2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh fennel bulb (from a medium-size bulb)

1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, with their liquid

1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine

1 pound precleaned jumbo shrimp

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional) for garnish

Good-quality salad croutons (optional) for garnish

Place the olive oil in a four-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring, until it softens, two minutes. Add the tomatoes with their liquid and the chicken broth and wine, cover the pan and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let the soup simmer for 10 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they just turn pink, three minutes longer.

Ladle the stew into bowls, and garnish each serving with chopped parsley and/or croutons. Serve at once.

Serves four as a main course.

LULA'S COCONUT TARTS

10 frozen, 31/2 inch tart shells

3 large eggs

11/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons heavy (whipping) cream

11/2 cups flaked coconut (one 6-ounce bag), preferably unsweetened, thawed if frozen

vanilla or banana ice cream, for serving

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the frozen tart shells, still in their aluminum foil pans, on a baking sheet and set aside.

Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla and cream in a medium-size mixing bowl. Beat with a fork or whisk until the mixture is lemon-colored and smooth. Fold in the coconut. Ladle the coconut mixture into the 10 tart shells, dividing it evenly among them and filling them two-thirds full.

Bake the tarts until they are puffed and golden and the crusts have browned, 24 to 27 minutes. Remove the tarts from the oven and let them rest two to three minutes. Slide the tarts out of their foil pans and serve with ice cream or let cool and serve.