This is a variation on Richard Guest's recipe featured in Soup Kitchen by Thomasina Miers.

I've served it many times at the cafe, but today we made it for the pupils at Cheese School, which you can read more about here.

It was a great day, with loads of good friends and new faces, and it was a real honour to be asked to be a part of it.

The brief was to make a light, cheesy lunch for all the pupils (who would have been eating cheese all day!) so we decided on this soup, served with Welsh rarebit and a salad made with a soft ewe's curd and blood oranges. The recipes for the rarebit and the salad will appear either here or on Dan's EssexEating blog soon.

This recipe scales up well (we made it for 18) and can be made up to 3 days in advance, chilled and reheated when needed.

As always, I'd love to know what you think, and especially if you make it - let me know how it goes!

Serves 4

1 small cauliflower (we used Cornish caulifliower, which is great right now)

1 large potato

2 garlic cloves

850ml semi-skimmed milk (we used organic Somerset milk)

25g butter

175g strong cheddar cheese (we used Keen's Cheddar from Somerset)

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Trim, wash and finely chop the cauliflower, core and all.

Peel and finely chop the potato.

Peel and finely chop the garlic.

Put the cauliflower, potato and garlic in a large pan, cover with the milk and put on a low heat. Simmer until the potato is very soft.

Add the butter and the cheese and, using a stick blender, blend until totally smooth.

Season to taste.

Many thanks to Rob at Eat Pictures for the beautiful photograph.