Of all things green and wonderful….

“Pops, look at that pretty pair of sandals. Shall I get those for you?”

Fingers are taken out of the mouth for an instant to reply,  “But, why, Amma, I got my ‘gyeen’ (green) slippers, no? See… ” and she sticks out her tiny foot for me to look at! Kanch, all of five years old, has been stuck on ONE pair of fluorescent green slippers since she was two – her foot size hasn’t changed and her preferences are the same. So, off we go… to weddings and funerals and birthday parties, restaurants and beaches and swimming pools and parks, dressed in pattu pavadais (long silk skirts) or shorts or pyjamas – all teamed up very fashionably with a pair of ‘gyeen’ beach slippers which are beginning to fall apart. Loyalty to friends and principles is a very good thing indeed but this is the first time I’ve seen such loyalty to a disreputable pair of slippers!

I tried a couple of times suggesting that maybe, popsicle, it might be a good idea to wear sandals with a frock or a pavadai? But why, Amma? – was always the answer and I decided that wisdom lay in letting her make her own choices. Plus, sooner or later, she was bound to ask me for more shoes and sandals than I might be able to buy for her so let’s revel in the moment! Well, she’s never turned into a profligate shopper and I’m the mom who keeps pressing her to buy things!

The only place where she always wanted more than she could chew was food on her plate! She’d have barely started eating before she checked to see if there was enough for a third helping and a fourth!

 In keeping with the fondness for green slippers, she continues to like all things green – spinach to bhindi to dondakai (kundru/gherkins) to beans and broccoli and what have you!

One of our top favourite things in life – for dinner, that is :), is a spinach soup with potato salad combo.

Soups the simpler they are, the better they taste and none simpler than this super healthy…

SPINACH SOUP

  • Spinach/palak/palakoora and please avoid the baccchali/Malabar spinach variety – it’s the yucky, gooey stuff – 3 cups, cleaned
  • Onion – sliced -1 small
  • Butter or olive oil – 1 tsp
  • Salt
  • Pepper – 1/2 tsp
  • Milk or cream – 1/2 cup

Heat the oil/butter along with onions in a pan. Cover and cook till onions are softened. Add the spinach and cook, covered for 4-5 minutes till it is wilted. Cool and blend to a completely smooth puree.

Pour back into the pan and bring to the boil, adding salt and pepper.

To serve, pour into a bowl and add a couple of tbsp of milk or cream on top.

No herbs or flavourings are needed for spinach – it sings rather happily on its own – just like ‘gyeen’ beach slippers are in harmony with every dress known to tiny tots!

(Pic courtesy: Internet)