By Molly

 I really do. I love winter. 
Winter has hit Polokwane and I am smiling. Thank heavens for some colder temperatures!
We are close  to the Tropic of Capricorn, so we experience different temperatures than those in Moscow and Helsinki.
(lucky devils! I dream of living in Helsinki!)

Red wine, soup, pancakes, coats, scarves, comfort food, boots and a fireplace - all part of my winter. I also am more productive and more creative in winter! Just imagine the level of success I will have in Helsinki! Anyway, let’s eat!

I found this great soup recipe from Deliaonline - perfect combination of flavours. Perfect for a cold winter’s night.
Enjoy! 

Cauliflower and Roquefort soup

Ingredients:
• 1 medium, good-sized cauliflower (about 570 g)
• 50 g Roquefort, crumbled into pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 25 g butter
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1 large leek, trimmed, washed and chopped
• 110 g potato, peeled and chopped into dice
• 2 tablespoons half-fat crème fraîche, plus a little extra to serve
• salt and freshly milled black pepper

Prepare:
Make the stock - all you do is trim the cauliflower into small florets and then take the stalk bits, including the green stems, and place these trimmings in a medium-sized saucepan. Then add 1.5 litres of water, the bay leaves and some salt, bring it up to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes with a lid.
Meanwhile, take another large saucepan with a well-fitting lid, melt the butter in it over a gentle heat, then add the onion, celery, leek and potato, cover and let the vegetables gently sweat for 15 minutes. Keep the heat very low, then, when the stock is ready, strain it into the pan to join the vegetables, adding the bay leaves as well but throwing out the rest. Now add the cauliflower florets, bring it all back up to simmering point and simmer very gently for 20-25 minutes, until the cauliflower is completely tender, this time without a lid.

After that, remove the bay leaves, then place the contents of the saucepan in a food processor or liquidiser and process until the soup is smooth and creamy. Next return it to the saucepan, stir in the crème fraîche and cheese and keep stirring until the cheese has melted and the soup is hot but not boiling. Check the seasoning, then serve in hot bowls, garnished with a little more crème fraîche, if you like, and snippets of chives.