Česnečka (Czech Garlic Soup)

Normally, the Cuter & Shorter Half cooks all the meals and all I do is heat them up and set the table before she gets home from work (and wash up afterwards).

Tonight, however, I decided to actually cook! Using my trusty cast iron dutch oven, I made Česnečka, Czech garlic soup. Despite the fact that she's half Bohemian, the C&SH generally doesn't like Czech food, plus she's a picky eater, unlike me. She has said that I'll eat anything that does't eat me first!

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At any rate, it was a success! She liked it, and suggested some tweaks to the recipe the next time I make it. It's really simple, if you'd like to try it.

Take six cups of stock, broth or water (mix and match as available), crush six cloves of garlic, dice three potatoes, and prepare 1 tsp each of salt, pepper, parsley, marjoram, and crushed caraway seed (you can't have Bohemian food without caraway!).

Put the stock/broth/water and the crushed garlic in the pot. Bring it to a boil, turn down and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the diced potatoes, the seasoning and two Tbsp of butter. Simmer until the potatoes are done.

Serve over a slice of Bohemian rye bread. A hearty and filling meal.

Since the C&SH is a vegetarian, I used 4 cups of commercial vegetable broth and 2 cups of water, but chicken or beef stock are the usual base. And, since I'm on a restricted sodium diet, I left out the salt because the broth I used had plenty already. You can also use lard or bacon fat instead of the butter.