When The Broccoli is In Season...

Thanks to The Gardener of Eden, we now have Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard to share what's going in and out of the kitchen with our harvests.  I really enjoy seeing what other folks are doing so I thought I'd share mine also. This week is a little boring in my kitchen, but there's ALWAYS something going on, so here's the highlight of the week.  Oh do we love broccoli. So much so, each year I grow no less than about 72ish plants -- sometimes more, sometimes less.  The variety is always Arcadia because of the huge heads it produces.  This year, 90 plants went into the ground, but only 36 of those 90 survived a freeze.  I bought about a dozen of a less-than-desireable variety thinking we lost all the arcadia, but they were terrible tasting.  Alas, the Aracadia is being picked and we are happy campers.  I eat it raw on salads (stems get cut and dipped into hummus), and cooked with baked potatoes or slivered almonds.  Hubby likes soup or broccoli salad.  Here is my husband's favorite broccoli soup recipe from Simply in Season.

Hearty Broccoli Soup

2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 cup celery diced
1 cup water
Cook the above together 5 minutes

2 cups chopped broccoli
Add and continue to cook an additional 5-10 minutes

3 cups milk
2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Add and heat to boiling.

1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour
Blend until smooth in a small bowl.  Sitr into the soup and cook just until thickened.  Turn off heat.

1 cup Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
Add and stir until melted (I omit the cheese).

Enjoy!