One lesson I learned during the Covid-19 Pandemic-When all you have in limp celery, make celery soup.
I’m aware that the USDA-United States Department of Agriculture recommends at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. The problem though is that it’s been about two weeks since I’ve ventured out to the grocery store, so that colorful bowl of fresh fruit and veggies that I’m painting in my head is not going to be on my table today. I take inventory of the contents of my refrigerator: a head of lettuce, a tomato, and a few ribs of celery. Okay there is hope here-celery soup. I start a google search for celery soup recipes, but it doesn't look too promising since I don’t have heavy cream which I’m now learning is a key ingredient in celery soup. Who needs heavy cream anyway? There must be a healthier version of celery soup sans the cream. Success! I finally happen upon a recipe that looks promising! Now begins the scavenger hunt for an onion and vegetable broth. I rummage through the pantry and hit pay dirt with an onion and also a potato which are both starting to sprout. At the back of the refrigerator I find that bottle of “Better Than Bouillon” vegetable base that I haven’t opened since Thanksgiving. Great, I’m all set! I remove the celery from the bag, and it sadly droops in my hand. Limp. No problem, I reassure myself. (I’m too invested in this now.) I pull up the recipe again on the screen, and about 20 minutes later my celery and onion are simmering gently in the vegetable broth. And that potato which was not on the ingredient list? Well that was the icing on the cake! Hey, when your refrigerator gives you limp celery, make a healthy celery and potato soup.