One of my most cherished childhood memories is going to my Aunt Bettie's house on the weekend to play with my cousin Jackie (and usually Julie..if we were lucky ...maybe Becky too!) It wasn't the fact that their house was so cool, filled with my Uncle's large collection of Antique's, or the hours we would spend in the basement imagining our ways through a war, a time long lost, or just clicking at the antique register "running" our own shop. No it was the big old pot of soup on the stove. My Aunt Betty would get up, and fill the pot, letting it simmer for the day ready for any hungry belly that might pop
thru the kitchen. Whether it was chicken noodle, beef barley or just a plain vegetable soup... it was always there warm and hot and ready to be gobbled.
It took me more than a few years to learn the art of soup making... many concoctions created that tasted more like stale water than a flavorful broth. But after years in the restaurant business, and all those misses... finally I have a hit ... just like Aunt Betty used to make... served up in a wooden bowl... one of the many I have collected over the years...also a big part of those memories cherished.
I started a pot'o'soup yesterday, despite the fact my freezer stash was lacking for fillers, I went back to the basics...no cheaters (well a couple SMALL bags...but still... from scratch)
Of course you have to start with the basics, making the starter broth and some flavor, and for the record...there is rarely anything on my menu that doesn't involve garlic and lots of it!
One bag of mini carrots, three onions, lotsa garlic and 4cups of water (just above the food line in your pot) I bring all this to a quick boil and let simmer for almost an hour. I once worked at a bistro where the first thing on the list for the week was to make the veggie broth. There was no broth from a can, just a big'ol soup pot on simmer for the day. The Chef as he liked to be called didn't even peel the onions, are clean the carrots...all in the pot and drained at the end of the day for the week ahead... those skins hold flavor he said!
Being in an ambitious mood, (seeking my therapy from a SOB known as our Ford truck) and knowing the goal and destination for my soup would be in the shack on the weekend, while simmering my broth I pulled out a pork roast. Simply..the basics once again. Roast in pot, add an inch of water, shave some garlic for the top, lots of pepper, a dash (or four) of basil and a half pack of dry onion soup mix sprinkled on the top. In the oven on low (250) she spent the day roasting ... ready for dinner and lunch sammy's for my love for the week ahead.
So, pork roasting and veggie broth simmered on to the finishing touches. Now lucky for me, I happened to have one last bag in the freezer of venison stew meat... but for those not so lucky...that beef stuff really does taste ALMOST as good. Into the pot went the venison, a large can of diced tomatoes, one package of onion soup mix (I honestly couldn't live without it!), some diced potatoes (sadly not from my garden...we ate them all!) a small ziplock of leftover Lorne (homemade) beans, and another with some leftover stew and two more cups of water... slam that lid down and its back to simmering and onto the dishes. A couple hours later...when you smell that yummy goodness, I shut down the burner, throw in a handful (or three) of corn and replace the lid... voila... mmmm soup ... good!
Last week while visiting the hometown, and stupervising my Uncle Fred...gimped up from a double knee fix up I made some turkey soup... still the same with just the basics, with lots leftover for the old man to heat up in coming days. It was on that trip that while listening to one of my various CBC radio stations that come in along the four hour trek that I heard an interesting tidbit, relating to my last post and the miracle (FREE) pot scrubbers I called MILK tags. For my yankee friends they must have wondered... what the hell is she talking about? I am glad (think) I may have referred to them as bread tags as well... but as it turns out... our province of Ontario is one of the few places in the world where you buy Milk like this!....and THIS is the Milk/Bread Tag... miracle (FREE) pot scrubber....
go figure? and to think I never knew... and really can't imagine milk any other way! The ONE thing I can think of that would be good about NOT getting milk in the bag? is all the hours I would have had free as a child, NOT cleaning to reuse those bags, NOT spending 30mins a bag to dry up those pesky water drops inside. I confess... I love to reuse, I love to recycle, I know these bags are good and sturdy...but give me a ziplock and I am a happy girl... and for the record...I will never put my kids thru the torture of drying out the milk bags... hmmm??? maybe that's why I never dry my dishes???!!!!
EDIT NOTE : to think I forgot the MOST IMPORTANT tip of all... when making soup... NEVER put it on high... below medium (LOW) heat will bring it to a boil... simmer it perfectly and never burn the bottom of your pot... there by leaving you free time after and no need for those FREE pot scrubbers!!!!
