Witchin’ in the Kitchen at the Bubbling Cauldron

Our first day of Autumn is cold, grey and rainy. After a morning spent out at the farmers’ market I came home to a toasty fire in the woodstove and the urge to make soup. As I poked through my stores I realised it’s lacking a good veg stock so here is an excellent one I recently uncovered in my great piles of recipes. I’m making a hearty barley soup for today anyway and in the slow cooker I’ll have the following…

Vegetable Stock

2 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 - 3 onions, quartered
3 - 4 carrots, thickly sliced
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 apple or pea, quartered
1 or 2 bay leaves
6 peppercorns
10 cups (2 1/2 quarts) water

Optional Vegetables or Herbs

Garlic cloves
Leeks, including the tough green leaves
Mushrooms, whole or stems
Parsley including stems
Parsnips
Scallions
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes (in small amounts only or the stock may be too acidic.
Winter squash
Zucchini or summer squash

Scrub the unpeeled vegetables and cut into chunks.
Place in a stockpot with bay leaves and peppercorns; cover with water.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour or more.

Strain the stock through a colander or cloth, pressing out the liquid from the
vegetables. (The remaining solid vegetables make good compost material or can be
discarded.)

The stock will keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, or may be frozen in 1 to 6 cup
quantities.

Note: Vegetables should be rinsed, but there is no need to peel them.
Avoid such strongly flavored vegetables as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, eggplant,
peppers, and turnips. Natural food stores and well-stocked supermarkets carry a good
selection of organic vegetable stocks in 1-quart boxes that can be used when time is
short.

Variation: For stock with an Asian flavor, add 4 or 5 quarter-size slices of fresh
gingerroot and water from soaking dried shitake mushrooms.

Yield: 2 quarts

Reprinted with permission from ©2005
David Hirsch The Moosewood Restaurant Kitchen Garden , published by Ten Speed Press

peels from 3 large oranges, grapefruits or lemons*
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
water

Cut the peel on each fruit into quarters.
Pull the peel off in these quarter sections.
Slice peel into 1/4 inch-wide strips.
In a saucepan add salt and cover with cold water.
Boil 15 minutes, pour off water and add fresh water.
Boil 20 minutes.
Change water again and boil another 20 minutes.
Drain and cover with 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup water.
Simmer, stirring constantly, until all the syrup has boiled away.
Do not let the peels scorch.
Spread on wax paper.
Roll peels in remaining sugar.
Let dry.
Store in an airtight container.
Keeps one week or can be frozen.

*If non-organic fruit is used wash peels thoroughly before peeling.

from Not Just Beans: 40 years of Frugal Family Favorites.

strips of any citrus fruits peels minus white pith- lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits or tangerines
Vodka

Place the strips in a jar, then cover them with a good-quality vodka. Cover the jar tightly and let it stand at room temperature for 2 weeks, shaking the jar daily.

Discard the peel, replace it with fresh peel, and let it stand for 2 weeks. Remove the peel, and use the flavored vodka when recipe calls for extract.

Food is becoming more expensive, people look for healthier options, whichever the case I like my “ready mixes” that I make at home. It saves me $$ and there are no preservatives or artificial anything.

Basic Baking Mix

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour*
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening

*To vary the mix, replace half of the flour with whole-wheat flour or cornmeal.

Combine flour, dry milk, sugar, baking powder, salt and shortening in food processor.

Pulse until mixture is well blended and smooth. Store in container with tight-fitting cover in cool place for up to 4 weeks. Stir well before using.

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