Sixty Seconds with Judi

Every time I make soup, I am reminded of one of my favorite children’s books Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. My mother would sometimes tell me the story while she made her huge pot of soup for our large family. It always made me smile to watch my mother clean out the fridge and turn it into a steamy, nutritious meal that would feed her 6 children and anyone else who wound up at our dinner table.

Making home-made soup is an easy and affordable meal and if you are patient, there is no need to use boxed broth or bouillon cubes. I am sure you all know that the bones from your dinner are a great place to start for a rich meaty broth. However, did you know that saving vegetable scraps will make you a hearty vegetable broth? Keep the ends of those carrots and onions. Don’t throw away those green tops of your leeks or that limp celery! Save the stems from your fresh herbs-they are loaded with flavor! If you put all this in a sealed container or plastic bag in your freezer you will always have the makings of a great vegetable broth.

The secret to any broth is to be patient. Bring your vegetables, herbs and a little salt and pepper to a boil then turn down to a low simmer. Cover with a lid slightly askew to allow some steam to release. Simmer for 2-4 hours adding water if needed. If you own a pressure cooker now would be a great time to dust it off; this can cut the cooking time in half. Once your broth is finished, strain your beautiful golden liquid and place in containers for the freezer. Better yet, you have the base to make the soup of your choice. Feel good to know that you have made broth that your mother or grandmother would be proud of. You won’t find anything in there that you cannot pronounce or some funky chemicals to help preserve its shelf-life. If you want more color, add a little Turmeric.  Turmeric adds all kinds of healthy benefits and deepens the golden glow of your broth.

The variety of vegetables does not matter. Don’t limit yourself to carrots, celery and onions. The possibilities are endless. With vegetables being 50% off all winter it’s a great time to stock up!

Roasted Vegetable Broth

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 large onions, quartered
• 2 large carrots, quartered
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 parsnips
• 8 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 large leeks, washed, trimmed
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 1 large sprig rosemary
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 6 whole black peppercorns
• 4 quarts water

Chop all of your vegetables and toss with the oil Roast in a 400-degree oven for 40 minutes.

Add all of your ingredients to a stock pot of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 90 minutes, or until liquid is reduced about 1/3. Strain all ingredients and use immediately, or freeze for future use. This should make about 8-10 cups of broth.

You may use many different types of vegetables. For example corn cobs make excellent broth, mushrooms for mushroom broth. Be creative!

This weekend at the Garden Center join us for:

Build Your Own Terrarium or Fairy Garden Class February 18, 2017, 10:00AM – 11:00AM This is one of our most popular classes- with a bit of a twist! We supply everything you need to build your own beautiful terrarium. You can choose from a variety of containers and plants and our knowledgeable Garden Center staff will guide you through the whole process. Add Fairy Garden Accessories (not included) to make your garden as unique as you are!   Call 610-876-7116 to register. Fee $35