Two soups

One of my favorite ways to preserve vegetables is to make them into soups.  I find soups convenient for several reasons:  they allow me to use many combinations of different vegetables, when I make a batch I can hold out a bit for dinner that night, and the rest is easily frozen.  It will be really nice later in the winter to pull it out of the freezer and make a quick and easy dinner.  This preservation Monday I have the last of the fresh tomatoes that were brought in green from the garden to ripen in the windowsills.  I also have some potatoes, onions, and garlic that were harvested last month and some leeks fresh from the fall garden.  I will make two of my favorite soups:  tomato and creamy potato leek.  I turned on some music and gathered the ingredients.

For the tomato soup:

1 Tbsp sunflower oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
6 medium tomatoes
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
3 stalks celery
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter, softened
milk or cream
salt and pepper
dried basil


Begin by mincing the garlic and chopping the carrot, onion, and celery.  Core the tomatoes and remove any blemishes, but don't worry about removing the skins.  Heat the oil in your soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery then season with the salt, pepper, and basil.  Cook for two minutes and then add the garlic.  Continue to stir over medium-high until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion begins to turn translucent.  Add the tomatoes whole, but with their cores removed, then add the chicken or vegetable broth.  If you don't have broth you can use water here, but the soup won't be quite as flavorful.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes.  As the tomatoes begin to cook the skins will slip off and you can easily remove them with tongs or a slotted spoon as they float to the surface.   My chickens love to eat the skins.

While your soup is simmering, make a beurre manie by pinching the softened butter and the flour together with your fingers in a small bowl until it resembles a rough paste.  This is an easy way to thicken any soup or sauce without making it lumpy.  When the soup has simmered 10-12 minutes, remove from heat and use an emulsion blender or regular blender to puree the soup.  You will want to have all the tomato skins removed before this step, since they won't break down well.  Return it to the stove over medium-low and add the beurre manie.  Stir and allow to simmer another 5-7 minutes to cook the flour.  If you are freezing the soup immediately, remove from heat and allow to cool.  Then freeze in dinner-sized portions.  To eat right away or when reheating, add as much milk or cream as needed to reach desired creaminess.  I think it's best served with a grilled cheese on good, crusty bread.

 For the Creamy Potato Leek Soup:

8-10 leeks
8 small white potatoes
two cloves garlic
2 slices bacon
3 cups chicken broth
splash of white wine
milk or cream
salt and pepper

Trim the roots and tops from the leeks and clean them well.  Slice them in small rings.  Peel and quarter the potatoes and mince the garlic.  We grew Nikola white potatoes and Kennebunk red potatoes this season since they both grow well in my region and both store well.  I used the Nikola white potatoes for this soup.   Heat up a soup pot over medium-high heat and add the slices of bacon.  Cook until each side is browned then remove the bacon and set aside for later.  Leave the bacon drippings in your pot and add the cleaned, sliced leeks along with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Keep in mind that your bacon is already salty, so you won't need to add quite as much salt.  Cook 5 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring to prevent the leeks from burning.  Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 or 3 minutes.  Add a splash of white wine to free up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot then add the chicken broth and the potatoes.  Boil 12 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. 
Remove from heat and use a regular or emulsion blender to puree until it is smooth.  If you wish to freeze now, add the crumbled bacon and freeze it or add enough milk or cream until desired creaminess is achieved.

A Chicken Saga

"If I hadn't taken up painting, I would have raised chickens.  It's all art."- Grandma Moses
             

I really enjoy having chickens.  Not just for the delicious supply of eggs, but also because I enjoy caring for them and find that they help close a loop for me where the garden is concerned.  I grow fruits and vegetables in the garden, they eat the scraps of those fruits and veggies, I clean their waste out of the coop and add it to the compost bin, which finally comes back to the garden in the spring when I add the finished compost to my garden.  The compost then acts as a soil conditioner, natural fertilizer, and a natural soil pesticide for the next crop of fruits and veggies.  I like the cyclical nature of this process.  Additionally, I enjoy watching the chickens.  They all have different personalities and there is always a hierarchy or pecking order that they follow.   I find it interesting to watch this develop with each flock. 

1986

2012

 My family had chickens when I was growing up in Alabama.  They were called black sex-link chickens, which were a hybrid of Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rock hens.  In 2009, I had the opportunity to acquire a flock of Rhode Island Reds that were a few years old and I jumped at the chance to have chickens again.  The Rhode Island Reds were a medium-sized bird that were very winter-hardy, were reliable layers, and were generally very healthy.   Eventually, these hens became too old to lay eggs, so we got a new flock and decided to try out a flock of Buff Orpingtons.  These were large golden-colored birds, and while they were also capable of surviving a harsh Vermont winter, they did not seem to be as disease-resistant as the Rhode Island Reds.  They also ate more feed due to their larger size, which I hadn't considered when we first decided to try out their kind.

