1. You can use all those bones
and veggie trimmings from holiday meals to make a delicious
stock or broth.
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| broth ready for the canner |
We like to use everything until it can't be used anymore. Shirts become rags, our chicken coop is made of scrap wood, and our food scraps become soup stock. It's cheaper to buy it
bone-in, and it makes no sense to me to throw away great scraps, only to have
to go back out and buy them again infused in water. Water is close enough to
free around here! All you have to do is throw those broccoli and mushroom
stems, carrot tops, onion ends, celery leaves, and chicken bones and neck in a
pot, cover it with water, and heat it up on the stove. I keep a container of veggie scraps in the freezer for future broth. It's a great way to save that celery or potato
that is about to go bad, but you just don't have the recipe or time for right
now. For veggies only, I bring it to a boil,
and then shut it off. For chicken broth, I let it simmer for a while longer,
maybe adding some vinegar to help pull out the goodies from within the bones. The longer you simmer, the more the bones soften and release those goodies.
Bone broth has been all the rage for the past few years. I haven't made it. Mostly because I don't do beef, and I'm happy with my broth as it is.
So, you boiled and simmered for the desired time, all the while your mouth watering from the delicious smell wafting from the kitchen... Then you strain it. Easy. Sometimes it gets immediately made into
soup. After smelling it for so long, how could you not want a bowl of soup immediately?! Sometimes I put it in the fridge for the next day. Often I make a lot and process it in
canning jars for pantry storage. You could also freeze it.
2. Soup is a great way to take in more fluids.
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| steamy windows, a break from the dry air |
You
just took free scraps and added simple, almost free water. And now you have the
base for any soup. I find that I struggle to drink water in the winter months.
I'm not out in the hot sun. I'm not running all over the yard and exercising
the way I do in the summer. And I just don't feel so thirsty. But the winter
months are a dry time. The humidity goes down due to the cold. Any liquid that
falls is often frozen in flakes or on contact meaning that water is now stuck
where it landed, not moving through the air or evaporating as quick. We heat
our homes and cars, sometimes with that hot air blown right onto us. My skin is
so sad and dry this time of year. But my skin is just not as good at reminding
me to take a drink as my mouth is. We need these fluids to keep us hydrated,
keep our skin happy, and help flush the waste out of our bodies. Bonus benefit…
cooking up the broth will add a little more humidity to the house through
evaporation!
3. Those infused fluids have a lot of nutrients.
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| simmering veggies |
Meat
based stocks contain gelatin which is great for hair, skin and nails. All broths are full of nutrients and minerals varying based on what exactly you included in the broth. You can add more benefit by including herbs in the broth.
I like to add astragalus root for the immune boosting benefits. But you're
regular old culinary herbs can also help with that and add more flavor. Add a
little salt and pepper if you want, and you have a light snack that will
nourish your body and hydrate. It's such a good thing to have on hand during cold
and flu season when you may not have an appetite, but your body really needs
nutrients and hydration!
4. Broth can be used in so many ways.
Add
noodles or rice to the broth, and now you have a more filling meal or
snack…think ramen! Add carrots, celery, onion and you have a basic, tasty
veggie soup. Mushrooms, potatoes, peas, corn, any other veggie… all great to
put in. Add as many or as few as you want. Make it a thin soup, or make it super chunky with veggies. Thicken the broth with flour and fat and you
have a basic stew. Add some meat and you have a real hearty meal. Use less
broth and add lots of beans, peppers, onions, maybe some tomato paste and it's
chili. Saute some mushrooms and shallots in oil or butter, maybe brown up some meat,
add some flour and thyme, broth and white wine and you have a delicious gravy.
5. Soup is warm.
It's one of the ultimate comfort foods. It can warm you to the core. And just holding the mug or bowl warms the fingers!
Did I get you in the
mood for soup? Here's a recipe for a mushroom soup that my cousin made for me
with some mushrooms I brought her over the summer. Of course I didn't write it
down, so this is my interpretation. I like to use a variety of mushrooms, 2 or
3 different kinds. Since we grow oyster, shiitake and lion's mane, it's usually
a combo of those.
Mushroom Soup
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| Mushroom Soup |
1/4 lb. fresh
mushrooms
1/2 oz. dried
mushrooms (optional)*
1/2 onion
1-2 carrots (1cups)
1 small potato
1/4 cup corn
(optional)
1/4 cup peas
(optional)
2T butter
1T vegetable oil
(olive, sunflower…)
1T fresh dill (half
that if using dried)
1t fresh parsley
(half that if using dried)
Salt and pepper
Cream (optional)
*If using dried
mushrooms, soak in water for about an hour, until soft.
Chop carrots, onion
and potato into bit size pieces. Tear mushrooms into
shreds. Saute fresh mushrooms in butter
in a 12" skillet over med-high heat, until somewhat soft and
they've absorbed most of the butter, about 3 minutes. Add oil, onion and carrot
and cook another 3 minutes. Add potato
and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to a soup pot and add broth, peas and
carrots (if using), chopped soaked mushrooms, and some of the soaking water.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer until potatoes and carrots are cooked
through. Add dill and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I add heavy cream to
the bowl upon serving. Some people like sour cream or yogurt.
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