We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:

"Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the
stronger varieties, much like swiss cheese. The taste is buttery,
and from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidulous.
It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is
older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut."

I am NOT a cheese connoisseur, so I'm curious as to what you
guys think:

3-CHEESE CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

6 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. white pepper
Dash of ground thyme
1 (13 3/4 oz.) can chicken broth
1 c. milk
3 c. bite-size broccoli flowerettes
1 c. whipping cream
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Havarti cheese
1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese

Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and
seasonings. Gradually add broth and milk; cook, stirring constantly
until thickened. Stir in broccoli; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from
heat; stir in cream, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Add
cheeses; stir until melted. When reheating, do not boil or cheeses
will curdle.

Serves 6.

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Little Malice wrote:
> We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
> occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
> had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
> with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
> something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:
>
Havarti and Swiss are totally diff. Go buy a slice of each from the deli
and have a taste. I love the softer, buttery rich Havarti in sandwiches.
I've never cooked with it though?

One time on Usenet, Goomba38 > said:
> Little Malice wrote:

> > We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
> > occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
> > had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
> > with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
> > something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> > it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> > both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> > Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:

> Havarti and Swiss are totally diff. Go buy a slice of each from the deli
> and have a taste.

The closest thing we've got to a deli here is the counter at the
stupidmarket, but it's a good idea and I'll see if they have it.

>I love the softer, buttery rich Havarti in sandwiches.
> I've never cooked with it though?

Yeah, after reading Wikipedia, I wondered that myself:

"Havarti is a versatile table cheese that works well sliced, grilled,
and melted. It's an excellent choice for sandwiches and snacks."

But I guess the idea is just to melt it in the soup..?

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

Little Malice wrote:

> But I'm wondering, why
> both Havarti and Swiss?

Havarti is soft and melts easily and will give you a very creamy
consistency, but once it's melted it's pretty bland. Swiss is a little
harder, and doesn't melt as well, but it has a stronger flavor.

I make cheese soup frequently for my husband, and I've found a mix is
good in order to get both a smooth consistency in the soup, and good
flavor. I like to add a little smoked cheddar or gouda, or some sharp
aged cheddar, too.

If I can find the cheese and wild rice soup recipe I made last week,
I'll post it.



Dawn

One time on Usenet, Dawn > said:
> Little Malice wrote:
>
> > But I'm wondering, why
> > both Havarti and Swiss?
>
> Havarti is soft and melts easily and will give you a very creamy
> consistency, but once it's melted it's pretty bland. Swiss is a little
> harder, and doesn't melt as well, but it has a stronger flavor.

Ah, I see!

> I make cheese soup frequently for my husband, and I've found a mix is
> good in order to get both a smooth consistency in the soup, and good
> flavor. I like to add a little smoked cheddar or gouda, or some sharp
> aged cheddar, too.

Thanks for the input, Dawn -- I appreciate it. :-)

> If I can find the cheese and wild rice soup recipe I made last week,
> I'll post it.

Ooooh, please do, that sounds good...

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

>>If I can find the cheese and wild rice soup recipe I made last week,
>>I'll post it.
>
>
> Ooooh, please do, that sounds good...
>


I based it off the directions at the bottom of this page:

http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-ti...team-Other.asp

The original calls for canned soup and processed american cheese, two
ingredients I felt I could do better on.

Start by steaming the wild rice ahead of time. This takes me about 45
minutes, and can be done the day ahead. Half a cup of wild rice makes a
bit over 2 cups cooked.

I make a roux with 2 T butter and 2 T of flour, cooked until it starts
to turn golden, a minute or so. Whisk in 1 cup of milk and stir until
smooth. Add a 2nd cup of milk and continue stirring. (you can also use
cream or sour cream, with a little extra water ) Then I add a cup or so
of strong chicken stock made with jarred paste. The trick is to keep
stirring and keep everything smooth as you add ingredients.

I sautee the onion and bacon in a separate pan and drain it.

