There are many things to be happy about as June draws to a close, including the two major Supreme Court decisions this week. Also, it is June, and it’s been gorgeous! The flowers are blooming and midsummer variety is coming to the vegetable garden.
I gasped this week when I saw the first snow peas on the vine. I don’t know why such a thing would make me gasp, because I saw the blossoms a few days before, but it is always a miracle. The pea vines have grown higher than the fencing, so I’ve added a layer of twine netting to hold them. Peas have a brief season here– coming up late because of the cold and fading early because of the heat of July– so I haven’t bothered in the past to give them too much height to climb.
I barely saw the zucchini blossoms open, too, before there were baby zucchini growing out of them! I don’t know how the suckers got pollinated so quickly!
I am also very happy to report that due to some clever camouflaging of her nest and the weeds in the ponds, the mallards have brought NINE ducklings to adolescence. I hope they all live to be adults.
cauliflower soup
The recipe I have on offer today is for Polish Cauliflower Soup. I am always skeptical of soups with very few ingredients and almost no herbs– not even garlic in this one. But this soup was pronounced “elegant” and “company-worthy” by Steve. The original recipe, even simpler, was on the New York Times food blog in 2009. I found it when someone posted the link to a Chicago CSA Facebook group I participate in. I made his suggested change (use sour cream), and also one of the changes in the comments, although in the future I’d skip the potatoes and I think cooking the carrots separately is a waste of energy.
Polish Cream of Cauliflower Soup
1 quart chicken stock
2 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 cup organic sour cream (a little less, mixed with milk, if it’s too solid)
2 Tbs flour
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs fresh dill
1/2 cup diced carrots and/or potatoes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
Simmer cauliflower in the chicken stock for 20 to 30 minutes (I did this for only 15 minutes with my tender garden cauliflower). Combine the sour cream, flour and egg yolk with a whisk. Add 1 cup chicken stock to the cream mixture, then gradually pour the cream mixture into the remaining stock, stirring constantly. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not boil. Garnish with the dill. And yes, it does taste even better the next day.