2 md Turnips
2 sm Carrots
4    Green onions
3    Fresh asparagus spears
1/2 c  Button mushrooms
1/2 c  Peeled straw mushrooms
8    Baby sweet corn
8    Water chestnuts
1/2 ts Fresh ginger root
1 tb Tientsin preserved
Vegetable
2 tb Peanut oil
2 c  Chicken stock
1 ts Salt
1 pn Sugar
Cornstarch paste
1 tb Chicken fat
1/2 c  Crab meat or shelled
Shrimp (opt)

Preparation: Peel turnips & carrots. Use melon scoop to cut turnips into
large balls. Slice carrots 1/2″ thick; then with paring knife, cut 4
evenly spaced notches into rim of each slice (dont cut into center core).
Carrots should look like little flowers. Parboil turnip & carrots in stock
until barely tender. Remove from stock & plunge pieces into cold water;
drain. Cut onions, asparagus & baby corn into 1 1/2″ pieces. Mince together
fresh ginger root & Tientsin preserved vegetable. Insmall pot or beaker on
medium heat, render pieces of chicken fat.

Stir-frying: Add peanut oil to hot wok. When it begins to smoke, briskly
fry crab meat or shrimp for 1 minute. Add asparagus, baby corn, mushrooms &
water chestnuts, stir-frying until they are hot. Add ginger mixture, then
onions. Stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add 1/2 stock, salt & sugar; bring to
boil. Add turnips & carrots. Cover & reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.
Uncover, push ingredients out of liquid, & dribble in cornstarch paste to
thicken slightly. Stir liquid to prevent lumping while it thickens to a
thick soup. Recombine, then mix in chicken oil. Remove to serving platter.