In the Bag: Watercress Soup with Feta, Potato & Thyme Bread

This is my first go at the In the Bag seasonal produce blogging event and I was keen to marry my new found enthusiasm for baking with getting more involved with the food blogging lark.

So I figured soup and bread would be a good start.


Ingredients for bread
175g self raising flour (I used light brown as that is what I had)
100g feta cheese cut into 0.5 cm dice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4-5 sprigs of thyme stripped of leaves
170g jersey royal potatoes grated
4 spring onions finely sliced
1 egg
1 tsp of grain mustard
splash of milk

Ingredients for soup
170g of Jersey Royal potatoes diced
170g bag of watercress
1 leek diced
1/2 onion diced
vegetable stock
splash of creme fraiche (optional)


Bread method
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Sift the flour, salt and cayenne pepper.
Add the grated potato, thyme leaves and 3/4 of the feta and mix thoroughly with a knife.
Gently beat the egg, milk and grain mustard, then add this to the flour mixture, use the knife to mix into a rough dough.
Empty the dough onto a well greased baking sheet, creating a rough round loaf, press the remain feta cheese into the top, dust with a little flour and add a sprig or two of thyme.
Place into the middle of the oven, bake for about 50 minutes, or until the bread is golden.

While the bread is baking make the soup.


Soup Method
Sweat the onions and leeks in a little olive oil and butter, add a touch of salt to draw the moisture out of the onions and prevent them catching.
Add the vegetable stock, I used just over a pint, and the diced potatoes.
Simmer gently until the potato is tender.
In another pan, steam the watercress briefly - when it is wilted and cooked plunge it into ice cold water to stop it from cooking. This will keep your soup bright green.
Drain the ice cold watercress, add it to the simmered stock and blend the soup.
Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Serve with hunks of the freshly baked bread.