Ham, Potato and Veggie Skillet (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

Today is the day of the total solar eclipse — and we’re in the path of totality.

Restaurants in our area will be packed with eclipse tourists — and many will be serving eclipse-themed menus.

We all need to eat. Some are inviting guests for eclipse viewing, or throwing a party for the rare event. What to serve? The internet offers as many eclipse-themed snacks and desserts as galaxies in the sky.

Moon pies. Galaxy chocolate bark. Blackened burgers. Totality wings. Eclipse chips. Cosmic cookies. Rising sun pizza. Solar doughnuts. Celestial conchas. Dark chocolate-covered almonds. Sun and moon pancakes. Dark chocolate brownies dressed with orange slices. And more.

Eateries in the path of totality from Texas to New York have created these interesting creations. You can come up with your own cosmic fare, too — even if you only need food for your family. Eclipse or not, we all need to eat. Still have ham left from Easter? Use it up! Whether it’s party fare or a family meal, use your imagination.

This is been an emotional week, with hopes deferred — relatives calling that they’re coming up for the eclipse, then calling to cancel due to health issues. Health issues also kept others away and Mom and I spent the week following Easter by ourselves, just the two of us.

I will not be hosting an eclipse gathering — but I have plenty of ham left from Sunday’s celebration. Yesterday’s supper was a skillet with potatoes, kale, cauliflower, sweet peas, carrots, onion, garlic and of course, ham, all cooked in broth and graced with a little cheese. Today I plan to use kale, potatoes and ham baked with eggs for a colcannon-type casserole. I have not yet decided what I’m serving on Eclipse Day — maybe a good soup that I can prepare in the morning, before the solar event, or something that can cook in the slow cooker while we go out to see it get dark and light again.

What are you serving after the eclipse?

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Reverse Celestial Soup

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Light and dark colors combine in this soup.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion (about 1 cup, diced)

1 or 2 celery stalks (about 1 cup, diced)

1 carrot (about 1 cup, diced)

1 quart broth or stock (vegetable or chicken)

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3 or 4 cups diced, peeled butternut squash

1 or 2 cups finely chopped kale greens

1 1/2 cups (1 can) black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

Heat oil in the bottom of a large soup pot. Add diced onion, celery and carrots. Sprinkle with a little salt. Cover and cook on low 2-5 minutes; this gives you time to peel and dice the squash.

Add broth, bay leaf and seasonings to the pot. Add the butternut squash, bring to a boil, lower heat to simmer and cook until squash is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to cream the soup. You may want to add a little milk or cream. Or ladle into blender to blend if you don’t have an immersion blender.

Return to pot, and add the kale. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes for the kale to soften some. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Drain and rinse the black beans, and use as a garnish to top the soup for a gold and dark contrast.

Idea: You can also make a butternut squash soup and a black bean soup. Place them together in the same bowl for a delightful visual and flavorful contrast.

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Ham, Potato and Veggie Skillet

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Ingredients:

1 onion

About 1 cup diced potatoes

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

A little olive oil and/or butter for the pan

1 or 2 cloves garlic

About 2 cups cauliflower florets

1 or 2 cups kale greens, packed

1/2 to 1 cup broth, as needed

2 to 4 cups diced or shredded ham

1 or 2 cups frozen peas

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Peel and dice the onion and potatoes. Slice carrot and celery.

Coat a skillet with oil or butter, add the prepared veggies, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the garlic, cauliflower, chopped greens and a half-cup of broth, and continue cooking 5 or 10 minutes more. If the skillet gets dry, add more broth.

Add ham, peas and shredded cheese. Stir in. Cook until cheese is melted and everything is tender, about 5 more minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Serves 4.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh & Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers’ Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: Writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter: @yvonawrites.