Greetings from a Mouse House pal! I too enjoy playing in the kitchen and entertaining my friends. I’m always on the lookout for recipes which I can make ahead of time. I like to be with my friends and not holed up in the kitchen..
Here’s a nice dessert that can be made the day before. Its red, white and blue theme makes it perfect for Memorial Day or Fourth of July gatherings.
Submitted by Mara Lynch
Marblehead
BLUEBERRY STRAWBERRY TRIFLE
Yield 8-10 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 3 oz. package vanilla instant pudding
2 cups whipped cream
1 pound cake cut into 1 inch cubes (I use Sara Lee)
1 pint strawberries-sliced
1 pint blueberries
METHOD
Beat together condensed milk, water, lemon rind and pudding until well blended. Refrigerate until thick (about 15 minutes)
Fold in whipped cream
In a large bowl layer 1/3 of the cake, 1/3 strawberries, 1/3 blueberries. Repeat for two more layers
Pour pudding on top and refrigerate. Garnish with a few strawberries and Enjoy!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Davidge Eggs
This is Bill’s breakfast specialty. When we first met, he would serve me Davidge eggs with fresh squeezed orange juice and coffee. Yum.
This is often our Sunday morning breakfast. Or brunch, if we have a slow start to our morning.
Sunday usually begins with coffee and newspapers in bed: Bill has the New York Times, I have Sunday’s Boston Globe and also any editions of the Globe or the Salem Evening News that I didn’t get to during the week. Not sure why I feel that I have to read the newspapers in order or, why I can’t just recycle the old ones without reading… guess I’m afraid I might miss something. Spending two hours daily in the car traveling to and from work, I hear the news and commentary – WBZ in the morning (for the traffic reports) and WBUR/NPR at night – I know what is going on in my community and the world.
Last week I heard a program on NPR about hoarders. The guest quoted research that suggested people who saved newspapers and magazines were afraid they might miss something - an opportunity or important information – so they keep things, just in case. That resonated with me: I save clippings (not whole issues) of things that interest me. When I go back and look at them, they often go right into the recycling bin: I’ve missed the event or I make a note in my reference notebook, knowing I can retrieve the information on the Internet.
My take-away from the NPR program? A resolve to read the paper each day and on Sunday evening, toss any unread papers from the previous week into the recycling bin, ready to put on the curb Monday morning. So, once I finish this post, it’s back to my basket of papers: Everything except today’s paper goes in the bin. I’ve heard it takes two weeks to establish a new habit…wish me luck.
1 ½ eggs per person
½ eggshell full of milk per person, or half and half (cream) for a creamer texture
Freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese, diced
Butter
English muffin, 1 per person
Heat butter in frying pan over medium heat.
Mix eggs, milk, and pepper in bowl.
Add egg mixture to hot pan; reduce heat to medium-low.
Add diced cheese to eggs once they begin to set.
Scramble with spoon, not fork (Bill Davidge ‘secret’).
Cook to taste.
Serve with English muffins, on side or as a sandwich.
This is often our Sunday morning breakfast. Or brunch, if we have a slow start to our morning.
Sunday usually begins with coffee and newspapers in bed: Bill has the New York Times, I have Sunday’s Boston Globe and also any editions of the Globe or the Salem Evening News that I didn’t get to during the week. Not sure why I feel that I have to read the newspapers in order or, why I can’t just recycle the old ones without reading… guess I’m afraid I might miss something. Spending two hours daily in the car traveling to and from work, I hear the news and commentary – WBZ in the morning (for the traffic reports) and WBUR/NPR at night – I know what is going on in my community and the world.
Last week I heard a program on NPR about hoarders. The guest quoted research that suggested people who saved newspapers and magazines were afraid they might miss something - an opportunity or important information – so they keep things, just in case. That resonated with me: I save clippings (not whole issues) of things that interest me. When I go back and look at them, they often go right into the recycling bin: I’ve missed the event or I make a note in my reference notebook, knowing I can retrieve the information on the Internet.
My take-away from the NPR program? A resolve to read the paper each day and on Sunday evening, toss any unread papers from the previous week into the recycling bin, ready to put on the curb Monday morning. So, once I finish this post, it’s back to my basket of papers: Everything except today’s paper goes in the bin. I’ve heard it takes two weeks to establish a new habit…wish me luck.
1 ½ eggs per person
½ eggshell full of milk per person, or half and half (cream) for a creamer texture
Freshly ground black pepper
Cheddar cheese, diced
Butter
English muffin, 1 per person
Heat butter in frying pan over medium heat.
