May 8th, 2008

Yield:  Serves 4 to 6

Soundtrack:  "I Can't Stand the Rain" by Ann Peebles from Brand New Classics 

Working on my first book, Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen, was a deeply spiritual process for me.  I often tell close friends how the book was written through me.  Inspired by a technique described in Manifest Your Destiny  by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, I strove to meditate or do yoga before I sat down to write or come up with recipe ideas for Grub.  I wasn't disciplined enough to do this every single time that I worked on the book; but when I did, it put the process less in my hands and more in the hands of unseen forces.  When I was truly still, a flood of ideas rushed into my mind.  So many, in fact, if I didn't write them down as soon as I finished my practice I would forget half of them.

I have been engaging in a similar process as I work on my next book.  As I was meditating last week, I had an image of the book starting with a prayer-song giving thanks for all the food that we have to eat.  Every time I sit down for a meal I express gratitude for all the forces that helped bring the food to my plate: the natural elements, farmers, farmhands, transporters, chefs, kitchen assistants, and servers in many cases.  I want to encourage others to do so as well.

So I asked my Uncle Don Bryant (my first name is my mother's maiden name) if he would compose an original prayer-song to contribute to my next book.  He said yes!

Uncle Don was a well-known songwriter-singer in the 1970s.  He was the staff songwriter at Hi Records, and he penned a slew of hits for that label's artists (i.e., Al Green, Willie Mitchell, and Ann Peebles).  His most celebrated songs were written for his wife Ann Peebles.  You know that song "I Can't Stand the Rain"—which was covered by over 30 artists including Cassandra Wilson, Michael Bolton, Tina Turner, and sampled by Missy Elliot for her first big hit— well Uncle Don wrote it.

To show my gratitude, I created this soup in his honor.

Uncle Don's Double Mustard Greens & Roasted Yam Soup

1 large garnet yam (about 1 pound) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt

6 cups vegetable stock

1 large bunch mustard greens (about 1 pound), tough stems removed, chopped into bite-size piece, washed, and drained

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

white pepper

· Preheat the oven to 425°F. 

· In a large bowl, toss the yams with 1 tablespoon of the oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt.  Transfer the yams to a parchment-lined baking dish and roast for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until they are starting to crisp on the edges.

· While the yams are roasting, bring the vegetable stock to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Add the mustard greens and cook, uncovered for 4 to 6 minutes, until softened and the sulfur has been released from them.  Remove the greens from the heat, drain the stock into a bowl, and set it aside.

· Over medium heat in the saucepan just used, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Add the mustard seeds and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to pop, 2-3 minutes.  Next add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 1/2 minute.  Then add the greens and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Sauté the greens, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 3 minutes.  Add the vegetable stock back to the saucepan and set aside. 

· When the yams are done, transfer them to the saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then lower to medium and simmer for about 25 minutes, until the yams are fork tender.  Add the apple cider vinegar and white pepper and additional salt to taste.