First... What the hell is Baby Broccoli if it isn't actually young broccoli? Or Broccolini for that matter? Let us not worry too much and just look for organic and sexy food.
This soup is a great one to herald in spring while enjoying the remnants of winter. For those concerned with cholesterol make up your potatoes with a bit of olive oil instead of butter. It is decadent tasting and compliments most foods. I was having a bad mashed potato craving when this struck me. For cream soups I often use a little bit of mashed potato and roasted garlic to give soups the creamy without cream. ( Boiling any milk usually makes even the most cast iron of stomachs a bit upset - it is the break down of protein that does this to any belly. Boiling and frying being the most severe ways to do this.) So it was not really any great stretch for me to just make up a soup that was mostly mashed potato. It really was just over due!
Broth: For the soupy part I made a vegetable stock out of my veggie scraps (sometimes this includes apple peels, cores and pear peels and cores - its amazing with this. Cores are best without the seeds) I used a lot of water and made sure it covered the vegetables as I wanted a light colored broth and a fair amount of it. I boiled the vegetables just until they were tender. More than that and you're over doing it really. No need for it. The whole it will taste better thing is chemical. It will taste better with more and more days of boiling. It would be like finding carrion vegetable carcass you are built to like it when it is not necessarily good for you but great for survival. So be aware why that happens. Besides over boiling makes a broth you have to strain or RE-strain. I try to avoiding picking out debris.
Mashed potatoes: I used russet potatoes as they were handy and cheap. Yukon golds are also AMAZING for this. I kept a little of their boiling water with the potatoes after they are cooked to help blend and mash them with either butter or olive oil (I do a little of each as I have very low cholesterol and a strong heart - weak ankles but I'm hoping that isn't related to butter). After salt, pepper, butter and/or olive oil is blended into the potatoes and fluffed I added a giant handful of dill I washed and pulled all the frilly fronds from the stalks and piled them on top of the potatoes and let them wilt and folded them in. Fresh dill is quite light in flavor and I have a hard time overdoing fresh herbs. I like a lot of them in there.
Baby Broccoli: For the baby broccoli I drizzle (really you don't need much) it with olive oil then lightly salt it, and for my tastes I sprinkle it with jalapeno seeds. The oven is heated to 450 and once hot, the broccoli wont take long to get bright green with a couple of darkened patches. I use the higher heat to keep the broccoli firm and crisp with a few roasty parts. You can manipulate it if your OCD makes you. Mine did... So I jossled it and put it back in. Total cooking time plus OCD was not more than 20-25 minutes. Just keep a close eye on it.
To serve pour a small amount of broth in a bowl make a nice little mountain of potato in the center and lay a mountain of broccoli over the peak. Munch well! I think an Asparagus version of this is in order.
YUM!!!! Nancy Clements Gulotta
ReplyDelete