Earth Day found the wife and I out at Fair Weather Farm happily standing in the bone chilling rain witnessing the amazing feat of sheep shearing. Who knew all the back breaking work involved in producing yarn? The Gotland sheep at FWF are as precious as their wool is beautiful so the rainfall took back stage to the sweet sounds of the bleating sheep. We very much enjoyed the VIP pass to our second sheep shearing and are ever impressed with the skills and talents of our dedicated, local farmers and the community they support. The rain may have been cold but it only enhanced our appreciation for how magnificent and uncontrollable Mother Earth is and reinforced a necessary and healthy respect for nature. I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate Earth Day. Around noon the shearing wrapped up and we both unanimously decided that we wanted a hot, steaming bowl of soup for lunch. This recipe took about 30 minutes to prepare and after a rainy morning at the farm, we merrily slurped this soup down in a matter of minutes.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

about 1 cup Broccoli Florets, choppeds

1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped

2 cups Milk of choice (I used one cup Kilby whole milk & one cup unsweetened Almond/Cashew Milk)

1 cup Vegetable broth

1 cup of Shredded Cheddar (note: more cheese will create a thicker soup, I opted to thicken with a few pulses of the immersion blender)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp Spanish Paprika

1/4 tsp Garlic, minced

1 tab of Butter

1/4 tsp Red Pepper flakes, optional or less or more to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

In a med soup pot over med flame, heat the butter. Add the onion and saute until tender and translucent. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add in the milk and broth and bring to a soft boil. Stir in the broccoli, remaining spices, and continue to cook until broccoli is tender. With an immersion blender, pulse the soup several times until desired thickness is achieved. Turn off heat and slowly stir in the shredded cheese, 1/2 a cup at a time. Adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately.