Celery Fennel Soup

Celery is usually so benign.  When I got my first bunch from the farm, I realized how much flavor it really should have.   I got challenged to make a celery dish, and was craving soup - so here's what happened.  

What you need:  Celery - about 10 ribs cut into 1-2 inch pieces
                           Fennel - 2 small or 1 large bulb - cut into 1-2 inch sections
                           Garlic - 5-6 cloves whole
                           olive oil - 3-4 tbsp
                           Salt & Pepper 1 -2 tsp.
                            4 red potatoes - peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
                            6 cups chicken broth
                           Juice from half a lemon
                           1/2 cup of half and half.


Heat your oven to 350. Then, cut your veggies and put em in a roasting pan with the garlic.  Toss with oil and salt and roast for about 45 minutes, until they get a little brownish around the corners. While they roast, cook your taters in the chicken broth until tender, maybe 15 minutes.  Take the broth & potatoes off the heat.  When the veggies are nice and roasted, put them in with the potatoes and let the whole thing cool for a few minutes.  Transfer to blender in batches - don't burn yourself, it hurts.  If you want no celery strings, use a strainer when you put it back in the pot.  Then bring the concoction to a boil, add lemon juice and half & half, re-season to taste.