Broccoli Cheddar Soup

My friend asked about Food Inc. the other day.

"So does it say you should be, like, vegetarian?"

I answered, "No." (Since I'm a self appointed spokesperson.) Food Inc. explores the industrialized food system in America, and if I was to name a food lifestyle it was promoting it is simply "eat real food." You can eat meat, if it comes from healthy animals eating the food that nature intended for them. I would call meat a real food, along with fruits and vegetables and flours milled from grains--that sort of thing.

I like to be able to recognize my food--what it is, and what's in it.

This last week as Jeremy and I were discussing grocery shopping, we felt like we needed some "easy food," based on Jeremy's current inability to help out around the house.There was the temptation of the idea of buying some ready-made processed foods.

Until I remembered that real food can be just as easy.

An onion in a pot with butter then flour.  A quart of stock.  Broccoli and some shredded carrots.  4oz cheddar and 1/2 cup of cream.

Hardly needs a recipe.

I love to look at my ingredients and see how simple they are and know that something truly delicious is coming.  That's why, although I believe I'm a good cook (through equal parts practice and courage), I've never felt comfortable with the label "gourmet" that some people sometimes give me.  Most of the time I love the basic simple ingredients. 

What else could I want?

Edited* More specific instruction if you want to make Cheddar broccoli soup.   Start by sauteing the onions in 2 TBS butter until soft.   Add 2 Tbls flour until the butter soaks it all up.   Then add chicken stock a little bit at a time while stirring to get all that flour and butter mixed through it.   Add the broccoli to the broth and simmer until soft.  Add the carrots toward the end of the broccoli cooking.  Then slowly add the cheese to melt it and add the cream and stir to combine.