Refrigerator Drawing Soup

“Jeuicy, get down!” I blew a gust of air into the cats little gray face. It ruffled his fur and made him squint and glue his little paws even tighter to the back of the kitchen stool, which we were now sharing.
“Get DOWN!” I blew a stronger gust of air, which rustled past his ears causing him to wag his tail slowly from side to side. His ears were pinned back, and his eyes were squinted low. We were having a stare down; me kneeling on the edge of the chair as though it were alter, Eugene hanging on for dear life braced against the chair as though it were a raft. We both turned as the clomping of Christina’s cowboy boots, rounded the kitchen corner and halted to a stop. The pointy toes pulled back like two bridled stallions.
“What is going on in here?” She said. We both looked up, as though to say “s/he started it” Christina pulled Eugene off of the chair, and put him on the ground, from where he looked up at her with bruised eyes. She turned to me.
“What are you doing?” Christina looked inquisitively up at me. I had a wet towel in one hand, and a jar of peppercorns in the other. The entire contents of our kitchen now lay littering the counter tops, and I was stark naked.
“Cleaning” I replied. She shrugged her shoulders and walked out of the kitchen. What I was really doing was taking inventory. Each item in our kitchen connected me to an intention I once had while walking the labyrinth of the grocery aisle. The time I bought that jar of rose petals because I was going to cook an Iranian dish weekly. The coriander that was going to be ground into a salmon rub, still sat unopened. The dried limes we were going to use for iced tea in the summer. These were the promises yet to be fulfilled. Then there was the container of bay leaves, almost empty, the last of which floated like fish food on the top of a simmering soup stock on the stove beneath me. There was the cumin, half of which swam away in an ocean of yogurt sauce, and the brewers yeast emptied from movie nights with ritual popcorn. I followed the ingredient trail through my kitchen cupboards, and gradually a picture emerged. Who am I in these moments when I am creating my potential? What sort of person do I want to become? I sprinkle the last of the white pepper into the soup and give it a stir.

Refrigerator Drawing Soup
1. make a turkey stock (see last weeks soup for instructions on this) If you prefer the flavor of mystery, substitute fresh bay leaves.
2. Simmer 1½ cups of dried black eyed peas in 3 cups of water for 1 hour (until soft)
3. Cook 1 ½ cups wild rice in turkey stock

In a soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp grape seed oil. Add 1 diced yellow onion and 3 diced peeled carrots. Pour in 2 cups soup stock. Add 1 head diced kale and 1 Tbsp salt. Add 2 more cups soup stock. Let simmer until the kale is cooked to your liking. Add the beans and the rice. Add a few more cups soup stock. Add 2 cups diced turkey. Season with salt and pepper, French basil and a few drops of tamari (soy sauce).
Enjoy.