Rhode Island Reds

Young Buff Orpingtons

Despite the few drawbacks of their breed, we had a special bond with this flock, since it was the first flock that we raised from the time they were chicks until they were mature adult laying hens.  We learned a lot through the process and had been very lucky as far as predators were concerned.  That is, until this past spring.  A family of foxes decided to make their den in the woods to the west of the yard and one evening as they chickens were coming back to their coop after a day of free-ranging, the foxes raided the coop.  I had forgotten to close the coop door at dark after the hens went in, and left the foxes with an easy meal.  I felt terrible.  We were down to just one lonely Buff Orpington hen.   We named her Buff and realized that we had two options:  find a new home for Buff, or find a new flock of chicks and attempt to get Buff to accept them as her new family.  We opted for the latter and found some Araucana hens that were about 6 weeks old.

Young Araucanas

Buff

At that age, they were large enough to survive in the coop without a heat lamp and were large enough to defend themselves if Buff did decide to be aggressive.  We chose Araucanas this time because, unlike most breeds,  they all look a little different from one another.  We figured this would make it more likely for Buff to integrate with them without seeming like an oddball.  At the advice of some friends who also raise hens, we chose to keep Buff separated from the chicks for the first few days, but to have them divided so that they could still see each other and get used to each other slowly.  We achieved this by making a cardboard partition with windows cut out and covered with chicken wire.  This way, they could see each other and smell each other without making physical contact.  After three days, we pulled out the divider and kept a close eye on them for signs of aggression.  We were relieved when Buff accepted the new chicks and we had a happy, healthy flock once again.

Buff and the Araucanas

Things continued to go well for the next few months and we became much more cautious about letting the hens free-range while we weren't able to keep an eye on them.  One morning in late July, I was out working in the garden and the dogs were wandering around the yard.  Given the circumstances, I decided it was safe to let the hens come out and play.  I came into the house just briefly to drop off a bucket of beans and heard the chaos outside.  The foxes were back and by the time I could get back out to the yard, they were taking off with several of the Araucana hens in their mouths.  I yelled at them as they ran away and then stood there in the yard stunned by the boldness of this family of foxes.  I understood that they needed to eat, but felt they had taken more than their share from our coop.  I decided that the hens free-ranging days were over.  We instead chose to extend the boundaries of the chicken run that was attached to the coop.  That way, the chickens would still have lots of room to forage and get exercise, but would remain in the relative safety of their enclosure.

I had 5 remaining chickens and I was determined to keep it that way.  After all, we had gone three years without any run-ins with predators until this one unlucky summer.  Now they were enclosed in 200 feet of chicken wire that is 6 feet high and staked into the ground all the way around.  What we didn't plan for was a new predator that could go right up a tree and over our fencing.  We don't know for sure, but we suspect this new predator is a fisher.  A fisher is a medium-sized mammal that is in the weasel family.  It is an adept tree-climber and has a particular craving for chickens.  We found the deceased chicken this past Friday morning and I suspect a fisher because there were no visible entry points in the fencing along the ground.  We also hear that fishers are very active in this area.  Now we have resorted to keeping the remaining four hens in the coop with the door to their chicken run closed.  I don't like having to keep them confined to the indoors of the coop, but I also am determined to keep these last four chickens alive and well.  We made a scarecrow for the coop yard and plan to hang up some lights on the coop after reading that lights and human scents will keep predators away.  Ideally, we could add a roof to the chicken run to ensure that they are completely enclosed, but that would be an expensive endeavor.

Scarecrow in the chicken run

The final four:  Buff, Butterscotch, Ginger, and Robin

Although I'm feeling pretty discouraged, I am still determined.  We have learned so much over the last three years and I still believe that the positives outweigh the negatives.  I also realize that part of living in the fringes of a national forest involves learning to co-exist with the wild animals who have called this land home long before we came along with our flock of hens.   Raising chickens in this environment will have it's challenges, but I enjoy a good challenge.  I hope at the end of the day I have a few eggs to eat and an ever growing knowledge of the art of raising chickens.

The Autumn Garden

By the time autumn rolls around, I'll admit to having a bit of garden fatigue, but there are still so many great things to come out of the garden this time of year that I find it worth the late season effort.  My growing season here is shorter than average and even though I use tarps to cover the more sensitive plants during the first few frosty nights of October, the time eventually comes when I bring in the last of the green tomatoes to ripen in the warmth of my windowsill and shift my focus to the vegetables that don't mind chilly weather.  For my garden this includes collards, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leeks and lettuce.  Kale, chard, and cabbages are also great fall crops.

Lettuce can be planted throughout the entire growing season from early spring to late fall.  I try to plant a row every few weeks so that I always have a little bit of lettuce to pick from in the garden all season long.  It doesn't freeze or keep well with any method of preservation, so I find it best to enjoy it fresh while I can from May-October.  I like growing different varieties so that I have some green, some red, and several varying textures and flavors.  The varieties this year included Optima Butterhead, Rouge d'Hiver, Winter Density Romaine, and a Mild Mustard Mix.  I plant the seeds close together so that I can thin the rows as they grow eating the thinned plants as micro-greens and allowing the remaining sprouts to grow into larger heads of lettuce.  

