Let’s make sure we have this clear–this is not a recipe–it’s a strategy.

So–dive into the fridge:

• Collards (lots)
• leek (one–tops are ugly, but the edible part is good–cleaning it separately)
• carrots (lots)
• (paper bag on counter) with tiny red potatoes [hoping they're still good!]
• romaine lettuce?–no not romaine, green leaf how did i let this sit (hasn’t even been kissed this week, in mostly good condition still–just a few rusty and very tiny dark patches to be vamoosed.)
• Grab one of those lingering apples to add to the lettuce.  (Pears have died, very sadly messy gross–very.)

Wash everything in a giant bowl.–not all at once silly. Change water and rinse until pretty grit and dirt free.  (Other tools I’m grabbing include a nice big, sharp ceramic knife, easy to rinse cutting board and a big soup pot–a ceramic coated cast iron thingie, wooden spoon to scrape at the tasty bits at the bottom of the pot and stir stuff, filtered water and a clean cup to sort-of measure from. I have a powerful blender that I’ll be using to juice the lettuce and apple.)

• tempeh mock bacon (leftover)
• maple syrup (real stuff–splash)
• oil (using some organic sunflower–between a few teaspoons and a splash for the whole pot)
• soy sauce (going with organic tamari today–not a ton, adding some sea salt too)
• small handful of flour (leftover from making Monday’s rye/wheat/barley loaf)
• dry mustard, oregano, thyme (1/2 to 1 tsp each)
• wee pinch of rosemary nibs
• lots of black pepper (grind away)
• lot of baby red potatoes–only a few have eye problems–clean, halve, rinse, add–keeping as much of the skin as I can (9 or 10 of these little guys).

When the original bits get toasting–added in about a cup, cup and a half of water (using a 14oz clean coffee cup to do eyeball measurements). Add and stir in enough to keep the potato guys wet without floating about.  You need to leave room for the lettuce/apple juice. You want to scrape up and stir in any stuff caramelizing at the bottom of the pot.

I separated enough lettuce out for a salad–the rest of the lettuce goes into the blender with enough water to get it going.  I rinse and chop the sides of the apple (but before blending, i eat the apple nearest the core–it’s good and okay to blend).  I fight with the blender and then make sure to taste the juice before adding it to the soup.  It will be very green and it should not be bitter–if bitter,  forgetaboutit–hmm, nice savory with only a wink of appleness–very, very green.

Add more spices and cover with a little steam up and over space–heat more or less low.  Every so often, give it a stir-about.   Rather quickly, the lid needs to come off (mine requires potholders). Kind of spinachy color–although not too weird looking.

(There’s additional celery which I’m chopping–some for salad, some for later. I forgot to eat this morning, remember?  (Set in a little glass container in the fridge.)  Also, forgot to rinse the lentil sprouts this morning.  Rinse, rinse. Their little tails are just beginning to show–maybe ready day after tomorrow.  Coffee in the thermos is still hot enough. Gulp!

1tsp Veganaise, 1-1/2 tsp organic agave picklelilli or relish (whatever) and 1 tsp Organicville catsup–a few drops of vinegar and there’s a little thousand island style dressing for my tempeh bacon, celery green leaf lettuce salad.)  I have a number of different milks I bought to make more yogurt–1 quart goat and 1 full-fat grass-fed.  So two of the little jars go into a strainer (and the fridge) to drain and make some labneh. The rest of the yogurt will go to start a new batch overnight tonight.  And there are eggs in the fridge–I can’t really eat eggs, but these are very nice eggs–need to make some banana bread or apple cake tonight?

Clothes to dryer.  More coffee.  Detangle hair.

Tasting spoon to soup liquid.  Hmm.  Maybe I’ll let it go as is–I had been thinking of garlic or tomato stuff, but maybe just let this cook further down.

Take some of the potatoes, carrots , juice and collard strips–cool a little and blend–this is just to thicken–it will make the color a little more split pea looking.  Stir back in.  I added the liquid that’s already drained from the yogurt/labneh; otherwise this could be a vegan dish. Just sayin’.

Veggies have been sharing flavors for 90minutes to 2 hours now.  Take the heat off, try a cup still hot, decent–may doctor it a bit for dinner tonight, it could use a hint more sweetness or maybe just a grating of some cheese, we shall see.  Let cool before placing in the fridge.

Collard, potato, leek, maple, tempeh bacon, celery, carrot and lettuce/apple juice soup.  More than decent.

My fridge now has space for both the pot of soup and the next box of CSA veggies.  Victory!