Then with herbs from my potted herb garden – which included fresh basil and oregano – plus the last of my home-grown tomatoes, I used the rest to make vegetable soup later in the week.

I work for an organization called Resources for Human Development as development manager for Philadelphia’s first homeless newspaper called One Step Away. Every week, Equal Dollars brings  in a haul of locally grown, mostly organic produce from area farms - some of which are in Lancaster County, which is a hub for outside Philadelphia for organic farming.

Deneene, who like me is a foodie and who also caters, established Equal Dollars a few years ago, and provides fresh produce and other items to employees of the organization. Every week, we get an opportunity to buy fresh vegetables with Equal Dollars currency, a kind of bartering system.

* * * * *

Many people think that it’s impossible to make collards taste good without using animal flesh. Some folks have turned to turkey butts or turkey wings for flavoring because they don’t eat pork. I certainly don’t partake in any parts of the pig and haven’t since I was 18. But that’s another blog. I’ve written in the past about making vegetarian collards. The best part about them is the “pot liquor,” which is the broth created by boiling the greens, seasonings and herbs  in spring water.

Pot liquor is the basis for any great vegetable soup and it can be frozen. My pot liquor can be used as it is or combined with beans and an assortment of vegetables in a crock pot. (Photo here by QuintanaRoo is of her navy bean soup.)

The next time you make any type of fresh vegetables, save the pot liquor. I guarantee you it will flavor your soups and stews so well that you’ll never consider throwing it away again.

Related posts:

1. A soup to heal colds
2. Good and hearty vegetable soup
3. Sunshine soup for winter

Longing for the sun, ocean and waves, I am definitely much happier when sitting near palm trees than I am layering my clothes for inhumane temperatures.  And although I fear earthquakes and hurricanes, one of these days I’m either moving to California or Florida or maybe even to somewhere in the tropics.

Long ago, I used to file ski reports for the AMI Ski Radio Networks, but in reality, I’ve only been on skis once in my life. And I had more fun on the ski lift than I did actually skiing. Real truth be told? A hot toddy laced with rum is definitely my idea of having fun in the Poconos.

So when the power went off last night in my neighborhood, just as I had boiled the water to make pasta and put the finishing touches on my dinner, I was not a happy camper. It was no fun at all! To top it all off,  there was not a cocktail to be found.

To their own glee, the kids had been out of school for three days. Just wait until June when the school calendar gets longer, I had warned them.

Earlier in the day, during the height of Philadelphia’s blizzard of the century, an old girlfriend (now a former) drove right past me and my mate Natu as we hiked through the storm to the supermarket. Never mind that I took her everywhere she needed to go when I had a car and she didn’t (and she never hesitated to call me to hitch a ride). Talk about a stinging slap in the face! She even had the nerve to speak to us when she saw us a few minutes later at the store. Needless to say, I just turned my back and stalked away in a huff.

But GOD always sends us angels when we need them most, and just a few moments later, we ran into some of our real friends who offered to take us home.

I was still in a state of pissocity when the power blew in our neighborhood later in the evening, and that didn’t help. I realized that we had no heat, just a few candles, and several bored and hungry kids along with some of their friends. However, at least I had finished cooking most of the food. But with no wine, which I desperately wanted after being pinned in with them all for the past three days, my temper was tenuous at best.

So I pulled out my favorite inspirational book called “Grace For The Moment” and read by the glow of candlelight,  today’s thought:

A MORSEL OF KINDNESS – “Suppose someone has enough to live and sees a brother or sister in need, but does not help. Then GOD is not living in that person.” 1 John 3:17.

The biblical quote soothed my broken spirit, and I realize there’s always an upside to every challenge.

And last night, while our children giggled in the dark, Natu and I cooled out by playing “Othello” (a first) by candlelight. Looking back on the blizzard of 2010, I realize our kids were the real troopers, too, because they never complained once.

And now I know – get candles, flashlights and battery-operated heaters, and perhaps some wings so I can fly away until the spring arrives …

No related posts.

After listening to her experience,  I decided to try it myself in an attempt to perfect a recipe before I share some with her.

As a cook who has learned many of my skills by listening and observing my mother and my grandmothers, and as a journalist who spent two decades working in radio before moving to print, I sometimes find it easier to tell rather than write down recipes. I’m really an auditory person, and the oral tradition is  in my nature. Like my elders did with me, I’m using that same method to teach my own children how to navigate their way around a kitchen.

During  slavery, African Americans weren’t allowed to read or write, and many of our ancestors passed down our history orally. Fortunately,  the oral tradition had been learned in Africa before they were taken from their own country and brought to America. In the Motherland, pertinent information was traditionally preserved by a person known as  a griot. The site www.soundjunction.org describes a griot as  “a musician, a sage and a unifier – one of the key figures in African society.”

In cooking, recipes are often passed down in that same oral tradition. But  since the digital age has become so prominent throughout society, much of this technique  is lost and people often rely on technology instead of their  memories.

Sherry and Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb, the owners of the We Are Black Women blog network, have suggested that I return to my broadcast roots, explain my recipes into a recorder and transcribe them for print.With my strong radio background, I plan to turn them into podcasts and in the tradition of our ancestors,  will eventually publish them here through the spoken word,  as well as the written.

Related posts:

1. Quiche, the perfect food
2. The new food rules
3. Sliders – the perfect party food