Carrot Top Soup from Creme de la Crop

In September I toured the farm of Leann Landgrebe-Stephens who owns Creme de la Crop in Valparaiso. Leann has 10 acres where she grows over 200 varieties of vegetables including a number of heirlooms and unique varieties known for their exceptional flavor and beauty. She uses no chemicals and employs organic methods in her farming process. Her CSA offers both a Standard share and an Epicurean share. The Epicurean share is a bit more fanciful than the Standard one and includes edible flowers and other interesting veggies for the more adventuresome palate.

During our visit Leann and I were talking about carrots and she mentioned that she had a soup recipe that used the carrot tops. Now, we all know that late fall and winter eating for local food lovers encourages us to get creative and turn to food items that we may have never suspected could be eaten and, if they were edible, might actually taste good. I'm a pretty inquisitive eater and curious cook so when someone mentions an interesting ingredient or process, I'll try it. Carrot tops? Something green and leafy in late fall? Bring 'em on!

Leann emailed me the recipe and I tried it this weekend with some carrots I'd purchased at a local winter market. I was really skeptical as I cut the fragrant, lacy leaves off the carrot stems and chopped them along with the carrots, leeks, thyme, and dill. But I did have to admit that the soup smelled great as it simmered away on the stove.

The original recipe leaves the vegetables in tiny chunks but I love cream soups so I took half the soup and pureed it with a hand-held immersion blender. I thought the creamy textured soup dotted with bits of the finely chopped carrot tops was so pretty. It would be perfect for "soup shots" on a holiday buffet since I discovered that it's as good at room temperature as it is warm. Then I got more creative and mixed the chunky half of the soup with the creamy half. That's the keeper. The chopped veggies suspended in the creamy base created a perfectly textured soup which is best served warm. I settled down in my chair next to the fireplace and happily consumed two huge bowls of it. You have to try this one! For the recipe go to the Winter recipes section of this site (which I will be stocking with seasonal recipes over the next few weeks).

Creme de la Crop CSA subscribers get the "Crop Gazette" with their weekly shares. The newsletter contains recipes, fun facts about produce, and cooking tips. The carrot top soup recipe is an example of how Leann finds creative ways for her CSA subscribers to enjoy the delicious items they receive from her as she encourages them to venture beyond the obvious "slice, dice, and eat".

In addition to operating the CSA, Leann sells her vegetables at the Valparaiso Farmers Market. Bistro 157 and Dish restaurants in Valparaiso also use her produce in their featured menu items.

Visit the Creme de la Crop site for information about the CSA, their Squash/Storage Vegetable Harvest Plan, and gift certificate program (another great holiday gift idea for your local food loving friends and family members).

Creme de la Crop
208 North 250 West
Valparaiso, IN 46385
Farm: 219-510-4547
Fax: 219-477-2001
www.cremedelacrop.com

Photos: Carrot tops and soup shots