Shred about 4 oz cheddar and stir into the thickened milk in small
handfuls. Shred about 4 oz of another favorite cheese, and add that
slowly, too. We have tried Vermont cheddar, smoked cheddar and gouda,
gruyere among others. It's a great way to use up leftovers. Sometimes
I'll add a teaspoon of good sweet paprika, it adds a nice color and I
like the flavor. You can also add your favorite hot sauce to taste --
start with two or three tablespoons.

Taste the soup for salt and adjust if necessary. The soup should coat a
spoon, but not be so thick the spoon stands up in it. Add milk or broth
as you feel appropriate.

Add the bacon, onions, and rice, and cook for a few minutes until
everything is hot through.

This will keep well in the fridge.... if you have leftovers.



Dawn

Dawn wrote:
> >>If I can find the cheese and wild rice soup recipe I made last week,
>>> I'll post it.
>>
>>
>> Ooooh, please do, that sounds good...
>
>
> I based it off the directions at the bottom of this page:
>
> http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-ti...team-Other.asp
>
> The original calls for canned soup and processed american cheese, two
> ingredients I felt I could do better on.
>

[snip]

Don't totally dismiss processed American cheese in soups. It is
extraordinary as *one* of the cheeses in soups and sauces. (it doesn't
have enough character to be the only cheese, IMHO) I like to mix it
with extra sharp white cheddar. I haven't tried using it with bleu
cheese yet.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob wrote:

> [snip]
>
> Don't totally dismiss processed American cheese in soups. It is
> extraordinary as *one* of the cheeses in soups and sauces. (it doesn't
> have enough character to be the only cheese, IMHO) I like to mix it
> with extra sharp white cheddar. I haven't tried using it with bleu
> cheese yet.

Agreed, it melts wonderfully. I tend to save the slices for burgers
though, and use the ol' brick of cheddar for cooking.



Dawn

Little Malice wrote:
> We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
> occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
> had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
> with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
> something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:
>
> "Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the
> stronger varieties, much like swiss cheese. The taste is buttery,
> and from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidulous.
> It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is
> older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut."
>
> I am NOT a cheese connoisseur, so I'm curious as to what you
> guys think:

I've winged cream of broccoli and cheese soup, but I didn't use a good
enough brand of cheese so it separated and kind of went clumpy. I think I
used Kraft Cheddar. In order to get a good, smooth, consistency you MUST
use a good cheese. Otherwise, just make a cream of broccoli without cheese.

kili

The Harrod's cookbook has an excellent Stilton soup recipe.
If anyone's interested I'll dredge it up.

Steve

> The Harrod's cookbook has an excellent Stilton soup recipe.
> If anyone's interested I'll dredge it up.
>
> Steve

That's one of my favorite soup recipes and I have it on hand at all times
<g>!

Name: Cream of Stilton Soup

Serves: 4

Key Ingredient: cheese

Preparation: simmer

Cuisine: British

Source: Harrod's Cookery Cookbook

Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups milk

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup sliced onion

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups chicken stock

4 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled

salt and pepper

Instructions: Bring the milk, bay leaf and onion to the boil. Remove from
the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, stir in the flour and cook, stirring,
for one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually pour in the milk,
stirring constantly. Return the pan to the heat and cook, stirring, for one
minute, then add the stock. Bring the soup to the boil, then let it simmer
for five minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the cheese. Stir until the
cheese melts, then season with pepper and salt if necessary. Serve hot with
crusty bread.

One time on Usenet, Dawn > said:
> zxcvbob wrote:
>
> > [snip]
> >
> > Don't totally dismiss processed American cheese in soups. It is
> > extraordinary as *one* of the cheeses in soups and sauces. (it doesn't
> > have enough character to be the only cheese, IMHO) I like to mix it
> > with extra sharp white cheddar. I haven't tried using it with bleu
> > cheese yet.
>
> Agreed, it melts wonderfully. I tend to save the slices for burgers
> though, and use the ol' brick of cheddar for cooking.

