Soup doesn't have to be fancy, or take all day -- just follow Tom's 6 Soup Rules.

When spring is slow to arrive, Tom takes matters into his own hands. (Don't miss his 6 tips for growing sprouts at home.)

How to make your own sausage with just a sharp knife, in step-by-step photos. (Then use it to season everything in sight, starting with polenta.)

Tom gives us the tools to never make (or eat) a lackluster potato again.

Tom goes gluten-free on a favorite old shortbread, with no regrets.

Tom's New Year's Resolution? Only add, don't take away.

This is the seventeenth installment of Sunday Dinners, a biweekly column from our own Tom Hirschfeld featuring his gorgeous photography, stunning Indiana farm, and mouthwatering family meals.

Today: Tom argues for soup's spot on the table and cooks up a Sunday dinner of Creamy Sorrel Soup, Sunday Roast Chicken, and Black Seeded Simpson with American Farmhouse Vinaigrette.

Today: Tom struggles to simplify his cooking life, with a full Sunday menu of Oven Braised Buttermilk Chicken with Za'atar, Middle Eastern Green Beans, and Burnt Okra with Potatoes and Basil.

Today: Tom tells tales of his grandmother's epic Sunday Dinners, with a full menu of Pan Fried Red Snapper with Tarragon Tartar Sauce, Sautéed Zucchini with Basil Leaves, and Fresh Herb Potato Salad.

Today: Tom muses on the raw materials of the kitchen and why he cooks over a plate of Ham-Cured Goose Legs with Butter-Poached Peas and Carrots.

Just the other day, my dad was leaning against the fence watching the chickens do what chickens do while I knelt nearby, weeding some rogue arugula out from around the grapes. All the while, we engaged in a round of small talk.

Soon enough, the conversation turned to the chickens.