Tasha Tuesdays- Post #1

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you probably know of my deep and goofy love for all things Tasha Tudor. You may even recall the story of how I came upon her--- a tattered copy of The Private World of Tasha Tudor in a bookstore bargain bin. Probably an auspicious day in an auspicious book store (Will and I also had our first date there).

I've also been reading Julie & Julia (where the girl cooks her way through Julia Child's cookbook and blogs about it, it recently came out as a movie) and last night made Tasha's Potato and Onion Soup and had a thought....wouldn't it be neat to do something similar with Tasha? Devote some time on my blog to her and her inspiration? So, bedazzled by potato soup, I created this:

Tasha Tuesdays!!! I've decided to *attempt* to devote each Tuesday to something about Tasha. And while I'd love to cook my way through The Tasha Tudor Cookbook, I'm going to be a little more relaxed about it--- each Tuesday will contain something Tasha--- you'll just have to stop by and see what!~

Project #1

So....this weekend I decided to try to make Tasha's Potato and Onion soup. I like potato soup....it seemed simple...and didn't involve antique cooking equipment or a live chicken or expansive garden out my back door ;) What it did involve was a leek and honestly...I had no idea what a leek was. Obviously, we were not leek eaters in my family ;) I figured it was green...but that was about it.

Sunday I went to the grocery store to collect my ingredients and scanned the produce section for "leek." Luckily, living in a small town like I do, I happened to run into my parents moments before. So I found a mysterious long green giant onion-looking thing....tracked down my mom in the bakery section and mouthed "is this a leek???" while waving it around oh-so discretely.

I decided to make the soup Monday evening, which happened to be in the middle of an Okie monsoon. The girl and puppy pressed their little noses against the screen door to watch the downpour while I poured over the cookbook, a little excited about the prospect of cooking (and eating) something served at Corgi Cottage.
Actually, I welcomed the diversion of the rain for these two partners in crime. While I was trying to get the soup started, Audrey suddenly got it into her head to destroy the living room (this idea is often in her head) I was cutting up potatoes and mysterious leeks and begging, "can you please put that back in the toy box? Can you take the giant Wonder Pets back to your room? Don't do thattttttttttttttttttttt...." Is it just me or is living with a toddler like living with a poltergeist? Everything seems fine...then you glance up, and every chair in your kitchen is all cock-eyed and turned every which way. It made me wonder how Tasha did a damn thing with four kids under foot. I can't imagine it.
And so.....after chopping and simmering and adding all sorts of fattening things to the soup, it was go time....and it was delicious! Even my bearded sweetheart liked it, and he's a tough cookie some times ;) Audrey, however, acted as if I was feeding her something terrible...she would snicker and turn up her nose. But I am not that offended....she only likes corn dogs and cheese, anything else is below her standards.

I've still got left overs, and so its going to be a good hot lunch on a chilly day. The first day of AUTUMN I might add! How lovely!~

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And if you're new to Tasha and wondering who the heck I'm talking about, here's a little synopsis:

Tasha Tudor was born in New England in 1916 to two very artistic and eccentric parents. She spent her childhood with various family friends and relatives after their parents divorced (mom ran off to New York to paint during the Jazz Age) and she developed a very vivid imagination, talent for drawing and a strong love for things of the past.

After marrying as a young woman in the 1930s, Tasha wrote and illustrated her first children's book, Pumpkin Moonshine. From there she wrote and illustrated books for more than half a century, and also illustrated other classics such as A Little Princess and The Secret Garden.

She had four children whom she treated to an amazing childhood in historic New England. Her love of history led to a unique lifestyle full of vintage 1800s clothes, doing things the simple way, a mastery of many lost handmade arts, and an illustration career to be envied.

As an elderly woman, her lifestyle caught the interest of the publishing world and several volumes about her garden, home, way of life, and crafts were published. Tasha lived the last half of her life on a rural homestead in Vermont with an amazing garden, goats, a passel of Corgi dogs, and an impressive collection of antique clothes and every-day items that she used in her daily life.

She passed away in June 2008, but her influence now lives on online as she has inspired many artists and crafters. Learn more about her at Tasha Tudor and Family.