Thanks to both of you -- I've save your recipes, links, and
comments, and will definitely try this soup in the future. I'll
let you know how it turns out... :-)

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

One time on Usenet, "kilikini" > said:
> Little Malice wrote:

<snip cream of broccoli soup>

> > This one sounds like
> > something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> > it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> > both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> > Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:

<snip>

> I've winged cream of broccoli and cheese soup, but I didn't use a good
> enough brand of cheese so it separated and kind of went clumpy. I think I
> used Kraft Cheddar. In order to get a good, smooth, consistency you MUST
> use a good cheese. Otherwise, just make a cream of broccoli without cheese.

Yeah, I looked this recipe over again after reading your post,
Kili -- I think it would be fine without the cheese the first
time I make it. Then I can play with it if I like it enough
to try again.. :-)

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

One time on Usenet, unge (Little Malice) said:
> One time on Usenet, Dawn > said:
> > zxcvbob wrote:
> >
> > > [snip]
> > >
> > > Don't totally dismiss processed American cheese in soups. It is
> > > extraordinary as *one* of the cheeses in soups and sauces. (it doesn't
> > > have enough character to be the only cheese, IMHO) I like to mix it
> > > with extra sharp white cheddar. I haven't tried using it with bleu
> > > cheese yet.
> >
> > Agreed, it melts wonderfully. I tend to save the slices for burgers
> > though, and use the ol' brick of cheddar for cooking.
>
> Thanks to both of you -- I've save your recipes, links, and
> comments, and will definitely try this soup in the future. I'll
> let you know how it turns out... :-)

I did, and it was excellent! Served it to our close friends,
whom we not only trade dinner duties with, but experiment on
each other as well. This is definitely on my "try again" list,
the kids liked it too.

Here's the recipe I wound up using -- the only change I would
make is to use medium cheddar (the sharp was too "bitey" for
us) and I should have made a double batch:

Wild Rice Soup

Adapted from Dawn (RFC) and Recipetips.com

4 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 C. onion, minced
2 T. flour
2 T. butter
2 cups milk
1 C. strong chicken stock, from jarred paste or boullion cube
4 oz. American cheese, cubed
4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup steamed wild rice (1/4 c. raw), can be done day before
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 T. paprika (Optional)
Hot Sauce (Optional)

In a skillet, sauté the bacon pieces until lightly browned. Add
onion, continue cooking until the bacon is crisp and onions are
browned. Drain, set aside.

In a large saucepan, make a roux with flour and butter, cooking
a minute or so, until it beings to turn golden. Whisk in 1 cup of
milk and stir until smooth. Slowly add a 2nd cup of milk and continue
stirring. Add chicken stock. Keep stirring, making sure that
everything stays smooth. Slowly add cheeses, allowing some melting
between additions. Add the bacon, onions, and rice, and cook on low
to medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly and the
cheese has fully melted. Season the soup with salt and pepper; add
paprika if desired. Additional milk can be added if the consistency
of the soup is too thick. Makes 6 1 C. servings.

My Note: I did add the paprika and a couple of shots of hot sauce.

--
"Little Malice" is Jani in WA
~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

A couple of things: A really good melting cheese is Danish Fontina.
It's not as full flavored as the Italian Fontina, and it melts really
well. Great to add to macaroni and cheese.

Another question. When I was a kid (many long years ago) only American
Indians could harvest wild rice. This was by treaty agreement. This
ain't the case any more. When did this change, and how?

