Well, it’s against my religion or grain or upbringing or something to throw out edible food. Not that raw green celery is terribly edible. in fact, I had to work at it. A whole vegetable bag full of green stalks awaited my attention while only the heart and two small white stalks remained in the crisper, and I used them in the chicken stir fry that we (Matt and I) made for dinner. He chopped all the veg for it.

But before that, he hacked up the green stalks coarsely so that they would fit in the pot of an Instant Pot. along with a chopped onion and a couple of garlic cloves. I’ve had this appliance since a year ago last Christmas and I have yet to make its use part of my repertoire. Maybe I started today.

I sautéed the veg in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and then I messed around with the heat, or lack thereof, not quite knowing what I was doing. But when i added some chopped potatoes and 4 cups of vegetable broth and closed the lid, the pot didn’t explode. In 15 minutes I had soup, that is, after I puréed the mixture with the electric hand-held blender that a grateful neighbour gave me when i supplied her sick husband with soup last winter. Hey—15 minutes! Pretty good for a no-pill day, when my withdrawal symptoms include dizziness, drowsiness, palpitations and depression.

Right now drowsiness wins. I’m going to bed. I am pleased with the Instant Pot. More anon.