Passata del Vedure

The name of this recipe is best in Italian and I really don't know how to translate it well so feel free to jump in and help. It isn't really a soup, and certainly puree of vegetable doesn't do it justice. Perhaps a velute' of vegetables? It is creamy without having cream and has subtle spice with the curry and garlic. I usually make this with broccoli and not only I love it but my kids gobble it up too. Once my son's friend Davis came over and he ate two bowls. Loved it. Later his mom called and said, How did you get my son to eat broccoli? He has never eaten broccoli."

This recipe is part of a collection from the only cooking class I've taken in Italy. The name of the school was Le Cordon Bleu. I would never have chosen a cooking school with a French name in Florence but my amica del cuore,, Laura wanted me to go with her so I did. Thankfully the teachers were Tuscan and for the most part they stuck to Italian cuisine but I know they had spent time in France because they kept sneaking butter into the recipe's. Tuscan's who have never left Tuscany usually only use olive oil in their cooking. I personally am glad to be living in a region that only uses olive oil because as soon as I start to use butter the seal affect takes over (a layer of fat starts to form under my skin as if my body was preparing for a very cold winter) .

I am diverging but I can't help talking about olive oil because as I write they are picking the olives out my window and I know very very soon I will have the taste of wonderful spicy olive oil hitting the back of my throat. Olio nuovoSigh. It is seriously one of the best things about living in Tuscany. When it is freshly pressed the flavor is so intense and spicy. After a couple of months it fades unless you freeze it.

Anyway back to the recipe. Last night I made this with a vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and califlower and it was amazing. You can use any vegetable you want.

500 grams of vegetables (I usually use just broccoli)
2 or three potatoes
4 big spoons of olive oil
3 or more cups of broth.
1/2 teaspoon of curry
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
white pepper
salt
olive oil, or cream to drizzle on top

Heat the broth. Peal and cut in medium dice the potatoes. Wash and chop in pieces the vegetables.

In a pot heat the oil and add the potatoes. After a few minutes add the garlic and curry and saute for a few more minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and the the broth and boil for about 10 minutes. Puree everything. Reheat and serve what you like on top.