She's so c-c-c-c-cold

Yes, I went to the (not-so-) greenmarket today despite the single-digit temps. I wore three shirts, a sweater, and a sweatshirt under my jacket, plus a pair of super-thick knee-socks over my regular socks and leggings under my jeans. It was a real chore getting my boots on over all that stuff.

But in addition to making me weirdly off-balance, my frozen brain tissue couldn't recall much about my trip, other than I bought potatoes, carrots, and other predictable things. I had to swing by Whole Foods as well, for non-starchy vegetables, and I picked up some crimini mushrooms which I'll pair with my greenmarket leeks in a brown-rice risotto (to serve with sautéed greens) if I can drag myself out of our cozy bedroom lair long enough to cook it.

Currently I've got a batch of vegetable stock bubbling away (okay, simmering gently, but that's not as merry an image) on the stove, and I'm trying to think of something I can bake to heat up the house a bit more. I guess I should have thought of that before buying that delicious loaf of spelt bread at the market today.

Okay, back to hibernating. Will post recipe if risotto happens and is worthwhile.

Ultra-soup

Perhaps my last post hinted that it would be my last trip to the greenmarket for awhile. I didn't plan it this way, just got sick, so when Saturday morning rolled around, I couldn't possibly brave the cold for what I knew would be slim pickings. So I'm on a greenmarket hiatus until things get a little less dismal. Meanwhile, I have to keep trying to remember where people who don't go to greenmarkets shop for their fruits and veggies...and the supermarket prices and supermarket quality are certainly not worth writing about.

Nevertheless, I did invent some soup! It's nothing too out of the ordinary, but it's the most satisfactory veggie-noodle soup I've had, and I'm quite happy with it. Usually I find vegetable soup to be lacking (probably in chickeniness), and I really only crave it when I have a cold, but this turned out really well (and served as an acceptable dinner, even to the non-sick).

Vegetable Noodle Soup (serves 3)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 shallots (or about 1/2 medium onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 stalks celery, diced (about 3/4 cup)
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
32 oz. vegetable stock (I like Trader Joe's brand the most)
2-3 tbsp. soy sauce
1 large or 2 small carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
4 oz. capellini, broken into thirds
Optional: about 1/2 cup diced prepared seitan

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat; add shallots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic and cayenne; stir until garlic is aromatic, about 30 seconds. Carefully pour in stock, stirring, and add soy sauce, carrots, and seitan (if using). Bring to boil, then turn down heat and simmer about 20 minutes. Bring to boil again, add pasta, then turn heat down and simmer about 10 minutes. It's ready! Serve in your cutest bowls to two friends with the sniffles.