large leeks

3 celery sticks, chopped fine, or 1 lg. celery root, grated

a large handful celery leaves

2 bay leaves

2 chicken bouillon cubes

very scanty 1/2 tsp. white pepper

sea salt to taste

3 cups milk

1/2 package smoked turkey bacon, fried til crispy and roughly chopped

1/3 cup smoked gouda, grated

2/3 regular gouda

1 1/2 tsp. coarse ground mustard

Place first 8 ingredients in an enameled Dutch oven and cover with enough fresh chicken stock to cover veggies 1-2 inches deep. Add milk. Place on a wood cookstove and cook til veggies soft. In a pan over med-high heat, crisp the bacon, let cool 5 minutes then roughly chop and place in the soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients, heat through until the cheese is melted, serve warm in deep bowls.