Ssh! That sound is our dinner growing.

I hammered together a table of plywood and 2-by-2's, and on many late afternoons or early evenings we ate in the backyard, enjoying bowls of hot soup while feasting our eyes and our noses on the brightly colored flowers in the center of the table, freshly picked from Laura's flower garden.

We gave thanks before, during, and after our meals for our vegetables and flowers, and for the memorable meals from our small, concrete-lined fishpond garden.

Often that summer, we continued to sit in the backyard after dinner as it got dark. Sounds of the small town around us drifted past trees and shrubs to where we sat. I told Laura that if we were very still and listened carefully, we could hear the vegetables in our fishpond garden growing for our next day's harvest. So we sat quietly and listened. One night, our first child, within weeks of being born, moved and adjusted her position. Laura said, "She's listening, too."

We were all quiet together. We were sure we heard the small sounds of life - growing, living - all around us, with us.

2 cups water
Two garlic cloves, chopped (use more or less, to taste)
Two cups fresh vegetables - whatever is available - cut into bite-sized pieces
1 level tablespoon nutritional yeast, optional (See note below. It adds flavor, but is easy to overdo. )
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (Use more or less, to taste. See note below.)
2 ounces grated cheese (white cheddar or mozzarella preferred)

Bring water to a gentle boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Add garlic.

Add vegetables that require the longest cooking time first. For example, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and summer squash require up to 10 minutes. Add other vegetables in time to cook them through without overcooking. Kale should cook 3 or 4 minutes. Green onions can be cooked 2 or 3 minutes, but if they have a strong onion taste, cooking them longer will reduce the strength of the onion flavor. Spinach leaves require only a minute, and snow peas need to be cooked just long enough so that they're hot. If using fresh tomatoes, peel them before adding to the soup. (Peel a tomato by dipping it in boiling water for 15 seconds. Let cool slightly; the skin will easily peel off.)

After stirring in vegetables, cover the pan. Maintain a gentle simmer. It is not necessary for vegetables be completely submerged in the liquid if the pan is tightly covered.

After vegetables have cooked, stir in the nutritional yeast, if using. (Note: Do not use regular yeast, the kind packaged for making bread. Nutritional yeast is a different product; it's sold at natural foods stores. A substitute - also at natural foods stores - is brewer's yeast.)

Stir in tamari soy sauce (which is also available unsalted; some cooks may prefer that for a less salty taste). Simmer 1 additional minute.

Pour into a bowl and sprinkle grated cheese on top.

Makes 1 large serving.

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