On Wednesday afternoon, I asked the kids if they liked fish and soup. The look they gave me was the same one I would have given. “You may think that it’s a bizarre question,” I said, “but I’ve known people who didn’t like either.” Luckily, and perhaps not coincidentally, I spend time with very few of them.

In order to get some greenery into dinner, I had decided to try out the spinach soup from La Tartine Gourmande. For the main course, I spread some mustard over a salmon fillet, seasoned it with salt and pepper, and put it in the oven at 375°F until it was cooked, about 15 minutes. This sort of thing is easy enough, and toppings can be anything from mayonnaise to bread crumbs mixed with beaten egg. I served the salmon alongside Ann Withey’s carrots from Food & Wine, which surprised me by how flavorful they were.

Notes for Soupe aux Épinards:

- I used chicken broth instead of vegetable. This is the sort of thing that rarely makes a difference.
- The fact that I couldn’t find a blender made a bigger difference, I think. I mashed it with the back of a spoon, but it was chunky and ugly instead of the beautiful green satin Béa has pictured. I really wish I could have found a blender.
- The soup was a little weak, maybe because I didn’t have cream or fleur de sel. I added some thyme and a generous amount of curry powder, which brought out a nice green flavor.

Carrots with Lime Butter
2 tablespoons butter
6 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick on the diagonal
2 scallions, thinly sliced
juice and zest of 1 lime
salt
. pepper
2 tablespoons pecans, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the carrots and scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until the scallions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the lime juice and lime zest and season with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook the carrots until they are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pecans and parsley.

Italicized items are favorites.