Cream of Peas and Romanesco

1 cauliflower (2 lb.)

1 large leek

2 potatoes (about ½ lb.)

3 ½ oz. peas (frozen also)

3 ecodoses of vegetable broth

4 slices of rye bread

3 tbsp olive oil

4 tbsp mascarpone cheese

a pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper, freshly ground

1 Wash the cauliflower, break off the florets, and put them in the pot.

Add the leek, washed and cut into slices, the potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces, and the peas. Pour 3 ecodoses of broth, close the lid

and cook for 5 minutes from the first whistle on position 1.

Once cooked, turn off the heat, open the bleeder valve, then open the lid.

2 Remove the cooked vegetables with a perforated spoon and put them in a blender with slightly less than 1 cup of broth. If you do not have a blender you can use an immersion blender, but make sure that there is not too much cooking liquid. Blend well for 2-3 minutes, then pour the cauliflower cream directly in the dishes and let it rest for a while.

3 Meanwhile, cut the bread into cubes with a knife, then heat up a pan on high heat. Put the bread cubes in the pan, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt. Pan-fry them for 3-5 minutes, until they become crispy and golden. Keep them aside.

 4 Put 1 tablespoon of mascarpone cheese in the center of each cauliflower cream, grate a pinch of nutmeg on each of them, then add a little bit of black pepper. Serve the cream with the toasted croutons.