Poached Garlic Soup - garlic

Method

• Peel the garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the central greenish core.
• Put in a small pan of salted water and bring to a boil.
• Drain and repeat twice to remove the garlic's heat and leave only the sweetness behind.
• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot.
• Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt to draw the water out of the onion.
• Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add the potatoes.
• Add the blanched garlic and stock.
• Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Remove soup from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Place cooled pot with soup in refrigerator to chill.
• Day of party re-heat soup over medium heat.
• Add the oregano, spinach, and cream and cook 1 minute to wilt the spinach.
• Transfer to blender and carefully blend until smooth *see note below.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
• Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway.
• If using a blender, release one corner of the lid.
• This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions.
• Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.