THERE are few things I will miss about the long, cold winter months, as they finally appear to be drawing to a close.

I certainly won’t miss the dark, cold mornings, the alarming snow flurries and the insane heating bills – but I will miss the chance of warming up after a long walk with a bowl of delicious, home-made soup.

There are few vegetables that are tough enough to survive the depths of a very cold winter but leeks and potatoes are two of our hardiest growers. Certain varieties of leek are genetically programmed to survive even the hardest of winter frosts and still maintain their deliciously mild flavour. So, head down to your next Worcestershire farmers’ market and stock up on ingredients to make one final batch of warming winter soup (don’t forget to get your bread from Churches Bakery, 19 Gales Farmhouse Foods or Hanley Swan Bakery, too).

CREAMY LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
Serves four

Ingredients

350g potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tsp olive oil
2 leeks, washed and sliced
2 vegetable stock cubes
550ml water
450ml semi-skimmed milk
Salt and black pepper
4 slices crusty bread
4 thin slices of your favourite cheese
Chopped parsley to garnish (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the leeks and fry gently for threor four minutes or until softened. Add the potatoes, stock cubes, water and milk and season to taste. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tender. Liquidise half the soup and then stir in the remaining liquid. Meanwhile, toast one side of the bread. Top the untoasted side with cheese and grill until golden. Serve the soup topped with toasted croutons and serve immediately garnished with chopped parsley Today’s farmers’ market is at St Peter’s Garden Centre, from 9.30am until 2pm. Next weekend’s markets are in Victoria Square, Droitwich, from 9am until 2pm on Saturday, March 5, and in Angel Place, Worcester, from 9am until 3pm on Sunday, March 6.