Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Broccoli-Cauliflower Soup

by Francine Black

Soup du jour: broccoli-cauliflower with just a little cheese.

Some of you may remember back in the 1990s, broccoli cheese soup was made popular by Campbell’s during the “Get President Bush to eat broccoli recipe contest campaign."  I’m not sure if it worked for Mr. Bush, but I think the campaign was so successful nationally that today broccoli is actually considered the most loved vegetable in all the country! 

We like broccoli alot, in addition to the other vegetables in the brassica or mustard family like cauliflower, cabbage, kale, bok choy. It’s a remarkably large family of plants numbering 3,700 other species -- not all eaten by humans! 

If you’ve not enjoyed broccoli or any of the other vegetables in that family, it could be as a result of overcooking, at which point they release a sulfur-smelling compound  (Brussels sprouts are particularly guilty of that crime), which many of us find that rather off putting. Not only that but at the point of being overcooked, these vegetables lose their bright color and become mushy, losing their wonderfully dense nutrients.  Steaming is the absolute optimal cooking method for maximum nutritional benefit. 

In our soup, I added the broccoli and cauliflower to the simmering soup, turned off the burner and clapped on the lid for about 5 minutes. It was long enough to steam cook the veggies and of course release nutrients into the broth as well.

February seems to be a really good month for making soup and this one is a favorite in our family. The moment the kids walk in the door, they head to the kitchen and reach for a bowl or a mug filling it up with whatever’s bubbling on the stove!

High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.

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