Despite a general love of vegetables, I was anti-cauliflower for years.  I don’t know how the dislike began; perhaps I simply thought cauliflower was inferior to its cousin, broccoli, or maybe I had only eaten it unseasoned, steamed and bland.  I was delighted recently when I tried roasted cauliflower, laden with garlic and parmesan.  I liked the dish so much that I wanted it again, immediately. But the rainy, misty weather called for soup. What was a girl to do? Why, combine the recipes of course.

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. prosciutto, diced
2 medium heads of cauliflower (this dish will be especially striking it you opt for a colored variety of cauliflower), finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 head of garlic, cloved and minced
1 large white potato, chopped into 1” cubes
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1 cup grated parmesan, 2 tablespoons set aside
1 cup of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives (optional)

1. Add diced prosciutto to large pot over medium flame and cook until fat is rendered and prosciutto is crisped. Remove prosciutto from pot and put on paper towel to drain.
2. Add olive oil to pan, then toss in potato, onion and garlic. Cook until potato is tender and onion is translucent.
3. Add cauliflower and cook mixture until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
4. When cauliflower is cooked thoroughly, add stock and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat and puree until desired texture, using an immersion blender.
6. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients until incorporated.
7. Garnish with prosciutto, chives and reserved parmesan.

This soup is also good cold. Other herbs can be subsituted for sage and chives.