Lotus Root Soup

I found myself trudging through Chinatown in the rain today (thank goodness for waterproof boots), so I bought a fish and some lotus root to round out our dinner.

Not a bad spread, even when raw, right? I wish we'd get some sunshine around here so my photos could stop looking so dreary.

Lotus root and pork soup is one of the easiest, tastiest combinations around. Simply simmer pork back bones for about two hours in enough water to submerge all the bones. Add a few big slices of ginger, and be sure to skim regularly. After the bone soup starts looking a little opaque, add thickly sliced lotus roots and a little salt. Simmer until the lotus root is cooked through, about half an hour to forty minutes. Salt to taste, remove any ginger pieces, and serve.

Sliced asparagus, no explanation needed.

And a giant bowl of colorful fruit for dessert. I bought a ton of fruit at Trader Joe's, but we've been doing a really good job of eating our way through it! This automatically adds three or four colors to any meal, depending how you're counting!