Mix eggs, milk, and pepper in bowl.
Add egg mixture to hot pan; reduce heat to medium-low.
Add diced cheese to eggs once they begin to set.
Scramble with spoon, not fork (Bill Davidge ‘secret’).
Cook to taste.
Serve with English muffins, on side or as a sandwich.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Deviled Eggs
Lately, my contribution to Easter dinner is deviled eggs. In my extended family deviled eggs are served three times a year without fail: Easter, the 4th of July, and Labor Day. Looking back into my childhood, there have always been deviled eggs. Perhaps I remember this because of the dishes.
My grandmother, my mother, my aunts, my sisters, and I all have special dishes to serve deviled eggs; usually a round glass or china platter with egg shaped depressions to hold the eggs. Mine is round and glass, discovered years ago by one of my aunts in an antique or second hand store and given to me as a Christmas present. My Aunt Nancy, who makes the eggs for our family 4th of July and Labor Day cookouts, has a Tupperware-type container made especially for deviled eggs.
My childhood Easters always began with an early morning Easter egg hunt. The first hunts I remember were for jelly beans wrapped in foil that were ‘hidden’ around the house: in our slippers, on our bureaus, on the edges of the bookshelves, and lined up on all the windowsills of the house. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that my parents, most likely my mother, must have wrapped jelly beans in foil before placing them throughout the house. Later, the ‘tin’ foiled jelly beans were replaced with the small foil wrapped chocolate eggs. When my sisters and I were grown with children of our own, the Easter egg hunt moved outdoors, after dinner, with the foil wrapped eggs ‘hidden’ on the car bumpers, in the grass, on the front steps, and on low lying horizontal branches. Kids of all ages, with plastic bags in hand, took part in these hunts.
Earlier tonight, I made time for two other Easter rituals: first I checked the time for the sunrise service at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead. Bill and I will get up early and walk down to participate in this simple Easter service overlooking the magnificence of Marblehead Harbor and the ocean beyond. Next, I carefully prepared Easter baskets and gifts for Bill, Allison, our houseguest Jen, Al’s boyfriend Shaun, and my two nieces who we will see at Easter dinner. Rituals complete, I finish my writing, post this blog entry, then off to (a short) sleep as sunrise will come early.
Deviled Eggs: 12 stuffed egg halves
6 eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp salt
pepper
paprika
To hard boil eggs:
Eggs in the shell must be cooked at the right temperature for the correct amount of time. While the recipe is rather simple, the actual cooking of the eggs requires the cook to pay close attention to saucepan of eggs: turn off the heat too soon and the eggs will not be hard boiled; let the eggs come to a full boil and the yolks become hard and turn greenish-grey. For best results, buy eggs for hard-cooking several days ahead, as storage allows the air space at the large end of the egg to expand, making peeling easier.
1. Place eggs in a saucepan wide enough to accommodate them without crowding and deep enough so that tops of eggs are covered by at least 1” of water.
2. Over high heat, heat water and eggs just to a full boil.
3. Immediately remove saucepan from heat and cover tightly. Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.
4. Pour off hot water and run cold water over the eggs to stop them from cooking. This also makes peeling easier if peeling immediately.
5. To peel eggs, gently tap entire surface of shell against a flat surface, taking care not to break the egg itself. Under cold running water (or in a large bowl of cold water) peel egg, starting at large end as the air space in the large end makes it easier to start peeling.
Stuffing:
1. Slice 6 hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise.
2. Gently remove yolks and place in small bowl; with fork, crumble yolks into fine pieces.
3. Stir in ¼ mayonnaise, ¼ tsp. salt, and dash pepper until smooth; with spoon, pile into egg centers. Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.
4. Before serving, dust yolk mixture with paprika.
My grandmother, my mother, my aunts, my sisters, and I all have special dishes to serve deviled eggs; usually a round glass or china platter with egg shaped depressions to hold the eggs. Mine is round and glass, discovered years ago by one of my aunts in an antique or second hand store and given to me as a Christmas present. My Aunt Nancy, who makes the eggs for our family 4th of July and Labor Day cookouts, has a Tupperware-type container made especially for deviled eggs.
