Flower Soup

Flower Soup

Ingredients:
2 Cups White Cauliflower Buds
1 Cup Each of Purple and Orange Cauliflower
5-6 Cups Organic Vegetable Broth
½ Cup Rose Water (Culinary Type only!)
Raw Sunflower Seeds
Edible Flowers for Garnish to finish
½ Cup Heavy Cream (optional)
½ Cup Leeks (white part only) diced fine
½ of a Sweet White Onion chopped fine
4 Celery Stalks sliced very thinly
2 or 3 Medium Potatoes cut into 1" chunks
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Chopped Chives
1 tsp. fresh Thyme
½ Cups of Gouda or Fontina Cheese
½ Cup Parmesan
A pinch of cayenne pepper
2 Tbls. Clarified Butter or Ghee
2 Tbls. Unrefined, unbleached flour (for roux)

Procedure

Start the process in small dutch oven on top of stove, just to release the delicate bouquet of the onions, leeks and garlic, then transfer all to crock pot to slowly cook, lovingly, until ready to finish! Sweat Leeks in 2 Tbls. Canola or Butter ( Cover leeks with foil or parchment then put lid on to "sweat" the leeks…this cooks them without browning them) cook till soft and translucent. Remove leeks from the pan but leave the butter, heat butter to bubbling, add the flour to make a roux.
Add garlic to sauté 1-2 minutes. Add hot vegetable Stock, celery, potatoes, put all in Crock Pot on high and let it cook for 1 hour or till potatoes are fork tender then add cauliflowers and cook for another hour or until all veggies are fork tender: may be less time with some crockpots and varied thickness of veggies.

Add the warm cream and shredded cheese and simmer on low until cheese is melted and incorporated. Now, adjust seasonings with Salt & Pepper. To finish add a pinch of cayenne pepper, chives chopped fine and minced fresh thyme.

Serve with crackers, bread or crostini, garnished with Sunflower Seeds and Edible Flower.

Recipe: Chef Debra Queen