Wow, a lot of great ideas. Gives me inspiration. I didn't realize the outside of the stems need to be peeled off. What if I just pureed it with my vita mix blender and used it like that for soup? I will definitely experiment and let you all know how things worked out. It will be a while yet, cuz I'm still going to hold out a week or two to start pulling them since I see more small florets. Katkin, I do have a cheese grater. I also have sunflower seeds I can use for a slaw. What is the dressing made out of? Smart2surf, I've made a similar recipe, minus the bacon, with collards and think I will try it with the leaves as you say. Natives and veggies, I haven't made a quiche in years, but sounds like a great idea. Will need to look through my recipe box. Willy, I make a stir fry of some sort about once a week, so I will definitely peel and slice the stems to try that way. This veggie garden is going to make a cook out of me yet! That is a good thing, a very good thing. Thanks everyone. Anna

Good idea! Are you freezing it in those jars? If so you may want to remove a bit from each jar to allow for expansion as it freezes. Usually need to leave at least an inch. Also be sure to only have the lids screwed on loosely until it is frozen so the jars won't break on you. Enjoy your soup. Dave

Did you taste the broccoli before you made the soup? Broccoli is naturally bitter, though some people taste the bitterness more than others. It's certainly possible that different crops in different years and/or different soil will have a different amount of bitterness, but it's always there. I've read that blanching in water (rather than steam) removes a lot of the bitterness. I don't know if that's true--I haven't done a side by side test--but blanched florets, which are often served plain, do seem sweeter. Blanching is no big deal, especially if you're making soup (so it won't matter if they don't get shocked cold just perfectly). You might try that next time. I doubt the problem was the stock if it was put up in a factory. They monitor and taste test that kind of thing constantly. You can call the company to see if they had any other complaints.

Athome... Yes you could use quick cooking oats in the soup as the flakes are fine and are impossible to detect as an ingredient. Large flake or old-fashioned oats are normally used in these low GI recipes for those who are dieting as they take longer to digest and therefore rate lower on the GI scale than quick-cooking oats. However I've tried using both and I prefer the smaller flake of the quick-cooking oats in a soup, so that it doesn't resemble a bowl of porridge LOL. If you're interested, I have another recipe that uses oats in the sauce. Here's how I posted it on the Cooking Forum in June of last year: *************************************************** Serves 4 2 TBS olive oil 2 chopped onions 1 clove garlic chopped finely 4 cups (125 grams) chopped spinach leaves 1 TBS chopped fresh leaves of mint 1/4 teasp herbes de Provençe 1/2 teasp sea salt 1/2 teasp freshly ground black pepper 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 4 oz (125 grams) each 2 oz (50 grams) light Boursin cheese 1 TBS freshly grated parmesan 1 red pepper, seeded, quartered and roasted 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) white wine 1/2 cup (4 oz or 120 ml) chicken stock 2 x 15 ounce tins of chopped tomatoes 1/4 teasp crumbled strands of saffron 1/2 cup large-flake slow cooking porridge oats 1. Prepare red peppers and put into toaster oven or grill to roast. Chop spinach and set aside. 2. Heat 1 TBS of the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat and cook half the onion and all the minced garlic for about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook a further 2 minutes or until wilted. Stir in the mint, herbes de Provençe and 1/4 teasp each of the salt and pepper. Remove from pan and put all into a bowl to cool. 3. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board between two sheets of cling film and beat with a mallet or rolling pin until they have spread and are about 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick. (Here I trimmed the edges of each one to make more of a tidy rectangle and put the cut bits into a ziplock in the freezer.) 4. With a fork, mix the two cheeses into the spinach mixture to combine. Spread the filling mixture over the chicken breasts, nearly to the edges. Cut the red pepper into strips and lay them across the filling. 5. Starting at the short end, carefully roll up the breasts and place them seam-side down on a large platter or cutting board. Sprinkle them with the rest of the salt and pepper. 6. Heat the remaining 1 TBS olive oil in a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the remaining onion about 5 minutes, then add the wine, chicken stock, tomatoes,saffron and a little more seasoning. Simmer on low heat, covered for about 8 minutes, then add the oats and stir. 7. Place the rolled chicken breasts on top of the sauce in the pan and continue to simmer, covered, for 20 - 25 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. 8. To serve - place the chicken on a plate and spoon sauce around and over the top. Serve whole if rolls are small, or even better - slice them thickly with a sharp knife to display the colourful filling. - sliced and ready to serve. Source: Adapted from Rick Gallop's GI Diet Green-Light Cookbook My Note: I halved the recipe, with the exception of the cooking oil and the red pepper, using two large breasts for the two portions. SharonCb