The one interesting note is that each is topped with a different flavored whipped cream. The broccoli is paired with a curry whipped cream.
Against my better judgment, I bought broccoli at the commissary, because I was there and didn't want to make a trip out in town just for broccoli. The produce at the commissary is abysmal. For some mysterious reason, they chop heads of broccoli into pieces and saran wrap them together instead of simply selling heads of lettuce. I guess it stretches each head farther this way, because I'd need to buy 3 to constitute a normal head of broccoli. I find their broccoli repulsive and unappetizing, because it's often moldy in parts that you couldn't see when you bought it, and it's always dried out and brownish where it's been cut.
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| I didn't cut this. This is how it came. This is two packs of broccoli. |
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Now what can I have for lunch?
This week, I also made up one of the group's early recipes: Michel Rostang's Double Chocolate Mousse Cake. Our Italian friends invited us over for dinner, and this was a perfect dessert to bring. They loved it. Me? Knowing the number of steps involved (make chocolate mousse. Bake a portion of it in a springform pan. Let cool. Layer on the remainder, and bake that), I'd rather just have an easier and more luscious brownie. Don't get me wrong. This was good. It just wasn't worth the amount of work involved for me.
I think the success of these soups is highly dependent on the produce - I didn't hate these, but wasn't overly thrilled :-) The pX/ bX produce sounds horrid :-(
ReplyDeleteUgh, I'm sorry about the quality of your broccoli. But to tell you the truth, I had nice produce and these didn't wow me.
ReplyDeleteOh no. I have to admit, I did not make the broccoli soup, just the asparagus. Try again, I loved it!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about your soup. How annoying that you can't get decent veggies at the commissary.
ReplyDeleteAs for the chocolate cake, I seem to recall having similar feelings. Tasty and all, but not worth the effort. If you ever come across the old Williams Sonoma Christmas book (the OLD version) it has a much simpler and AMAZING chocolate mousse cake which I have made multiple times to rave reviews.
Oh no! Sorry about the soup. However, the mousse cake would have been lovely. What an off way for them to sell broccoli.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your soup. Nothing is more frustrating than when a recipe doesn't work out.
ReplyDeleteBummer on the broccoli… you should try a different vegetable the cream and the spices really made for a nice soup.
ReplyDeleteI totally get how you feel with the jet lagged, potentially out of season produce available at the commissary. I bought frozen broccoli to make that one, but in the end just decided to stick to the pepper soup. I hope that's an option for you too.
ReplyDeleteYup, I think when you are going to reduce the ingredients to a bare few then their quality is much the more important. They certainly would have benefitted from an onion...or something, right?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm not sure great produce would improve this much. I only made the asparagus one, and it was on the bland side. It just needs a little oomph.
ReplyDeleteHmmm... I had the same initial thought as you, that this would be boring with so few ingredients. I actually liked the soups A LOT (surprising myself). I made all three. I think it must have been your broccoli. It did look pretty sad. Try again with some gorgeous produce, maybe in the spring. I remember that chocolate cake. It tasted good, but was too much work. I prefer brownies too.
ReplyDeleteLOL ... so the one thing you quickly learn about the overseas commissaries in Europe is that Germany is one of the only countries that allows produce & meat to be shipped in from the States and then those products are trucked/flown to other commissaries in Europe as originating from "Germany" but it arrives a LOT later than it probably should so in England, I noticed all the meat was a dark purple when it should be bright red, and the produce was never good for longer than a day or two at best - or if I needed a large batch of apples for jamming or something, I would buy it there, but we saved money going off-base in the end cuz the produce & meat was FRESH and lasted longer than a couple days (at best) and we weren't having to re-buy food or go everyday to replace something that had literally died overnight in our fridge. It sucks to buy in euros but often food costs in Europe are more stable than the States and it will save you $$ in the long run.... it's just one of those things... at least you tried, right?? :)
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you did not like this recipe! I have come across many a broccoli that looked like that and they were supposed to be fresh from the market. I used frozen broccoli for this soup and even thought it was on the watery side I still liked it funny!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, your broccoli looks sad. It's frustrating that they package it that way. I wasn't wowed by the soups, either, but think they might make good flavour boosters frozen in cubes.
ReplyDeleteYikes, that sounds horrible. Sorry this was such a bad experience for you. I relate but in a different manner, in the summer when are temps average 112 and all the tourists leave, it is hard to get fresh produce in the desert - and fish, well lets just say we avoid fish during that time period. Hope you have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear about your soup. What a shame! On the other hand, the cake sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteWow- I did look at that broccoli shot as I opened your link and was thinking it was not the most fabulous looking veggie I had seen. I don't think it possible that it could have turned out a soup that would have wowed but I am hearing that some folks would have added a few more items to kick theirs up. I made all three and since I don't actually care for red peppers or asparagus- I only tasted them to taste them and my hubby finished them off. The broccoli was all mine and I enjoyed it. Perhaps using this as a starting point when you get back in the states will allow you to come up with "Ei's Party Soups" version :)
ReplyDeleteYou gotta start with a good food product, Ei, or else 9 times out of 10, it's a fail. I hope the NSA isn't monitoring your Post about your Post (Commissary) because goodness knows what they would do to you for dissing the government's broccoli. When I was at language school in Villefranche, we would go the huge San Remo and Ventimiglia markets and the Italian produce was way better than the French. It was gorgeous. I enjoyed the red pepper-raspberry version of this soup. Passed on the "greens" and probably won't return to this recipe again.
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