Grandma Janet
and the broccoli cheddar soup
My grandma Janet died in the middle of the night late last month. I woke up to a call from my mom asking me to come home. She said “I need you.” It was an unexpected expression from the woman who raised me to need no one. My mother is and always has been a beacon of strength and guidance to me and my two brothers. An eternal port in the storm. No matter what has happened or how badly I’ve thought my adult life was going, I could never consider myself in dire straits because I’ve always known her safety net. How do I begin to explain how lucky I am to be Renee’s daughter? We have a running bit where I tell her “you’re the best mommy any daughter could ever ask for.” It’s a sentiment we’ve shared my whole life, but I don’t know if she realizes how true it is. Her love is huge. Anyone who has been fortunate enough to be close to her has learned this. I am grateful that she passed her heart and nurturing spirit down to me. I would not be who I am without this woman and she would not be who she is without her mother.
My grandmother was a complicated but loving woman. She raised a huge, amazing family who knows, loves, and defends each other. Although I wouldn’t have considered myself very close with her, I am mournful for her loss and sensitive to the shifting generational structure of my immediate and extended families. I love my grandma and I am deeply grateful to her for giving this world my mom, whom I want to be just like when I grow up.
Grandma Janet cooked consistently throughout my entire life. Her breakfast is casserole, her dessert is nut roll, and her soup is broccoli cheddar. I think about her every time I make it. I’ve been thinking about her a lot since her death so naturally it has come time for us to talk about broccoli cheddar. This recipe is not glamorous. It’s not good for you. It requires a chemically enhanced cheese food product. This is one of the most popular soups I make because it is delicious. If nutrition did not exist, I would eat at Taco Bell literally every day.
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
8 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tbsp paprika
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 cup flour
6 cups water / broth, divided
5 broccoli heads and stalks
1 carrot, shredded
1 quart heavy cream
16oz. Velveeta cheese
16oz. Shredded cheddar
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium low heat. Add onions and sweat for a minute then add garlic. Continue to sweat the alliums until they start to become translucent, then add paprika. Add flour and stir to combine until all of the flour is absorbed. Gradually add the water in batches allowing the soup to thicken between each batch. If it is not thickening, turn up the heat. Add broccoli, carrots, and cream. Bring soup to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer until the broccoli is completely cooked through. Add Velveeta. Once the Velveeta has melted, add the shredded cheese. Turn off the heat. Salt to taste. Serve with scallions or chives, and crackers.
Some notes –
- I like to use all parts of the broccoli, cutting the florets into small pieces then dicing the stalk. I only discard the woody end of the stalk.
- Velveeta is necessary.
- Diced potato would be great in here.
- Water is fine. You can also use chicken or vegetable broth.
I am just over a month out from leaving the funeral home and I honestly do not miss it. Truthfully, I’ve been so stinkin’ busy over the last month I’ve hardly thought about it at all. It feels good to be getting used to a new routine and it feels great to be working for myself. Thanks to all of you. I wouldn’t be here without you and I love you.
The Taylor Swift concert is 4 days away and I don’t have a ticket. I wish I could say that I didn’t care and I wish I actually didn’t. The truth is I really love Taylor Swift. She’s been one of my best friends for 17 years. In my opinion, there are many, many very good reasons why she is one of the most popular musicians in the country. I have a lot of mixed feelings regarding the access to the concert that I won’t get into here. My partner and friends keep saying “it feels like you’re going to go” and for some reason I agree. It does feel like I’m going to go. I know if I don’t make it to this one I will have another opportunity in the future but I’m not giving up yet. If you know anyone selling tickets, send ‘em my way.
This week at Thyme Machine and Lineaverde Green Market, I have tomato gazpacho, pasta fagioli, and seafood chowder. Hold onto your butts!
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I love you
-the BMer
p.s. seriously though free soup for life for anyone who helps me procure Taylor Swift tickets.