From the menu of: Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom at Phipps Plaza

A. Chef Patrick Best provided this recipe which is seasonally available on the cafe menu. He’ll be preparing it on Monday, May 19, and perhaps again in a few weeks. When sending the recipe, Best wrote, “Leeks in early spring are some of the first signs of the changing of the seasons. Fresh leeks right out of the ground really give this soup a pop of springtime flavor.”

For our photo, Best garnished the soup with fried slivered leeks.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.

Cafe Bistro at Nordstrom’s Potato-Leek Soup

Hands on: 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Makes: 13 cups

2 pounds baking potatoes

10 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 pound leeks, trimmed, white and light green parts cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 pound onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

8 cups water

2 tablespoons chicken base

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

Shredded sharp cheddar, diced crisp bacon and snipped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange potatoes on baking sheet and bake until fork tender, about 1 hour. Baking time will vary by the size of potatoes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

While potatoes are baking, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add leeks, onions, celery, garlic and thyme. Cook until vegetables are just beginning to turn translucent, about 10 minutes. Slowly stir in flour until flour is evenly distributed. You should see mixture beginning to pull to the center of the saucepan. Add water, stirring vigorously to prevent lumps. Stir in chicken base. Simmer mixture 15 minutes or until soup thickens. Keep warm until potatoes are ready.

When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Add potato pieces to soup. Stir in cream and season to taste. When ready to serve, remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Serve hot or warm.

Per 1-cup serving: 264 calories (percent of calories from fat, 65), 3 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 19 grams fat (12 grams saturated), 59 milligrams cholesterol, 201 milligrams sodium.