I was first introduced to an IB when working as an au pair, circa 1982, in the village of Chamonix, France.
Mdm. Ettienne (a fictitious surname, the original long forgotten) was in the habit of concocting a wonderful soup at week's end, making use of leftover vegetables.
My favorite of these was a dish she dubbed "soupe de racine", or "root soup".
Just as it sounds, Mdm. gathered a miscellany of edible roots from her cold storage: carrots, turnips, parsnips and the like. After a sauté of aromatics, such as garlic, shallot or a basic mirepoix (diced onion, celery and carrot) she added liquid to the pot. Water is great, as is vegetable or chicken broth, filling the pot to about the 3/4 mark, or enough to cover the roots to be added. Large chopped chunks of the veggies sufficed, as they would soften with boiling.
Now comes my favorite part: the immersion blender. She whipped out this device I had never seen in my mother's American kitchen, and proceeded to stick it right into the hot pot! What was once a rather unappetizing pot of glop morphed into a silky smooth potage, which she then topped with shredded gruyere and pepper.
My charge, little adorable yet fussy Else, was two-ish, and cared not for vegetables....you see where I am going. So thanks to French mamas everywhere, French kids get their veggies.
I have my very own IB nowadays, as do most Americans cooks, and I blend till my heart's content. What vegetable doesn't lend itself to blending? Today it was butternut squash. Tomorrow it may be asparagus...you do the math.
Recovery from addiction is a daily experience, and I have found that dwelling on the "what ifs" or waiting for the next shoe to drop is no way to live. My life is NOW...so I'll make soup.
