They say that smells make some of our strongest memories. Perhaps because this is our most primeval sense. Think about it, a certain scent is often enough to remind you not only of a certain situation but also how you where feeling, what it tasted like, even what you where thinking.
My mother makes a fennel soup that always make me think of lazy, luxurious summer evenings. I remember the feeling of the grass in between my toes as we sit outside in the late evening sun. I can remember feeling slightly cold while the days heat evaporates out of me and I clearly remember the rich, velvety smooth taste of her soup and for some reason a glass of white wine.
I ran past some fennel in the supermarket while thinking of making something different than the usual soup. When I called my mother and she gave me the recipe, surprised, from her perspective fennel is a summer vegetable.
Ingredients:
Half a stick of butter
2 large bulbs of Fennel
a small potato (my addition)
1 liter of vegetable stock
some heavy cream
1.Trim the fennel bulbs but keep some of the thin green fronds. Half each bulb and slice coarsely.
2. Heat butter in a pan and add the fennel, stirring occasionally. Cook over a low flame for 10-15 minutes, until the fennel has softened. In the mean time peel and quarter the potato and boil in water until softened.
3. Add to the fennel along with the vegetable stock. With a hand blender puree the fennel and potato into the stock (you can leave the potato out if you like, I use it to thicken the soup).
4. Add a little cream for color and garnish with the chopped green fronds from the fennel.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
