'tis the season... for broccoli

There's this place about six minutes from my house that sells produce cheap. I mean CHEAP. Like, bell peppers are twenty-five cents and tomatoes are four for a dollar.

Organic it's not, but fresh and local it is, and I happily buy it all summer.

These crisp autumn days, they have broccoli for seventy-five cents and cauliflower for a buck fifty. If that's not an invitation to make a steaming, creamy soup, I don't know what is. So here is just such a soup for your enjoyment. (It has received the husband's thumbs up. Cream cheese will do that.)

I heart crucifers. And things I can freeze. I'm planning to make several pots of this in the next few weeks and freeze as many jars as I can; it will be perfect for busy winter days.

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Cream o' Crucifer Soup
(based on a recipe at Streaming Gourmet)

2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
6 cups chicken or beef stock
4 cups chopped broccoli
2 cups chopped cauliflower*
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature

1) Melt butter over medium heat in soup pot. Add onion and garlic. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onion is softened, stirring occasionally.
2) Add chicken stock and bring to boil. Add broccoli, cauliflower, and salt; cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender.
3) Puree soup in two batches. Stir in cream cheese and let melt, pureeing again if necessary (sometimes the cream cheese doesn't want to melt smoothly). Serve warm.

*Or you can just use 6 cups of broccoli.

{image credit: hermanturnip}