DARK DAYS CHALLENGE - WEEK 2

It's been a very busy week with the holidays approaching, party after party, it seems and of course we had to fit in a Barn Bar filming for the final episode of the year, part time working at nights, Bob finishing teaching school, etc, etc, etc.... needless to say, we weren't home at all this week to cook a dinner.  So today I decided, since I had no place I had to be and no images to edit (well, i do but it can wait a little longer), I was gonna get on to this week's challenge!

I wanted to make a cream of broccoli soup and eat some homemade bread for my lunch.  I couldn't find a recipe for cream of broccoli in any of my cook books, imagine that?  I was tired of Googling everything so I just made up my own.

I also realised I had no chicken stock left.  Wasn't getting out of pj's to go to the store, so I made some veggie stock.  I never made veggie stock before, I usually just would boil up a leftover chicken carcass and save the stock or use bouillon, but I had neither, so here we go, on to making veggie stock with the veggies I had in the fridge, and a little help from Joy of Cooking:


(again - those marked with as * were not SOLE, but I'm working on it!)

All the carrots I had left were those crazy 'carrot chips'
someone left here from the last get-together

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE STOCK:

1/2 cup finely diced onions
2 TBS butter
a dash of white pepper*
a dash of cayenne*
1/2 tsp kosher salt*
A Bouquet Garni, 572*
1 cup each of carrots*, mushrooms* and celery
3 lbs of roasted tomatoes
      (I used the roasted tomatoes from my garden that I froze earlier this year in bags)
4-6 cups of water (enough to cover all the veggies in the pot)

So as you look at the above ingredients, you may ask yourself, "WTH is a Bouquet Garni???"  I know I did, and this is one of the things about Joy of Cooking that really annoys me: they just give you a page number next to some random ingredient and you have to SEEK out through the book what these things are.  Can't you just put it on there??  But you really can't find some recipes any where else but in Joy of Cooking.          ~pet peeve~

Anyway... a Bouquet Garni is a combination of herbs and vegetables added to soup or stock for flavor.  The one I used consisted of:
2 Tbs dried parsley*
1 Tbs each of thyme and marjoram*
2 bay leaves*

2 Tbs dried celery leaves (I used celery salt instead)*

Tie up the herbs in a cheesecloth to boil in with the stock.

Annnd noooooww.... back to the stock:

• Saute the onions in the butter until tender

Add the rest of the list, partially cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.

kinda looks like frozen meat- not tomatoes!

Strain the liquid  (I strained the liquid out but then put half the veggies back in and put them through the food processor for a thicker sauce)

I placed the leftover veggies in the garbage disposal's bowl (aka the pig)

This made about 6 cups of stock.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP:

2 Tbs butter
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
3 cups of broth
8 cups of broccoli (I used my bag of frozen that came outta the garden this summer)
___________________________
3 Tbs butter
3 Tbs flour
2 cups of (my own goat's) milk
salt and pepper to taste*

Not too appetizing looking (can you say baby poop?)  so I guess next time no tomatoes

1. Melt butter in medium sized stock pot, saute onion and celery until tender. Add broccoli and broth, cover and simmer until tender, approx. 10-15 minutes.
2. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor a little at a time and blend until smooth.
3. In small saucepan, over medium-high heat melt the 3 Tbs butter, stir in flour, cook for about a minute, then pour in milk.  Stir until thick and bubbly.  (This is actually called a bechamel sauce or basic white sauce)
4. Add to soup and heat.  Season with salt and pepper.

This was excellent!  and with all the veggies in it: super good for you!  Wasn't too happy with the color, but tasty, nonetheless.  All in all, it took me about 1 1/2 to prep, cook, and eat (minus the simmering time for the stock).  I am on a a mission to prove that healthy eating and cooking well doesn't have to take forever in the kitchen.

which one is prettier?  no spoon?

or with spoon?  (notice the photog in the picture?)

I believe the homemade bread recipe will have to be shared tomorrow.  I'm outta time for now.... tah, tah!