Cream of Cauliflower Soup or "Cleaning out the Cheese Drawer"

Mr. Tastebuds' perfect frig would be a filing cabinet complete with hanging files in alphabetical order and cross-referenced according to expiration date. Consequently, our refrigerator is very organized and if anything is out of order, I hear nothing but heavy sighs with disgusted undertones except when it comes to cheese.

The problem being that both Mr. Tastebuds and I do the grocery shopping and rarely do we ever go together. He buys cheese that is on sale and I buy cheese that I want. With his ticket in hand, he likes to slug it out at the deli counter whereas I prefer to stroll down the cheese bins, reading the labels and taking my time.

Our cheese drawer is out of control.

Is your cheese drawer packed to the gills? Ours is. Do you have an official "over flow" area for cheese? We do.

Mr. Tastebuds has designated 2 additional overflow areas for cheese but only to be used in emergency situations and only in the months of November and December. Cheese has been known to snuggle with my oranges and lemons in the citrus drawer and camp out along side my husband's salami in with the cold cuts. We won't discuss the amount I've grated and stacked in my freezer. My freezer, like my laundry room, is mine and the unspoken rule is "You really don't want to go there". No, you really don't and we'll leave it at that. ;)

After the holidays I do a thorough cleaning of the frig with particular attention to the cheese. Some varieties of cheese freeze very well and I grate it, pack it in zip lock bags, label the bags and freeze. Sometimes I make up specific mixes for Macaroni and Cheese or French Onion Soup and freeze the mix. With the little bits of cheese, just not enough to save but too much to throw out, I make Cream of Cauliflower Soup. It's always delicious but the problem is you can never duplicate it because the varieties of cheese depends on what is on hand at the time.





Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Recipe developed in the kitchen of Big-Black-Dog

1-2 medium heads of Cauliflower, cut into 1" chunks
8 c. of Chicken Stock
4 Green Onions, cut into thin coins, save some of the tops for garnish
2 TBL butter or EVOO or a combo if you'd like
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (be careful with the salt)
A couple of shakes of Hungarian Hot Paprika
About 1/2 c. Gruyere, grated or cut into small pieces
About 1/4 c. Brie, remove the rind and cut into small pieces
About 1/4 c. Parmesan, grated
About 1/2 c. White Cheddar, grated or cut into small pieces
About 1/8 c. Danish Blue, grated or crumbled **See Note
About 1/8 c. Havarti, grated or cut into small pieces
1/2 c. Heavy Cream or Coffee Cream

Garnish:
Green onion coins to sprinkle on top

Melt the butter or EVOO in a heavy-bottomed pot. Saute the onions and cauliflower until the onions are clear. Add the chicken stock and paprika. Simmer until the cauliflower is soft. Blend with an immersable blender until well blended. I usually leave some larger pieces, about 1/4"-1/2", of cauliflower. Add the cheeses and simmer until the cheese is totally melted. Stir in the cream. Taste and then add the Salt and Pepper. Your soup might not need salt. I usually serve soup with my Fennel Breadsticks instead of crackers.

**NOTE: I'm pretty sure this was Danish Blue but any kind of blue cheese would work well.


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