My childhood Easters always began with an early morning Easter egg hunt. The first hunts I remember were for jelly beans wrapped in foil that were ‘hidden’ around the house: in our slippers, on our bureaus, on the edges of the bookshelves, and lined up on all the windowsills of the house. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized that my parents, most likely my mother, must have wrapped jelly beans in foil before placing them throughout the house. Later, the ‘tin’ foiled jelly beans were replaced with the small foil wrapped chocolate eggs. When my sisters and I were grown with children of our own, the Easter egg hunt moved outdoors, after dinner, with the foil wrapped eggs ‘hidden’ on the car bumpers, in the grass, on the front steps, and on low lying horizontal branches. Kids of all ages, with plastic bags in hand, took part in these hunts.
Earlier tonight, I made time for two other Easter rituals: first I checked the time for the sunrise service at Old Burial Hill in Marblehead. Bill and I will get up early and walk down to participate in this simple Easter service overlooking the magnificence of Marblehead Harbor and the ocean beyond. Next, I carefully prepared Easter baskets and gifts for Bill, Allison, our houseguest Jen, Al’s boyfriend Shaun, and my two nieces who we will see at Easter dinner. Rituals complete, I finish my writing, post this blog entry, then off to (a short) sleep as sunrise will come early.
Deviled Eggs: 12 stuffed egg halves
6 eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ tsp salt
pepper
paprika
To hard boil eggs:
Eggs in the shell must be cooked at the right temperature for the correct amount of time. While the recipe is rather simple, the actual cooking of the eggs requires the cook to pay close attention to saucepan of eggs: turn off the heat too soon and the eggs will not be hard boiled; let the eggs come to a full boil and the yolks become hard and turn greenish-grey. For best results, buy eggs for hard-cooking several days ahead, as storage allows the air space at the large end of the egg to expand, making peeling easier.
1. Place eggs in a saucepan wide enough to accommodate them without crowding and deep enough so that tops of eggs are covered by at least 1” of water.
2. Over high heat, heat water and eggs just to a full boil.
3. Immediately remove saucepan from heat and cover tightly. Let eggs stand in hot water for 15 minutes.
4. Pour off hot water and run cold water over the eggs to stop them from cooking. This also makes peeling easier if peeling immediately.
5. To peel eggs, gently tap entire surface of shell against a flat surface, taking care not to break the egg itself. Under cold running water (or in a large bowl of cold water) peel egg, starting at large end as the air space in the large end makes it easier to start peeling.
Stuffing:
1. Slice 6 hard-cooked eggs in half lengthwise.
2. Gently remove yolks and place in small bowl; with fork, crumble yolks into fine pieces.
3. Stir in ¼ mayonnaise, ¼ tsp. salt, and dash pepper until smooth; with spoon, pile into egg centers. Refrigerate, covered until ready to serve.
4. Before serving, dust yolk mixture with paprika.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Mimi's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
When I presented 1-year old Allison with the cake so she could blow out her first birthday candle, she just looked at the cake, not knowing what was expected of her (after all, it was her first birthday party…). My sister Ellen, who was still young, was disappointed that Allison did not put her fingers into the frosting as she expected. Family history was made when Ellen stuck Allison's fingers into the frosting and made Allison cry… thus creating a family story often repeated at birthday parties.
Mimi’s Carrot Cake
Pans: three 9” layers or one sheet cake pan
2 cups flour
2cups sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
4 eggs
1 ½ cups oil
1 8 ½ ounce can drained crushed pineapple
1 can coconut (6 or 8 ounces?)
½ cup nuts
2 cups grated carrots
1. Mix all dry ingredients then add wet ones.
2. Pour into greased pans or sheet.
3. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes (layers) or 40 minutes for sheet cake.
4. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pans and cool completely.
5. Frost with cream cheese frosting when completely cooled.
Cream Cheese Frosting
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
3 oz cream cheese
1 ½ Tbsp cream or milk
1 ½ tsp grated lemon or orange rind
1. Sift confectioners’ sugar; set aside
2. Mix cream cheese and milk until soft and fluffy.
3. Gradually beat sugar into mixture of cream cheese and milk.
4. Add lemon or orange rind.
Makes approximately ¾ cup frosting.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat Pasta
When my daughter was little she liked to go to Rinaldo’s, an Italian restaurant in Marblehead on the top level of Village Plaza. Classic red sauce Italian with the red and white checked tablecloths, a garlic cheese spread and packaged crackers on the table as soon as you sat down, and standard dishes like chicken, veal, or eggplant parmigiana. And, spaghetti with butter for children. Allison especially liked their fried mozzarella sticks; when she was sick they were often the only thing she wanted to eat…
I made this recipe on Palm Sunday for dinner, serving it over whole wheat pasta. I tossed a cup of frozen peas into the Crock Pot about 10 minutes before I added the cheese to make this a one- pot meal. Fed the two of us, with leftovers for lunch or dinner during the week. It was quick and easy and used ingredients I had on hand. A great addition to my selection of easy recipes for Holy Week, or any other busy time of year.
Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat Pasta
Makes 4 servings.
Medium Crock Pot
2 tsp olive oil
4 skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), about 3 oz each
½ of a 26 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
whole wheat pasta for 4 servings
1. Heat the oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and saute’, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Combine chicken and tomato sauce in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees, 6 to 8 hours.
3. If using frozen peas, add 25 minutes before you plan to eat.
4. Heat water for pasta, following package directions.
5. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Don’t stir. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
6. Put pasta on plate and top with chicken parmesan.
I made this recipe on Palm Sunday for dinner, serving it over whole wheat pasta. I tossed a cup of frozen peas into the Crock Pot about 10 minutes before I added the cheese to make this a one- pot meal. Fed the two of us, with leftovers for lunch or dinner during the week. It was quick and easy and used ingredients I had on hand. A great addition to my selection of easy recipes for Holy Week, or any other busy time of year.
Slow Cooker: Chicken Parmesan over Whole Wheat Pasta
Makes 4 servings.
Medium Crock Pot
2 tsp olive oil
4 skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), about 3 oz each
½ of a 26 oz jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
whole wheat pasta for 4 servings
1. Heat the oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and saute’, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
2. Combine chicken and tomato sauce in the Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees, 6 to 8 hours.
3. If using frozen peas, add 25 minutes before you plan to eat.
4. Heat water for pasta, following package directions.
5. Combine the cheeses in a small bowl and sprinkle them over the chicken. Don’t stir. Cook until the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes.
6. Put pasta on plate and top with chicken parmesan.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Slow Cooker Recipe: Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Here’s the second offering of easy, make ahead meals for Holy Week. I first made this dish the Christmas Bill and I spent with our daughter in New York. Her work schedule precluded traveling for Christmas so we loaded up the Prius with gifts and goodies for holiday meals, including Christmas table clothes and napkins.
Our Christmas breakfast included our traditional Danish, quiche, and French toast (watch for these recipes in December). For dinner I chose this recipe, preparing the ingredients on Christmas Eve afternoon, refrigerating the Crockpot insert overnight, and then cooking it on Christmas Day. Our plan was to eat dinner around 6:00 pm. Great plan except: I put the insert into the Crockpot, turned it on, and, as I discovered a few hours later, neglected to plug in the Crockpot. On to Plan B: putting everything in a roasting pan in the oven and eating dinner later than originally planned.
I’ve since made this many times (in the Crock Pot). It is great for dinner with lots of leftovers for lunch during the week.
Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 8 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 7 to 9 hours on low; 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours on high
Ingredients
2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½” chunks
3 ½ to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
1 ½ tsp fennel seed, crushed (if I don’t have this on hand, I omit it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil)
1 14-oz can chicken broth (or equivalent homemade)
¾ apricot nectar (I use apple juice, or if I don’t have any, I omit this and add equivalent in water)
½ cup dried apricots
4 tsp cornstarch
1. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Trim fat from pork roast.
3. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl; rub onto pork roast.
4. In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker.
5. Pour broth and ½ cup of the apricot nectar over all.
6. Cover and cook for on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, adding the dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
8. Strain cooking liquid into a glass-measuring cup. Skim fat from liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to equal 2 cups).
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook 2 minutes longer. *
10. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes.
*Omit this step if you are too tired or too busy. The pork, apricots, and sweet potatoes taste fine without it.
Our Christmas breakfast included our traditional Danish, quiche, and French toast (watch for these recipes in December). For dinner I chose this recipe, preparing the ingredients on Christmas Eve afternoon, refrigerating the Crockpot insert overnight, and then cooking it on Christmas Day. Our plan was to eat dinner around 6:00 pm. Great plan except: I put the insert into the Crockpot, turned it on, and, as I discovered a few hours later, neglected to plug in the Crockpot. On to Plan B: putting everything in a roasting pan in the oven and eating dinner later than originally planned.
I’ve since made this many times (in the Crock Pot). It is great for dinner with lots of leftovers for lunch during the week.
