Broccoli Cheese Soup

 Well hello there!  Depending on where you are in the world, it's getting pretty cold.  If you were a Stark, you might even say, "Winter is Coming" (and it will in fact be here officially Saturday).  Anyways right now it is the type of weather that makes me want to curl up under a blanket near the wood stove and knit all day.  What also is good on a cold, wintery day?  Soup!

I am basing the majority of the recipe for this week off of a recipe I found on Food.com, Panera Broccoli Cheese Soup, though I made a few changes.  It went really great with a grilled cheese sandwich, because if it is one thing I never run low on in my house, it's cheese.

Ingredients for this recipe:

• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1/2 Onion chopped
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 2 cups Half-and-Half
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• 4 - 4 1/2 cups Broccoli chopped
• 1 - 1/2 cups Carrot, julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1 cup Water
• 2 1/2 cup mixed Cheeses (Jersey Girl, Abbie Gouda, and Toma Duro from Cooperstown Cheese Company)
• additional Mozzarella
• 6 cloves Garlic
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Salt

First prep the ingredients.  Finely chop the onion.  Cut the broccoli up to the florets, and into bite-sized pieces.  Julienne the carrot (cut into thin pieces about an inch or so long).  Mince the garlic.

In a small pan, melt the 1 tbsp of butter and saute the onion.  Cook until the onion is very soft and set aside.

Next, in a medium sized pot, melt the 1/4 cup of butter, and mix in the flour with a whisk.  Stir constantly for about 4 minutes, and the mixture thickens some, add the half-and-half.  Be careful because it will want to burn on the bottom, so keep stirring.  Then add the chicken stock to the mix, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli, carrots, onions, and garlic.  At this time also add the water to increase the volume of the liquid.  Continue to cook for another 25 or so minutes.

Add your mixed cheese to a blender.  Grind it up and set aside.  I added Jersey Girl, Abbie Gouda, and Toma Duro from Cooperstown Cheese Company, especially since these would melt nicely.

After the soup has cooked for 25 minutes, add the cheese.  Add the nutmeg.  Add red pepper flakes, and salt to taste.  Once the rest of the soup is to your liking, add the additional Mozzarella to the top and let it melt.  Now it is ready to serve!

Cheesy Potatoes with Bacon

This week's recipe is inspired by a recent trip to Rhode Island.  While visiting my friend, there may have been quite the alcohol intake, and a visit to a food truck.  Now, being the cheese-maker's daughter that I am, the kind of cheese they use on their "cheesy bacon fries" is not something I can ever appreciate.  The alcohol just made me not think about it.  I wanted to make a version that could be enjoyed under the condition of sobriety.

That was until my mother and I were talking about "My Drunk Kitchen".  If you haven't seen this show, click here to check it out!  As a result of this conversation, the process of me making this recipe is brought to you in part by rum and Coke.  I promise, though, this can be enjoyed in whatever state you may be in.  Please enjoy the recipe (including the silly notes I wrote to myself in the process of making it).

Ingredients for this adventure:

• Potatoes
• Abbie Gouda (from Cooperstown Cheese Company)
• 1/3 cup Butter
• 4-5 Green Onions
• 3-4 cloves of Garlic
• 8 oz. Bacon

First, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

While the oven is preheating, prepare the ingredients.  Cut the potatoes into small cubes.  I used a mix of potatoes (9 smaller and 3 large) but all together it came out to be about 8 cups when chopped.  Mince the garlic and cut the green onions.  Also, cut the bacon into small pieces.

Melt the butter.  The note I wrote to myself to rationalize the amount was "because that's how much of the stick we have left"... but it turned out to be a good amount.

Put the potatoes in a pan, and mix in the melted butter.  Keep in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until they can be punctured easily with a fork.  Make sure to stir every 15 minutes or so.

While the potatoes are in the oven, fry the bacon until it is crispy.  Place on a plate in between two paper towels and set aside.  "Always have a towel even if it's paper" is the note I left for myself here.  If these were the kind of notes I was going to leave for myself, I should have made a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!

Shred the cheese. My notes wouldn't be complete without a cheesy pun, so here's a gouda one. ;-)  The cheese I used was called Abbie Gouda, from Cooperstown Cheese Company.  This was one of the perks I received for helping out at a Farmer's Market in Saugerties, NY.  This cheese is perfect for melting and had a wonderful flavor.  I only used about a 1/3 lb, but the next time I do this I will add more.

When the potatoes are ready, remove from the oven.  Mix the cheese, green onions, and garlic in with the potatoes and put back in the oven for another 10 minutes or so.  By then, the cheese should be melted.  Taste a potato - if it's cooked all the way through, it's done.

The final note of the evening is "remember to turn off the oven", which is always an important thing to do.  That's all I have for you this week.  Enjoy this in whatever state you may choose to, and I'll be back next week with another garlicky recipe.