Cream of Cauliflower Soup

Before Kruse Farms fruit stand closed for the winter, I stocked up on their cauliflower, carrots, onions, beets and cabbage. They store quite well in the extra refrigerator in the garage. Last night, as part of a light supper for a group of 20 women, I made a quadruple-batch of this soup. These amounts will make enough for 4 to 6 servings.

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, washed and broken into florets
1 large carrot, scrubbed and sliced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup half-n-half
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
a couple dashes of Tabasco or cayenne pepper
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan or stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion slices. Cook and stir until onion is soft and nearly transparent.

Add the broth, carrot and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until all the vegetables are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the broth and vegetables right in the pot until smooth. (You can use a regular blender if necessary.)

Stir in the half-n-half, nutmeg and cayenne. Sesaon with additional sea salt and pepper to taste. Heat gently and serve in warmed bowls garnished with snipped chives or a dash of paprika.

Serves 4 to 6.