Pork and Apricot with Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 8 servings
Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 7 to 9 hours on low; 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours on high
Ingredients
2 ½ lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½” chunks
3 ½ to 4 lb boneless pork shoulder roast
1 tsp dried tarragon, crushed
1 ½ tsp fennel seed, crushed (if I don’t have this on hand, I omit it)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp cooking oil (I use olive oil)
1 14-oz can chicken broth (or equivalent homemade)
¾ apricot nectar (I use apple juice, or if I don’t have any, I omit this and add equivalent in water)
½ cup dried apricots
4 tsp cornstarch
1. Place sweet potatoes in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Trim fat from pork roast.
3. Combine the tarragon, fennel seed, garlic, salt, and pepper in small bowl; rub onto pork roast.
4. In a very large skillet, brown roast on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat. Place meat on top of sweet potatoes in cooker.
5. Pour broth and ½ cup of the apricot nectar over all.
6. Cover and cook for on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 ½ hours, adding the dried apricots for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
7. With a slotted spoon, transfer pork and apricots to serving platter. Transfer sweet potatoes to a large bowl; mash with a potato masher.
8. Strain cooking liquid into a glass-measuring cup. Skim fat from liquid; discard fat. Reserve 2 cups liquid (if necessary add chicken broth to equal 2 cups).
9. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup apricot nectar and the cornstarch. In a medium saucepan, combine cooking liquid and the cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook 2 minutes longer. *
10. Serve with pork and mashed sweet potatoes.
*Omit this step if you are too tired or too busy. The pork, apricots, and sweet potatoes taste fine without it.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Soup Week Continues: Vegetable Stock
Let's start with the basics: Nancy’s Vegetable Stock
I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.
I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.
Vegetable Stock
1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.
2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.
3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.
3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.
4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.
For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe…
Vegetable Stock
20 Cups
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bunch parsley stems
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander.
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.
I’ve made soup for a long time. I have memories of my mother and grandmother making soup, using chicken carcasses, ham bones, or vegetable peelings and scraps to make a rich stock. For me, making stock is a way to transform things that are easily thrown away into something rich and flavorful.
I don’t ever remember following a recipe: I use what I have on hand, or collect over a period of days or weeks, and use them to make a rich, flavor-filled broth with little bits of stuff that makes a great base for vegetables, beans, pasta, rice, or whatever else you want to add to your soup.
Vegetable Stock
1. Collect clean peelings, ends, and other pieces of vegetables that you usually discard or compost in a covered container in the freezer. I use peelings from potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, and garlic; the pieces you cut off from celery, leeks, and scallions; the end bits from onions, carrots, parsnips, and garlic. Basically any part of a vegetable that I might use in a soup or a salad gets saved in the freezer until I have approximately 2 cups of ‘stuff’ for my stock.
2. During the good weather when I compost most of my fruit and vegetable waste, I may not have a stash of vegetable peelings in the freezer. If I want to make a soup with summer vegetables, I’ll prepare all the vegetables I plan to use in my soup, store them in the refrigerator for a day and use the peelings, ends, and other bits to make stock.
3. Fill a big pot with water and add the vegetables. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cook for an hour or so. The liquid will be a light amber color.
3. I use a combination of a ladle and a slotted spoon to transfer the stock to one bowl (or another pot) and the vegetable matter to a second bowl. This takes a bit of time and, as I get close to the bottom of the pot, I pour the last bit of liquid through a fine mesh sieve (or colander) into the bowl holding the rest of the stock.
4. If I am freezing the stock for future use, I measure out either 1 or 2 cups at a time and place in a Tupperware or RubberMade container, or a freezer bag, marking the quantity on the container.
For those of you who prefer to work with specific ingredient lists and measures, I am sharing this recipe for Vegetable Stock that I found in my collection – reading the ingredient list (Turkish bay leaves? Purified water?) I imagine I found this recipe on a gourmet magazine or website…. And I will bet money (something I rarely do) that I have never made this recipe…
Vegetable Stock
20 Cups
This is an excellent vegetable stock - freeze what you don't use for next time.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, well washed and chopped
4 medium onions, chopped
6 large carrots, peeled and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 small bunch parsley stems
2 teaspoons dried whole marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried whole thyme
3 Turkish bay leaves or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 1/2 gallons cold purified water
Instructions:
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add the vegetables and stir-fry to brown lightly. Add the marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, and cold water. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for one hour.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve or a cheesecloth-lined colander.
Press or squeeze the vegetables to extract their liquid. Discard the vegetables.
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