Potato Soup

From December 21, 2008.   Potatoes and cream in soup.   It's a good soup that will "stick with you".

For some additional interesting flavor and texture, 5-10 minutes before serving, add ~8oz of imitation (or real) crab meat, or a few chopped-up stalks of broccoli (or both).  
-------------------------
1T butter
2T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced

~2lbs of golden potatoes, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
4.5 cups water

2-3T fresh parsley, chopped
black pepper to taste
1 vegetable bullion cube.

2oz cheddar cheese, grated
2oz monterey jack cheese, grated

In a large pot, got the oil & butter just up to the smoke point, and then added the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and a dash of kosher salt, to help extract water. Sauteed all of those for a bit, and then added the potatoes, water, and cream (in that order). Ten I added the seasonings, and sprinkled the cheese into the pot while stirring. Brought it back to a low simmer and cooked on medium low for about 45 minutes.