The rain has finally stopped, at least for a day, and the forsythia is blooming in earnest now. Lilac buds are bursting with purple promise and the daffodils have dried off enough to raise their yellow faces.  Look down.  The dandelions are forming miniature crowns and the chives are standing tall over the still battened down lawn.  Get out there with scissors and snip them into your scrambled eggs or top your bagel and cream cheese with them. Or brighten up a bowl of Potato Leek Soup with their feathery green blades and be happy to be eating green again.

An Allium Alliance

4 cups peeled, chopped potatoes

4 cups thinly sliced leeks

8 quarts chicken stock or water

one teaspoon salt (or more, if you use water or unseasoned stock)

Freshly ground pepper

one half cup heavy cream

Lots of freshly snipped young chives from an unsprayed, animal-free lawn

This soup is really easy.  Simmer the potatoes, leeks, and stock or water and salt in a soup pot for about an hour with the lid ajar.  When the vegetables are nice and tender puree with an immersion blender or press the soup through a food mill. Adjust the salt level if necessary and grind in some pepper, white, if you have it.  Top the soup with the snipped chives.  If the weather breaks and suddenly becomes warm, you can serve the soup cold and call it Vichyssoise.