Steve, In Maryland


Little Malice wrote:
> One time on Usenet, Goomba38 > said:
> > Little Malice wrote:
>
> > > We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
> > > occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
> > > had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
> > > with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
> > > something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> > > it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> > > both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> > > Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:
>
> > Havarti and Swiss are totally diff. Go buy a slice of each from the deli
> > and have a taste.
>
> The closest thing we've got to a deli here is the counter at the
> stupidmarket, but it's a good idea and I'll see if they have it.
>
> >I love the softer, buttery rich Havarti in sandwiches.
> > I've never cooked with it though?
>
> Yeah, after reading Wikipedia, I wondered that myself:
>
> "Havarti is a versatile table cheese that works well sliced, grilled,
> and melted. It's an excellent choice for sandwiches and snacks."
>
> But I guess the idea is just to melt it in the soup..?
>
> --
> "Little Malice" is Jani in WA
> ~ mom, Trollop, novice cook ~

wrote:

> Another question. When I was a kid (many long years ago) only American
> Indians could harvest wild rice. This was by treaty agreement. This
> ain't the case any more. When did this change, and how?

Well...I just opened Google and typed in "Indian, wild rice, law,
harvest" and it returned a mess of websites. I'll let you scan 'em yourself:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...law%2C+harvest

Interesting.

Little Malice wrote:
> We've been talking about soups in another thread, and it
> occurred to me that I've never made cream of broccoli -- I've
> had in restaurants and love it. So I googled, and came up
> with 3350 results from cooks.com alone! This one sounds like
> something I'd like to try (and unlike a lot of the other recipes,
> it doesn't have cream cheese(?) in it). But I'm wondering, why
> both Havarti and Swiss? I've never had Havarti cheese, but
> Wikipedia makes it sound a lot like Swiss to me:
>
> "Havarti has a buttery aroma and can be somewhat sharp in the
> stronger varieties, much like swiss cheese. The taste is buttery,
> and from somewhat sweet to very sweet, and it is slightly acidulous.
> It is typically aged about three months, though when the cheese is
> older it becomes more salty and tastes like hazelnut."
>
> I am NOT a cheese connoisseur, so I'm curious as to what you
> guys think:
>
> 3-CHEESE CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP
>
> 6 tbsp. butter
> 1/3 c. flour
> 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
> 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
> 1/8 tsp. white pepper
> Dash of ground thyme
> 1 (13 3/4 oz.) can chicken broth
> 1 c. milk
> 3 c. bite-size broccoli flowerettes
> 1 c. whipping cream
> 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
> 1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
> 1 c. (4 oz.) shredded Cheddar cheese
> 1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Havarti cheese
> 1/2 c. (2 oz.) shredded Swiss cheese
>
> Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour and
> seasonings. Gradually add broth and milk; cook, stirring constantly
> until thickened. Stir in broccoli; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from
> heat; stir in cream, Worcestershire sauce and hot pepper sauce. Add
> cheeses; stir until melted. When reheating, do not boil or cheeses
> will curdle.

It's hardly worth the effort for such a small quantity of soup. I
think the recipe contains three different cheeses just to satify
someones idea of a catchy title... no one will be able to tell which
cheeses are in that soup... the swiss and cheddar will certainly
overwhelm the harvarti, and depending on the age of the cheddar it will
probably dominate the swiss. This recipe reminds me of one of those
fercocktah stupidmarket cheese balls the deli department makes by
blending left over/salvaged bits of cheese. For a cream of broccoli
(broccoli is strong flavored) I'd leave out all those cheeses and when
served garnish with a strong hard grated cheese; parmesan is good...
broccoli is a WOP veggie so why not.

broccoli
The name comes from the Italian word for "cabbage sprout" and indeed,
broccoli is a relative of cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower.
This deep emerald-green vegetable (which sometimes has a purple tinge)
comes in tight clusters of tiny buds that sit on stout, edible stems.
It's available year-round, with a peak season from October through
April. Look for broccoli with a deep, strong color - green, or green
with purple; the buds should be tightly closed and the leaves crisp.
Refrigerate unwashed, in an airtight bag, for up to 4 days. If the
stalks are tough, peel before cooking. Broccoli, a member of the
CRUCIFEROUS family, is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, as well
as riboflavin, calcium and iron.

© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc. 1995 based on THE FOOD
LOVER'S COMPANION, 2nd edition, by Sharon Tyler Herbst
---

Sheldon