Tomatoes

I wanted to try something different this year with the tomatoes! I started out making spaghetti sauce, but looking at the quantity that I'd have to can it was not all that much... maybe one quart and one pint. So after thinking about what to do, I decided to turn it into pizza sauce. I froze it in quantities for ONE pizza each! So many times now there are just two of us at home for dinner on the weekends, so why open a full quart or pint of sauce? I froze 10 containers approx 1 1/4 cups each! (We made pizza that night.... it was pretty good and quantity was perfect!)

Our next adventure was when Audrey wanted to dehydrate some tomatoes! She cut them up and lightly salted them then put them on the racks...  (since I've tried this before, I knew to suggest that she spray the racks with an oil to keep the dried tomatoes from sticking!) She set the heat to 140* and let them go!! She also sprinkled them with some basil for yummy flavoring!! This took maybe 8 hours since some of the pieces were of good size! After it was all said and done...  they fit in a small freezer container! Yikes.... hard to imagine three racks of tomato pieces all fit in here... but they did!! And, I added some oil to it for storage.... not needed, but an experiment on our part! We'll use these in our favorite pesto chicken recipe! YUMMY!

Then on to making tomato soup!! I've never attempted anything but store bought canned tomato soup for some reason. I searched for a good recipe online and found one called "Mom's Best Tomato Soup Canning Recipe". I can't go wrong with that kind of a name, right?!

After reading some of the comments (a few times) I started....  Of course, if you know me at all, you know I almost NEVER make a recipe exactly as it is written. And, you won't be disappointed to know, the same holds true for this one! The recipe called for 6 onions, chopped... well, onions aren't always a favorite around here, so I opted for 1 VERY big Vidalia onion and instead of a whole bunch of celery, I cut up about 3/4 of a bunch! (Keep in mind... the goal is for flavor and a bunch depending on where you live will vary in size. And as for the onions, I think the author must use regular yellow onions which would be way to strong for my family.) I cooked this all down in a little bit of oil and then added the tomatoes and they cooked over low heat for a while! I used my immersion blender since I really didn't want to lose the onions and celery  only the skins & seeds of the tomatoes. I added a few more cut up tomatoes, allowed it to simmer and then used my Foley food mill to rid the pot of seeds & skins!! It worked like a charm!!

Here's where the next change comes...  I used 3/4 cup of sugar instead of a full cup and I did NOT add the flour/butter (rue) to thicken the soup. Instead, I decided to wait as some of the comments suggested, for when I actually heat the soup up to eat! A few of the comments were similar in saying:

"If you're following current USDA/NCHFP (US National Center for Home Food Preservation) recommendations for shelf-stable food storage safety (updated in 2009), they no longer recommend canning things with flour as a thickener. Likewise, butter and dairy products."

The remedy is to use a pressure canner for 30 minutes at 10 pounds for pints... that would have worked fine for me too, but being in a time crunch, I opted to use the water bath method and thicken later! 14 pints of tomato soup all ready for the shelf! I can't wait to try it! Next year...  I just may try it with the thickener in!

Next up, diced and canned tomatoes... 10 pints! They're awesome to add to soups, chili and to beef up the spaghetti sauce!! The tomatoes are still turning red out in the garden! I'll probably do up some more of the diced tomatoes when there are enough ripened.

 

Shared on Simple Lives Thursday!

Go look for other awesome ideas!



Roots & Squash Soup

Here's an interesting soup I made for dinner tonight! 

After reading the recipe from "Stuff I Feed Brian"

and having been wanting to use butternut squash as a base

 for soup, I'm trying this recipe!! I used the recipe almost as

written... but made a few adjustments for our family's

 taste. It is a soup that will be making its

way into the regular rotation here!!

ROOTS & SQUASH SOUP

1 small to medium butternut squash (or winter squash of your choice)

2 medium to large sweet potatoes

3 medium to large beets

Dash of salt

Peel & boil these veggies with just enough water to cover them.

Sweet red pepper - diced

1/4 vidalia onion - diced

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

Continue to boil until the veggies are soft.

Using a slotted spoon, remove about 3/4 of the veggies and put them

into a bowl. Use a potato masher to mash them up and then

add back to the remaining veggies still in the water/juices.

Stir in well. (You could also put the veggies into a blender

or food processor to mash or use an immersion blender!)

Add a hand full of cut up kale and/or beet greens and

cook on low for a few minutes,  just until the greens are wilted.

Serve warm with optional toppings of

sour cream, grated cheese, parm. cheese or plain yogurt

and salt & pepper to your own taste!

 (Warm cornbread is yummy with it too!) 

Be prepared for a DELICIOUS SOUP!

Your taste buds will be very excited
with the combination of  flavors!!

(Next time, I think I'm going to add
some back beans to it! Maybe make
it ahead and keep it warm in the crock pot!)

OH, THE IDEAS ARE ENDLESS!

Kale... It Isn't Just For Decorations Anymore!

About three years ago that I discovered how delicious kale really is! Up until this time, the only thing I knew it was used for was to decorate a plate with a couple of slices of twisted oranges in restaurants! How wrong I was! It grows pretty hardily here in the north east... maybe it grows well everywhere, I really don't know.