The collards thrive throughout the growing season, as well.  I just snip off a few leaves from each plant when I want to cook a batch for dinner and they continue to fill in with new leaves as the season moves along.  The Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and leeks get planted in the spring with the collards, but I have to wait all season to get to taste them.  I begin snipping heads of broccoli in late September and the Brussels sprouts are usually the last veggies I harvest in late October or early November.  They are so cold-hearty that I have harvested and eaten them long after the snow covers the ground.  Leeks have a similar tolerance for the cold and I like to harvest them a few at a time as needed to add to soups and stews throughout the fall. 

 A friend recently gave me a bit of sage advice where this blog is concerned and suggested that I share my failures as well as my successes.  I decided this was a fantastic idea given that I always learn more from my failures in the garden or kitchen than I do when things go as planned.  So in the spirit of sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly- here is my sad crop of spinach:

Yep, just one scraggly little plant barely hanging on despite my best efforts.  Spinach is supposed to be easy to grow in the spring or fall.  I have attempted to grow spinach several times, each time failing miserably.  The first spring that I tried growing it, the plants bolted, meaning that they shot up too quickly with long spindly stems and very few edible leaves.  The next season I tried a different variety, this one claiming on the seed packet to be bolt-resistant.  It sprouted, but the sprouts failed to mature and instead just shriveled up.  This season I planted an entire row, only to have three sprout, two die, and the one remaining plant you see above.  I've had similar failures in the garden with other fruits and vegetables and can usually experiment with different varieties and growing methods until I find one that works for my soil and unique growing conditions.  Once I finally do, it makes that fruit or veggie taste so much sweeter than if it had come easily.  

Another important autumn garden project is planting garlic for next summers harvest.  Where I grew up in Alabama, the local folk-lore suggested planting garlic on the shortest day of the year and harvesting on the longest.  Since my ground will likely be frozen on the shortest day of the year, I plant in mid-October.  I select the largest, healthiest bulbs from last years harvest for re-planting.  Mine is a hard-neck, purple striped German variety that is known for its strong flavor and excellent storing capabilities.  I plant each clove 6-8 inches apart and 2 inches deep with the pointed tip facing up. 

The final project for this autumn garden weekend allows the chickens to have some new, warm bedding for the cold winter ahead and also provides a blanket for the new garlic and remaining vegetables in the garden.  I begin by taking the wheelbarrow out the chicken coop and filling it with all the old straw bedding in the chickens nesting boxes.  The old straw is then spread over the freshly planted garlic and around the late-season vegetables remaining in the garden.  It serves as a blanket to keep in warmth and moisture, as well as a weed deterrent.  

I then returned to the coop with a wheelbarrow full of fresh straw and made a new nest for each of the four boxes where the ladies lay their eggs.  They eyed me suspiciously from their roost and gossiped about the new beds, but I know they will appreciate it as the days get colder and the snow begins to fly.

Making a soup & freezing herbs

One way to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck where your garden is concerned is to utilize every possible part of each fruit and vegetable. Our dinner last night included some fresh broccoli florets from our garden, but once all the florets were trimmed from the broccoli head that I lopped off the plant, I was still left with a broccoli "stump" of stems that will make a delicious addition to a soup.  Even if you purchased your broccoli from a farmers market or store, you likely paid by weight and, therefore, paid for that broccoli stump.  Might as well eat it, right?  I also have leeks, celery, and potatoes from the garden, so I have decided to make a broccoli, potato, and leek soup.  I turned on the music, assembled my supplies, and this preservation Monday began.

Broccoli Potato & Leek Soup:

1 Tbsp sunflower oil
3/4 C chopped celery
1 large broccoli stump, chopped and with any tough skin peeled away
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 med white potatoes, peeled and quartered
3 large leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
splash of white wine
1-2 C water or chicken broth
salt & pepper
milk, cream, or yogurt (optional)
2 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp flour (optional)

Begin by warming the oil in your soup pot.  Add the chopped celery, garlic, onion, leeks, and a little salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until the leeks and celery soften and the onion becomes translucent.  Add a splash of white wine to the pot to deglaze and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.






Add the potatoes and just enough water or chicken broth to cover everything.  Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.  Remove from heat.  Using an emulsion blender, or in batches in a regular blender, process until smooth.  Return to low heat and add enough milk, cream, or plain yogurt to reach your desired creaminess.  Warm and serve.  For an even richer soup, make a beurre manie by adding equal parts butter and flour to a dish and working it with your fingers until in resembles a coarse sand.  Drop into the pot and stir.  Cook 5-8 additional minutes, to cook the flour and allow the soup to thicken.

Once the soup was made, I decided to try out a tip sent to me by my Aunt Janet, who found it on www.thekitchn.com.  It is a really simple and delicious way to preserve any hard herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, and sage.

Frozen Herbs in Olive Oil:
 
Any combination of hard herbs, cleaned and snipped into 1/2 inch pieces.
Clean, empty ice cube tray
Olive Oil

Pack each of the 12 ice cube compartments with herbs, pour olive oil over them to cover, and freeze overnight.  Then, pop them out and freeze them in a freezer-safe bag.  Add them to soups, stews, and pasta dishes all winter long.