For those of you who haven’t heard, Gourmet magazine is calling it quits after over sixty years in production. My mother subscribed to Gourmet and saved every issue (she saved everything, but still…) I have a big stack of past issues right on my desk, turned so I can see the contents on each spine — Cookie Extravaganza, How to Braise, Homemade Rolls and The World on a Plate. These titles and many more, sitting less than a foot away whenever I need instant inspiration.

Conde Nast, the magazine giant, owns both Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Reportedly, Gourmet was losing money because of it’s dependence on higher-end advertising while Bon Appetit will remain in publication. I like Bon Appetit but feel Conde Nast may have underestimated Gourmet’s wide and varied audience. It doesn’t just appeal to those who can afford the highest end Cuisinart. The one dollar an issue I paid for a subscription could hardly be considered elite.

I sadly brought my last issue of Gourmet magazine in from the mailbox and immediately sat down and savored it, page by page wondering if I’ve taken this beautiful resource for granted. It’s arrived every month chock-full of gorgeous photographs, enticing recipes and descriptions of all kinds of places, most of which I’ll never actually travel to but have been transported through their writing. To make matters worse, the final issue’s travel article is about the Adirondacks — the place where my extended family spent our summers in a house built by my great-grandfather on a small island in the middle of Lake George. For me, it doesn’t get any more nostalgic than that.

Since the November issue holds such sentimental value, I found a seasonal recipe in the Everyday Quick Kitchen section to share with you. This is a simple weeknight dish, not at all complicated — the kind of thing to make with what you have on hand but with that little special something Gourmet was so good at. This is the kind of recipe I’ll miss the most.

Kale and Potato Soup Recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 lb. sausage cut into 1/2 inch pieces (The recipe called for smoked Portuguese sausages which sounds delicious but I substituted Italian sausage from Skagit River Ranch, keeping it local).

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

6 cups water

1 lb. kale, center ribs and stems discarded and leaves cut into slices

Salt & pepper

Optional hot sauce — garlic – chili sauce is perfect

Heat 1 T olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Brown sausage, stirring often. Transfer sausage to a bowl.

Add 2 T olive oil to fat in pot and saute onion and garlic with salt and pepper until lightly browned.

Add potatoes, water and 1t salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 15 – 20 minutes.

Mash some of the potatoes in the soup to thicken.

Add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Stir in sausage and cook for a minute or two just until it’s heated through.

Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt & pepper and hot sauce, if desired.

This isn’t really my last cup of soup with Gourmet since all the recipes will still be available through their sister site, Epicurious. com. Sadly, it’s farewell to the monthly visual feast I’ve come to love. I truly regret whatever part I and all the other food bloggers have played in the demise of this and other print media. I’ll continue to visit Gourmet.com. It’s a wonderful resource with informative videos, current food politics, ingredient-driven recipes and menus, a cookbook club. One of my favorite food websites by far and one of the most relevant. It will “remain available during a transitional period” which I hope is a very long time.