I was invited to a friend's house for a visit and lunch one day....  she made Portuguese Soup. I'd never tried it before but basically it has a clear broth with white potatoes, mild but spicey Portuguese sausage and kale as main ingedients. It was VERY good! But KALE... ??

Well, I decided to buy some and to try my own hand at using this new, odd veggie! I came up with my own version of Kale Soup. It has been a HUGE HIT at our house ever since!! I've shared the recipe before... check out KALE SOUP if you want to check it out it!

After purchasing the kale and making my soup, we decided to try growing it...  viola! We discovered it grew VERY WELL! Still being on the learning curve, I wasn't sure how well it would 'freeze' or 'dry' or 'can'...  I did try to freeze it and it was... ahhhh, ok. THEN... I pulled out the dehydrator to try that method and can now say, it is totally amazing! The 'queen of green' has found its way into our hearts! :) 

Last year I dehyrated a few batches... enough to fill up a 60 oz. plastic 'pretzel container' that I get when I buy bulk and then I crushed some to fill a quart sized canning jar. (An easy way to add the nutrition to spaghetti sauce or other sauces!)

THIS YEAR... I have already picked three times! My newest discovery is that the more often I pick, the more I'll get! It keeps growing back ... like spinach! I am already almost done filling my second LARGE plastic container and I have at least a couple months left!

Maybe you already know all this .... but just in case you didn't, I wanted to share with you! Plant kale, pick often, try new recips and methods of food storage! You'll be glad you did! Oh and by the way... check out the nutritional value too!

Sharing this on Simple Lives Thursday!

Awesome Find at Goodwill Today... "Diet Soup" Recipe

I had some extra time today while waiting for my student to get

out of school, so I went to Goodwill! I ALWAYS check out

the book section... and today I am glad I did!

Look what I found...

"The Pleasure of Herbs"

"A Month by Month Guide to

Growing & Enjoying Herbs"

By: Phyllis Shaudys

Copyright 1986 by Storey Communications, Inc.

AND the best part...

it was ONLY

NINETY-NINE CENTS!

Before even leaving the school parking lot,

I found the first

recipe I was going to try!!

'DIET SOUP'

 (page 34)

I know, it sounds too good to be true... 

I remember the idea of this recipe

 from back in the 80's!

Here goes.... 

"Diet Soup"

(This will keep in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.)

1 Head Cabbage (cut up)

1 large onion  (I didn't have one on hand, I used onion powder)

2 Cubes low-sodium beef bouillon (I used vegetable 'Better Then Boullion')

1 large can tomato juice (I used my own canned tomato/basil sauce/soup stock)

1 package frozen cut green beans

1 medium sized can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. each celery seed, garlic powder, parsley,

thyme and black pepper (I used celery salt, garlic powder & parsley)

Optional, but nice: diced celery, carrots, and green pepper slices

(I used matchstick carrots ... next time I'd add a bit more of them & diced celery!)

Add the cabbage, onion, carrots, celery 

and bouillon cubes to tomato juice.

When the cabbage is half cooked, add the green beans,

tomatoes and seasonings. (I added a little extra water too!)

Simmer on the stove top until the veggies are soft.

Serve and enjoy!

The flavor is even better then I remembered!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup... YUMMY!

We REALLY enjoy going to the Olive Garden for the soup, salad and bread sticks lunches!! We all have our favorites and mine is definitely the chicken gnocchi (no-kee) soup!! After the first lunch out, I came home and tried to duplicate it. It was pretty good. I have searched the online recipe sites for a good gnocchi recipe and discovered, they are not that difficult to make! I've made this soup a few times and have finally decided to put it down on 'paper'!

Here's my version...  WITH A DISCLAIMER...  I DID USE SOME SHORT CUTS... this doesn't have my own base (although that is easy enough to do) and I didn't make my own gnocchi this time! (again, easy to do... go to All Recipes if you want the full experience.)

After friend of mine discovered that you can buy pre-made, frozen gnocchi, I had to try it! Audrey and I made this last night!! It was awesome...  if I do say so myself! :)

"Chicken Gnocchi Soup"
Ingredients:

1 10 oz. bag of julienned carrots (or 1-2 shredded carrots)

1-2 stalks thinly sliced celery

4 chicken breasts, diced

1/2 small onion, diced (optional)

Approx. 6 oz. of fresh baby spinach 

2  16 oz. bags frozen potato gnocchi (I used Mama Rosie's brand)

Saute the carrots, celery, chicken & onion in a large stock pot with a maybe an inch of water.

When the veggies and meat are thoroughly cooked, do not drain and add the following...

2 family size cans of cream of chicken soup

2 regular size cans of cream of chicken soup or cream of celery soup

fat free half & half  (one large soup can worth or less) You can also use milk, all water, or cream.

water  (two large soup can worth... add more if you'd like)

Mix well and heat the soup, but don't bring to a boil. At this point, stir in the fresh baby spinach and turn off the heat and set it aside. Now, fill another pan with about 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add the frozen gnocchi and cook according to the package instructions (they will float when they are done). Drain and add them to the soup. Re heat the soup and you are ready to serve.... 

