1 tablespoon butter

2 cups sliced onion

1 cup sliced celery

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup white wine such as sauvignon blanc

4 pounds mussels

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1/2 whole grain baguette, sliced

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, saute 5 minutes, add the garlic and continue to saute 3 minutes. Add wine, mussels and tarragon leaves. Bring liquid to a boil and cover with a lid. Let boil about 3 to 4 minutes. The mussels should open. Cook a little longer if most are not opened. Take the pan off the heat. Do not over cook the mussels. They will become rubbery. Lift the mussels out of the pan with a slotted spoon into 2 large soup bowls. Discard any mussels that are not open. Serve the mussels. When they are finished, serve the broth and vegetables in the same bowl with the baguette slices on the side. Leave about 1/4-inch broth in the pan. This may contain sand from the mussels.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 500 calories (23% from fat), 12.7 g fat (4.9 g saturated, 3.5 g monounsaturated), 80 mg cholesterol, 33.9 g protein, 52.3 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 1,026 mg sodium.