All good ingredients soup

Yesterday I remembered I had mushrooms in the freezer, and since these days I'm more interested in making vegetables into soup than into fancy dishes, I rummaged around.

Came up with a cream of mushroom, spinach, tofu soup

I added in a chicken bone for flavor,  and used the whey you remember from making the paneer. It has a nice tart flavor.

It all went together nicely, harmony of flavors, here with a sprig of Italian basil 

The phrase harmony of flavors reminds me of a near miss with social disaster. 

I used to direct adult programming for a women's organization,  and, living where I do, what with universities and other attractions, there was a constant supply of teaching talent, many people from other cultures and languages trying to get established locally. Our organization was an obvious welcoming starting point.

One charming Chinese lady came in to see me about teaching a course in Chinese cooking based on her book, which, we were struggling a bit with each other's version of English, I thought was Harmony of Flowers. 

All set for the brochure printer, writing up my blurb for the big organization brochure to go out at that time to fifty thousand households. 

Then I thought I'd check the local bookstore to get her name exactly right from the book jacket. And found it wasn't Flowers, it was Flavors. Phew. 

There would have been some serious shouting and blaming if I'd got it wrong, she being very revered in her community, and not to be insulted by me!  She was lovely, but her supporters would not have been kind.

Her course instantly filled, with a waiting list, always a mark of success in the world of adult program.

Happy day everyone, check your facts!

Discernment, ascertainment, moths, mushroom soup and a thank you

Discernment is one of those great words that people in the religious life or thinking about it use to describe the careful process of understanding their path. Most of us do some form of it. 

My own recent path, looking for a spiritual life that fitted, led me, via a year long attendance at a weekly online centering prayer group, silent meditation in company, which, nice as the people were, didn't fit, to the adjacent outreach work for homeless and addicted people. 

That's the Sock Ministry hq, where I found I was needed by their knitting group as the only sock knitter. That fitted. Discernment done for now, but ready to revisit if it becomes physically unwise.

Unlike Ascertainment which was an unintentionally comic aspect of the years when I worked in public television, exciting stuff, first person in the country to have the job of working with higher ed and broadcasters in presenting adult instruction, via public airwaves. Another time I'll tell you. That had its comic side too.

Anyway, one of the legal requirements on the public broadcast license was for representative execs of the network, in this case a four-transmitter statewide setup, to troop annually to the transmitter locations. There we would be open to questioning on anything at open public meetings. 

Which sounds very good, and appropriate, taxpayers asking what we were doing with their money. What it usually came down to was having more execs than public, being grilled about things that didn't even involve the network.

A lot of people would challenge us on things that commercial tv did, or that public broadcasters that weren't us, did or didn't. Quite dismayed to find they were banging on the wrong door.  

Those who were better informed challenged us to do more programming for various groups, usually stuff we were already doing anyway. 

We'd politely refer them to the day and time to watch programming made by and for the  Hispanic population, or for seniors, in cooperation with senior organizations. Etc. Etc. 

We'd troop home again, long drive at night since our offices and Master Control were central, so we tended to live around there, and the transmitters were at the four corners of the state, for best coverage and reception. 

Not sure anything other than bragging rights ever came out of Ascertainment.  That and the ability to point out to complaining state legislators that we did,  too, offer the public the chance to meet face to face. Happy days!

On more interesting subjects, yesterday the butterfly bush was mobbed with clearwing hummingbird moths, never seen so many. Like this, not my pic

I noticed that no monarchs showed up until they departed. Then two or three did. I've never seen monarchs and clearwings at the same time. I wonder if there's a territorial thing going on? Anyone who knows, please say.

Now, admittedly, one person drinking tea and observing one butterfly bush, is not statistically significant, except don't dismiss the findings of a lone observer. 

I mean, look at Len Howard, who made all kinds of avian discoveries alone in the woods. If you don't know about her, check her out, she's amazing. Anyway if you have any info about the relations of monarchs and clearwings, please let us know.

Misfits arrived yesterday, yes, different day, I ordered early before they put up the minimum order price. Supply chain issues, shipping issues, they're raising the minimum to order rather than individual item prices.

But I got in for one last minimum at the old rate.

And went on to make cream of mushroom soup. Using chicken bones and collard greens water (Ellen saying yeah, mighta guessed!) for broth. I also peeled and added in the last few white potatoes. 

