Creamy Cauliflower Soup

I was at the Pasadena Farmer's Market this weekend and picked up a beautiful head of green cauliflower and some French fingerling potatoes from Weiser Farms.  Paul and the girls were rumbling about being hungry when I walked through the doors.  Desperate to make something healthy and delicious, I whipped up this standard in our family.  Creamy cauliflower soup.  The green of the cauliflower and the celery turns this soup into a delicate jade color.  Serve it up with some country bread and a dose of smugness, cause this soup is good and good for you  (O:>

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 head of cauliflower cut up into small chunks
2 medium size potatoes, quartered
(preferably French fingerlings or Yukon Gold, they'll lend a creaminess to your soup)
1/2 an onion, rough chopped
1outer stalk of celery and the 1 inner stalk with leaves, rough chopped
1 32oz box of vegetable broth, or your own homemade chicken stock
2 small bay leaves and parsley or chives to garnish
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Makes 8 servings

Equipment: stock pot & blender

Sautee the onions and celery in the olive oil on medium high heat until soft and translucent.  Add in stock,cauliflowers, potatoes and bay leaves. Add water if necessary to cover the vegetables completely. Bring to a boil and simmer with a half covered lid for about 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat and spoon out 2 cups of cauliflowers into a bowl, roughly mash them with a fork and set aside. Fish out your two bay leaves, those suckers can be hard to find, fun, fun! Puree the rest of the soup in  a blender until creamy and smooth, taking care not to burn yourself when the blender is on.  Start by filling the blender only 1/3 full and blend on low, slowly add in the rest of the soup until it's blended smoothly.  You will have to do this twice.  Pour the soup back into the pot, add the mashed cauliflowers back into the soup, and season again to your liking.  If you want to go wild, add in two tablespoons of cream, but then you can't be sanctimonious or smug any more.