We received the second delivery of our CSA produce this morning. We received two small fennel bulbs (there is one in the regular box, but I substituted another fennel bulb for the carrots, which we still haven't finished from the first delivery). For dinner tonight, I think I will make mixed mushroom soup, as we have a plethora of mushrooms now, both from the CSA and from my shopping trip to the Korean market up the street. We will have Maitake and white beech mushrooms to saute with garlic and fresh ginger. Then I'll add some vegetable stock ("Better Than Bouillon," diluted with coconut milk). On the face of it, it looks like it might turn into Thai chicken soup that utilizes coconut milk.
The recipe for Tom Kha Gai from bon appétit has this ingredient list:
1 1” piece ginger, peeled
10 kaffir lime leaves or 1 Tbsp. lime zest and ¼ cup lime juice
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1” pieces8 oz. shiitake, oyster, or maitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into bite-size pieces
1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
1 tsp. sugar
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, tough outer layers removed
Chili oil, cilantro leaves with tender stems, and lime wedges (for serving)
I don't have fish sauce, lemongrass, cilantro, or lime, though I might substitute lemon, as our box contained a Eureka lemon that I'd like to find a use for. Incidentally, I also have half of a Meyer lemon in the refrigerator that I'd left after using the other half, juiced, over my breakfast yogurt a while ago. I'd have to run to the supermarket to find chicken, though, unless I can find a decent substitute, like a soft tofu, since it's soup and the texture might be more consistent. But I'd still need to run to the store to get that, too.
This soup will definitely be an improvisation on the chicken-coconut soup riff. I just might have some lime juice in the fridge (from concentrate, in a plastic lime, of course). It'd be good to use that up, too, since the fumigation is going to require that all food, including refrigerated goods, be bagged in the plastic bags they'll provide. I'll pick up some bags at the meeting tonight.
I hadn't even noticed that today is Tax Day. I'd finished mine and submitted my return a couple week ago, using free online software. I put in all the variables, and the program calculated everything to tell me that, as expected, I have no (additional) tax liability and will receive no refund. I'm on an even level with the feds (and the State of California, as far as I know).
My "bread" just came out of the oven. Again, I'm using up ingredients: flax meal, oat bran, rolled oats, and Nutrela protein bits. No wheat. It does contain butter, however, and plenty of it (half pound). Two extra-large eggs, and about three-eighths of a pound of brown sugar (don't ask me why I used so much, I don't really know).
I'll give it a try soon, and if it's any good, I'll tell you what I put into it, if I remember everything, that is.
I was also thinking about roasting fennel for dinner tonight. So it'd be a meal of fiber and liquid, with a little protein to keep things interesting. Not too bad, I think. Kat loves roasted fennel, as do I. Perfect food for picking up with chopsticks, it is.
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