The last snowstorm served to jog my memory about power outages and the things I could have done with the sudden availability of time — and like everyone who lives a few miles from the nearest store, I make lists. This is one that will serve me well the next time the lights go out. It’s called “What To Have On Hand In The Likely Event of a Power Failure,” and it does not include candles, flashlights and buckets. (Those items are on another list.)

There will be at least one unread book in the house. Something long and riveting that I won’t be able to put down; the next problem is to find such a book and try not to read it.

There should be a knitting project waiting to be started, a project that can be done during the short daylight hours and with yarn that is easy to work with, enough for a pair of socks.

I will stash away the ingredients for the next two recipes, one that can be slow-cooked on top of a wood-burning stove. Even though my kitchen stove is fully functional in all weather, the furnace is not. Since it’s necessary to sit by the stove anyway, I may as well have a pot to stir.

So — for Snowed-In Day No. 2 (coming up) the following is my favorite soup.

Allene White lives in Brooklin.

Minestrone

Yields 8 servings

• 4 Tbsps. butter
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced potatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup diced unpeeled zucchini
• 4 Tbsps. olive oil
• 2 Tbsps. chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped leeks
• 2 cups drained Italian tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cups canned chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• Black pepper
• Rice, pasta or white kidney beans (canned)

Garnish:

• 1 tsp. dried basil, crumbled
• 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
• ½ tsp. chopped garlic
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a heavy pot and add the carrots, potatoes, celery, peas and zucchini. Toss with a wooden spoon while cooking for about 3 minutes, then set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then add the chopped onions and leeks — or substitute a full cup of onions. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the vegetables are soft but not browned. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, the vegetables from the first pot, the chicken stock, bay leaf, parsley, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, then simmer slowly.

About a half hour before serving, add the rice or pasta, or white beans, and cook 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Taste for seasoning and serve sprinkled with the herb and garlic garnish. Pass a bowl of grated cheese separately.

Note: Keep canned vegetables on hand, but use fresh vegetables that may be in the refrigerator.

What goes with a Minestrone? A loaf of crusty French bread, of course, but during a snowstorm or a power outage, a quicker form of instant gratification might be the answer.

Skillet Cornbread

• 4 ounces (about a cup) of cornmeal
• ½ tsp. cream of tartar
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¼ to ½ tsp. salt
• 1 large egg
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 Tbsp. lard, bacon fat or peanut oil

Note: these directions are for a cast iron skillet only.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Break the egg into a separate bowl and whisk gently. Add the buttermilk, blending well.

Five minutes before you are ready to bake the cornbread, put the fat or peanut oil into an 8-inch cast iron skillet and place it in the hot oven.

Four minutes before you are ready to bake, add the egg and buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, whisking just to blend. A minute later — take the HOT skillet from the oven and carefully swirl the HOT fat around the bottom and up the sides. Pour in the batter, spreading evenly across the bottom of the pan. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until well set and golden brown.

Remove from oven and invert onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

John Thorne, who wrote this recipe, says “We split it and strew the inside with grated or shaved cheese, close it back up and wait a minute before eating for the cheese to melt. A good, sharp Vermont Cheddar is wonderful . . . ”