Categories: Broccoli, Dairy, Cheese 
      Yield: 4 servings 
  
  
  2 fresh broccoli (each about 3-in. bottom diameter) 1/2 lb butter 2 to 6 
  cloves garlic, chopped 1 tb Chervil (fresh/dried chopped) 1 ts salt 1 ts 
  white pepper 3 c milk (full-cream milk) 1 md egg yolk, beaten 1/4 c flour 
  1/8 ts cardamom 1/8 ts mace 1 c heavy cream (whipping) 1/3 c Gruyere cheese 
  (fresh, 
      grate fine) 1/3 c parmesan cheese (grate to 
      powder) 
   
  (1)  Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces.  Discard the hard stem pieces, but 
     keep tender leaves and stem parts. 
   
  (2)  Steam the cut broccoli for about 5-8 minutes, until just bright green 
     in color.  Do not over- cook. 
   
  (3)  In a 10-inch enameled (non-metal) skillet, heat 6 oz of butter until 
     melted.  Add chopped garlic and wait until butter is hot enough to 
     cook in. Add steamed broccoli, then chervil to the skillet. Lightly 
     salt the broccoli. 
   
  (4)  Cover, and cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally with a 
     wooden spoon, for another 5-10 minutes or until the broccoli turns a 
     darker green color and becomes very soft. 
   
  (5)  Mash the broccoli right in the skillet until no large pieces remain. 
     Use a potato masher or a strong wooden spoon.  Mash until there are no 
     pieces remaining that are too big to fit in a soup spoon. 
   
  (6)  While broccoli is cooking, add beaten egg yolk to 2 cups of milk. 
   
  (7)  Put 3 Tbsp butter into a 2-3 quart saucepan.  Use enamel or glass for 
     best soup flavor.  Metal pans will make this soup bitter.  Melt butter 
     and add flour.  When the flour bubbles and starts to cook, add the 
     egg/milk mixture into the saucepan.  Add the cardamom, mace, and white 
     pepper.  Stir con- tents of saucepan constantly with wooden spoon 
     until thick. Lower the cooking heat. 
   
  (8)  Empty the mashed broccoli mixture into the sau- cepan. Stir until 
     well-mixed. Slowly stir in the remaining milk and the cream.  As soon 
     as the soup becomes hot enough to cook again, add the grated cheeses. 
   
  (9)  Turn the heat down lower and simmer for about 5 more minutes, stirring 
     to allow the cheeses to melt and mix while the table is being set. 
     Serve immediately and retire quickly so as not to be trampled by those 
     who smelled it cooking. 
   
  NOTES This recipe may be doubled, halved or whatever without penalty.  Vary 
     the amount of milk added the second time to change the soup thickness 
     to your own tastes.  You also may use any fresh green vegetable as a 
     substitute for the broc- coli. Asparagus tips, artichoke hearts, and 
     corn are espe- cially nice.  Cook them in the same way as you did the 
     broc- coli.  Use any leftover butter on the hard French finger rolls. 
   
  CONTRIBUTOR George Robertson Fort Worth, Texas 
   
      Copyright (C) 1987 USENET