It could have been cream of chicken soup, really good, but I was committed to the mushrooms I'd cooked down.

And it was just fine.

One sad note today, one of my best art teachers, at Mercer County College,  from whom I learned all I know about life drawing and paper making, has gone. 

Look her up, renowned paper maker. Also had six children.  One husband. Really happy and such a life. I'm glad I knew her.

And on Ukraine, my state legislator, who has gone to bat for me more than once when the state bureaucracy was determined not to honor their legal obligation to seniors and taxes 

So that's where we are today. Happy day!

Paper weaving, and food, surprise!

Yesterday was all about wondering what to eat since the larder was about bare in anticipation of a big Misfits box tomorrow, all being well.

While I was thinking about it, I thought I'd make a broth from the frozen bag of veg trimmings and chicken bones. I just found out that the difference between a broth and a stock is that one has meat related items and one doesn't.

In the background there is the water boiling ready for the bag of gnocchi I found in the freezer when I was getting out the bag of trimmings.

So that decided a couple of lunches. 

Dressed with a bit of Vermont butter and shredded parmesan. 

Meanwhile back on the stove, I figured I'd use the broth to make mushroom soup, long time since I did, using the white mushrooms in the main event, blended, and some leftover baby bella in slices. 

While I was pawing through the small freezer in search of frozen curry leaves for the soup, I found the dried seaweed which I've had for years, and forget I have it, broke a bit off to add. It looks like black grass then when it gets in the liquid, opens up into beautiful green fronds, mermaid hair. 

Then it vanishes on blending leaving a flavor of the ocean.

Among all this I also remembered to follow Chris's prompt about the scallions, and got out the sprouting garlic sections

And planted them in the hopes of scapes soon.

Then to the paper tubes and the proposed bathroom basket thing.

I quickly learned two things. One is that paper tubes are as strong and resistant as willow to manipulate. An unsuccessful attempt at starting a basket persuaded me to rethink.

So I rolled them flat with my heavyweight rolling pin, yet another kitchen tool conscripted into the world of art, and hope I can handle them better now.

Then I needed cardboard for the base of the basket, and in the course of recycling found a very nice perfectly clean folder, glossy card stock.

And traced the outline of the base of the plastic basket for which I have other plans

And this morning laid out the skeleton of what might be a basket, put the second base on top, weighted the whole thing down with a plant watering container. Water is a great material for weighing things down 

Then I got breakfast and a victory cup of tea. The doings will need drying time while I get on with Barking to the Choir, which is very good stuff. 

Gregory Boyle is a Jesuit, and I've had good personal encounters with them, rule breakers all, including the one who married us in defiance of his parish priest, a story for another post if you're interested. 

Anyway, I'm well disposed to the SJs I've known.  They didn't let religious rules get in the way of doing the right thing.

It's possible knitting might happen while I'm waiting for the glue to dry.

There's a title for a collection of essays or poems. Waiting For The Glue to Dry, the Power of Radical Patience.

Happy day, everyone!

More power to Ukraine.

 

Soup kept happening

I found myself the hapless prawn of fate today, suddenly making more soup than I ever have at one go before.

First, Hungarian cream of mushroom soup. Pretty much the same as any other c of m, but it had paprika. It's really good, so maybe the paprika was a good idea. Also I made a cornstarch and milk thickening, so the cream of part was particularly good.

And garlic scapes are the usual garnish nowadays, still growing like mad.

Then while I had all the tools out I thought why not make that leek and potato soup I've been talking about, before the potatoes get past it. I didn't get all posh and call it vichyssoise. This is more homey, doesn't talk furrin'. and it used all the potatoes and most of the overstock of leeks.

No pictures of the process, you've seen it before, but here's the upshot in the freezer

There's more under there. Ten helpings of mushroom and l and p. No need to make soup for a while.

My neighbor stopped in again today to continue the restaurant review of the plum jam which he says is perfectly balanced! I'll  never reach this peak again. Maybe I'll quit while I'm ahead.

I also sorted a load of lovely silk and linen and velvet and organdy scraps for freecycling. Or the thriftie. There's also some batting in there. 

I'm improving the shining hour. Or something. This activity was  accompanied by an audiobook of At Bertram's Hotel, a favorite Christie.

I wonder if this cooking and winnowing and reading and not making is related to my horoscope. It's humbling to think of all the planets organizing themselves in order to warn me against my friends, and to make soup.