普羅旺斯的天空下 Living in Provence

最近已經颳了近一星期的Mistral(密斯托拉)風 ...
(註:  Mistral風, 是種強勁、乾燥源自北方或西北方所吹來的風, 這種風通常會在經過隆河谷地時增加它的強度。在隆河谷地時速經常可達每小時90公里, 。Mistral風一年四季都吹, 每次所吹的天數約為1、 3、 5天至一星期。 Mistral風對普羅旺斯和地中海區域的氣候及農作有不小的影響度。)

在這種秋天颳風的天氣裡, 特別是在夜晚, 喝上一晚熱呼呼的湯, 及蔬菜的香甜...能讓我感覺幸福。加上市面上秋季採收的蔬菜一一上市, 我滿腦子全是湯...想來做一系列的湯。

白花椰菜湯所需材料如下:

1 顆白花椰菜
1  蒜苗 (我用的是leek,妳們如果找不到的話也可用大蒜苗取代)
半顆洋蔥
3 - 4 顆中型馬鈴薯
1瓣大蒜
800 ml - 1公升蔬菜高湯
(因自製高湯已用完, 我使用現成的蔬菜凍加800ml的清水)
1茶匙  茴香粉 (ground cumin)
少許白胡椒 調味用

準備蔬菜:
1.  將白花椰菜清洗、切塊
2.  蒜苗和洋蔥略切
3.  大蒜壓碎
4.  馬鈴薯去皮、切塊

烹煮:

1.  將洋蔥和蒜苗加入鑄鐵鍋內慢慢炒香5分鐘, 加入大蒜和1茶匙茴香粉 (ground cumin)

2.  攪拌並繼續烹煮3-4分鐘, 加入白花椰菜、馬鈴薯

3.  加入蔬菜高湯, 使用少許白胡椒調味

4.  加熱煮沸, 加蓋, 轉中火繼續烹煮20分鐘
5.  使用一打汁機將此湯物打至濃稠狀即可

(註 1:  我並無始用鮮奶油或酸奶 (cream liquid or cream fraiche), 因為想品嘗蔬菜那一絲淡淡的香甜味。加上我使用了馬鈴薯,其中的澱粉和少量的高湯即可調配出濃稠感。註2:  可將多餘的濃湯放入冷凍庫保存。)

如圖所示, 因為我使用手動攪拌器, 為了不刮傷琺瑯鑄鐵鍋, 我將此湯物倒入另一鍋中進行攪拌。

我還另外加烤了起士麵包酌餐
(起士麵包:  烤相預熱200C, 將法國棍子麵包對切, 灑上法國的emmental或瑞士的gruyere(皆為用於焗烤常見的起士) 烤至金黃即可。)


English Version:

It has been windy for a few days; it is all the doing of the famous Mistral!

Days like these, I just want to have some nice soup to warm myself up.  Plus I am starting to see all the autumn vegetables in market and thought I could do a series on soup!

For the Cauliflower Soup, you will need:

1 cauliflower
1 leek
half of an onion
3 to 4 potatoes
1 garlic
800 ml - 1L vegetable stock
(I am using bought vegetable jelly* with 800 ml of water)
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
white pepper to season

(*Vegetable jelly - just another form of the traditional stock cube but it is less salty and taste better than cubes.  Just a quick option when I run out of homemade stock.)

Preparation:
1.  Cut the cauliflower into florets
2.  Roughly chop the onion and leek
3.  Crush the garlic
4.  Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks

Making the soup:
1.  In a large heavy-based saucepan, saute onion and leek for 4 to 5 minutes; add garlic and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.  
2.  Stir and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes and add the cauliflower and potatoes.
3.  Add the vegetable stock (or 1 vegetable jelly with 800 ml of water).  Season with some white pepper.
4.  Bring it to the boil.  Cover the lid and cook for another 20 minutes over a medium heat.
5.  Whiz everything in a blender (or a hand mixer) and reheat the soup when ready to serve.
(* If you are using a hand mixer, you might want to change it into another saucepan so that you don't damage your cast iron (heavy-based) saucepan.)

As shown in picture, we had a piece of grilled bread with emmental (or gruyere).