Fare Exchange: A soup good enough to brighten spirits during a power outage

Requests

— Breakfast featuring vegetables

— Protein-packed breakfast

— Tips for eating in power outages

–––

Good morning, fare weather friends. Sure enough, there has been some weather. The vegetable conversation of late prompted this question. “I read a nutritionist’s advice to try to include vegetables in breakfast dishes. Please tell me what and how.”

We add a request for breakfasts that include hearty protein.

By the way, how did you manage meals if your power went out? Got any tips, in case it happens again?

Rhonda McDaniel hurried her suggestions for Abigail, a new mother returning to work, explaining, “I remember asking these same questions 24 years ago when I was a new mother returning to work.”

Mealtime Tips for Busy Working Mothers

“A friend advised me to identify three or four meals my family enjoyed most, such as pasta or chicken, and to keep those ingredients on hand whenever I found them on sale. I eventually took this a step further by creating freezer meals. Even in retirement, I still occasionally meal prep by browning ground beef and freezing it in serving-sized portions. Having the meat ready allows me to put together a meal with pasta and salad very quickly.

“I also bake chicken breasts with barbecue sauce or marinate and freeze them in small foil baking pans. These can be reheated at 250 F for about an hour from frozen, or 30 minutes if thawed. They pair well with microwave-baked potatoes and frozen vegetables for a fast dinner.

“These meals are helpful on busy days or when I need to bring food to a friend or family member. I hope these tips make mealtime a bit easier for Abigail so she can enjoy this time with the baby.”

A 20-something reader named Emmy greeted the recent power outage with gladness … at least for the first 24 hours or so. She sent a photo of a blanket-turned-tablecloth, illuminated by the light of many candles and featuring two bowls of Zuppa Toscana, declaring, “This soup must be made with coconut milk, not with cream.” (She did not explain how that special soup got heated.)

Here’s a well-loved recipe from Whole 30.

Whole 30 Zuppa Toscana

2 tablespoons cooking fat of your choice (I use avocado oil or olive oil.)

1 large onion, chopped

1 pound ground Italian sausage or your favorite sausage

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more to taste (Proceed with caution.)

8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

7 medium red potatoes, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds, coarsely chopped (I don’t peel.)

5 ounces fresh kale chopped (about 6-8 cups depending on how firmly packed)

1 can (13.5 ounces) full-fat coconut milk

Sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven on the stovetop, heat olive or avocado oil over medium-high heat.

Add onion and sauté 3 minutes.

Add the sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until browned.

Add the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper.

Sauté 3 minutes.

Add the garlic. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the broth and potatoes. Bring your soup to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.

Add the kale and coconut milk and simmer an additional 5 minutes until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork and kale is just barely tender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 to 8 servings. Adapted from Kristi Barnes

Butternut Squash And Mushroom Curry

There are many occasions when the well-crafted local pottery of Jon-Michael Forman comes to mind, followed by a curiosity about the recipes he occasionally posts, along with — of course — a recommendation of a pottery plate or bowl to enhance the tasty beauty of his recipes. As we have been discussing vegetables of late, here’s one that he recommends serving in a Forman Pottery 7-inch slate blue bowl.

3 tablespoons canola or coconut oil

10 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 medium yellow onion (cut into thin slices)

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch of ground cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 pound mushrooms

1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk (Chaokoh is the best)

2 tablespoons lime juice

Cilantro sprigs, for garnish

In a wide skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add squash cubes in one layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, letting cubes brown slightly, then flip and cook for 2 minutes more. Use a slotted spoon to lift squash out, and set aside.

Add onion, salt lightly and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds and let sizzle for 30 seconds, then add garlic, coriander, cayenne and turmeric. Stir well and cook for 30 seconds more.

Add mushrooms, season with salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring, until mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes.

Return squash cubes to skillet, stir in coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium and simmer for another 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, thin with a little water. Taste and season with salt.

Add lime juice just before serving. Garnish with cilantro.

Just a Dash

Somebody wonderful was having a birthday. Choose what you want, the cook invited. “Want to eat at home or a restaurant?”

“Home.”

“Dinner or brunch?”

“Yes.” It’s a both/and type situation.

“Shrimp or salmon for dinner?”

“Yes.” Again, both/and.

This particular somebody has, on all occasions, prescribed that there must be a program. And perhaps the spoken words are more important even than a favorite meal, because the program says, “This is why we are here. This person is why we gather. This moment in our personal history is why we are celebrating.” That is the simple definition of a program. You say why. Perhaps you clink your glasses, each of you looking each other in the eye. Perhaps you offer a prayer or a toast or a few words of gladness and gratitude.

So, dear honoree, yes to all requests. And yes to saying — not just cooking — the love the cook has for you.

Please come back next week. And by the way, your words — YOUR words, you there reading this — add to the celebratory content of this column.