Delicious in a bread bowl or in a regular bowl!! A definite hit with my family!! ENJOY!

NOTE: My family members are big soup eaters, therefore this recipe makes A LOT of soup!! You can definitely cut this recipe in half by using only one large can of soup or one large & one small one (then I'd use 1/2 can of water and 1/2 can of milk product). Tweak the recipe to your own liking....  it is alot of fun to play and come up with your own creations!! HAVE FUN! :)

Comment from Audrey, "Our soup has more of a chicken flavor to it then the O.G. soup." We may use two small cans of celery soup instead of all chicken next time. Either way, it tastes great! 

I FINALLY Tried it For Myself!!!

Even though I've been canning for a lot of years now, one thing I've always wanted to do, but never tried before was canning my own soups! WELL... I did some research both in my Blue Ball Canning Book as well as online and I came up with this recipe!! I have to tell you... it really wasn't hard at all! What took me so long to give this a try?

I cheated and used baby carrots in order to avoid the step of

peeling them all! I used my food processor and sent through

3 pounds of carrots in no time at all and I did the same

with the celery!

Here we go...  the veggies & chicken meat all ready for the assembly line!

I boiled down the chicken (I used 4 good sized hens) and

picked off all the meat and cut it up into bite sized pieces.

1/2 cup of chicken

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced potatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1 TBsp. fresh chopped parsley

and chicken broth (cooked with salt in it)

Introducing the pressure canner....  I have NO idea

how old my beloved canner is, but it is at least

30 years old, since I've

had it for a minimum of 25 years now!!

Depending on where you live (altitude does make all

the difference) will determine how long you cook it

and at how many pounds of pressure.

For me, once it gets to 11 pounds we let it cook for

90 minutes for quarts! IF YOU HAVE NEVER

USED A PRESSURE CANNER... PLEASE

DO RESEARCH AND GET INPUT FROM

                                               OTHERS BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THIS!

Here are 7 of the 14 quarts of chicken soup

that we made! Can't wait to try it!

P.S. The water bath method is safe for HIGH acid foods (tomatoes, jellies & jams which use sugar, pickles which generally calls for vinegar.) The pressure canner is for LOW acid foods... veggies, meats etc.

Read up on food preservation methods... it can be a wonderful family activity! :)

Broccoli Soup (Cheater's Version)

Ok, confession time...  this isn't ALL home made as I bought a 'packaged' soup starter. Over the weekend I was in the grocery store and found 'Broccoli Soup' by Bear Creek. I looked it over and decided it would be ALOT easier to use this as the base and add to it then to start from scratch. I know, I don't often take this road, but I must admit, this time, it was worth it!

Broccoli Soup                   (Cheater's Version)

1 pkg. Bear Creak Broccoli Soup mix.  Follow the directions on the package.....  Keep this warm either in the stew pot you are using or in your crock pot!

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. Broccoli Crowns (I used only the flowerettes cut off into smaller pieces, washed). Put the broccoli into a separate pan with water to cover them. Boil until soft. (OPTIONAL: You can also add a couple of diced potatoes to cook along with the broccoli.)

1 lb. diced ham  Add the ham in with the cooked broccoli to warm through.

I added the broccoli/ham along with the water to the prepared soup starter. This added the extra fluids I felt it needed for the consistancy I prefer but, you can always drained the water out first if you'd like! 

I allowed the soup to sit for a few hours in the crock pot on warm before serving. Because it is nice and thick, this soup does very well in bread bowls! Optional serving suggestion: Add fresh grated cheese to the top of soup! YUMMY!

KALE SOUP!!..

I thought I'd share a YUMMY recipe with you! I had some kale soup at a friend's house this winter and loved it!! After a few attempts I've come up with my own version of kale soup and if I do say so myself... it went over extremely well at home!! :)PLEASE FORGIVE ME... I FORGOT TO TAKE A PICTURE!! NEXT TIME I MAKE IT, I'LL TRY TO REMEMBER TO TAKE ONE AND ADD IT!

Kale Soup

6-8 links of sweet sausage (diced & cook in a large stock pot)

In some stores you can find sweet sausage NOT made into links... .this works best! OR you can also use ground pork and add the spices: 1 tsp sage, 1/4 tsp. savory, 1/4 tsp.thyme, 1 tsp. fennel seeds and 1/2 tsp. salt to 1 pound of ground pork.

When the meat is cooked through, add all the veggies, the boullion and enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to a slow boil and allow to simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft (I allow a good hour + for this).

1/2 of a large Vidalia onion (diced) or more per your taste!
4-5 ribs of celery cut up
4-6 lge. carrots, peeled & cut up (or use baby carrots)
2-3 lge. sweet potato (peeled & diced)
1 TBsp. boullion... (I use Vegetable Better Than Boullion)

Then add:

Lge. bunch of kale... (use the curly leaves not the spines) We LOVE kale, sometimes I use 2 bunches of kale!
1+ tsp. curry  
2 tsp. basil

 Allow the flavors to continue to blend as it simmers for a while longer!!

This soup is wonderful served with *Saltines* and/or fresh bread!! Try it... I hope you'll like it!!