So you made your Roast Chicken, now what? Chicken stock of course! As I mentioned, we make roast chicken regularly and one of the biggest benefits is homemade stock. While there are some good options out there now for canned stock, nothing beats homemade. It really is a simple process with simple ingredients and really worth the time and effort. We use stock in everything, especially soups and sauces. When you keep some on hand in the freezer, you always have the start of a quick meal on hand. It is also a great way to clean out the fridge: you can use all kinds of vegetables, herbs and aromatics to flavor your stock. Don’t be afraid to experiment with flavors; just know that different ingredients can change the color of the stock as well as the flavor. My great grandmother’s secret addition was a few cloves stuck into the onions, just a little something special. This is a good basic stock recipe that I fall back on; it always produces a good flavorful stock.

P.S. Don’t forget when you are done with your Thanksgiving turkey to save the carcass for turkey stock. Turkey soup is one of the best parts of Thanksgiving after all!

Kelly

Chicken Stock

Ingredients

1 roast chicken carcass

1 large onion, quartered

4 carrots, cut in 1/2

4 ribs celery, cut in 1/2

Small bouquet fresh herbs including thyme, parsley, etc.

2 bay leaves

Tablespoon whole black peppercorns

2-4 cloves, stuck in the onion pieces

2 whole cloves garlic

2 gallons cold water

Place chicken, vegetables, and herbs and spices in 12-quart stockpot. Cover with cold water so the chicken and vegetables are submerged.

Cook on high heat until you begin to see bubbles break through the surface of the liquid. Turn heat down to medium low so that stock maintains low, gentle simmer. Skim the scum from the stock with a spoon a couple times for the first hour of cooking and as needed each hour for the next 2 hours. Add hot water as needed to keep bones and vegetables submerged. Simmer uncovered for 3-5 hours until you have a rich colored stock.

Strain stock through a fine mesh strainer into another large stockpot or heatproof container discarding the solids.

Allow to cool then place in refrigerator overnight. Remove solidified fat from surface of liquid and store in container with lid in refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in freezer for up to 3 months. Bring to a boil before use.

P.P.S. If you don’t have an already roasted chicken, you can buy some chicken bones and pieces and roast them with a little olive oil at 450° for 30-40 minutes before making your stock.

As we told you earlier this week, we got our first CSA box of the season! Participating in CSA is amazing for so many reasons: it means fresh local food all summer, you get to support local farmers, and you get a surprise in a box every week! Because we don’t know what is coming each week, it presents a challenge of creating something out of what you bring home. This week’s box included braising greens…LOTS of greens. I have wanted to make white bean and escarole soup for a while, so was born my CSA version. Fresh greens + spring onions + spring garlic + a few pantry items = healthy bean and veggie soup! Great for a cool spring evening. Add whatever veggies are your favorite for some variety. You can make this a day or two ahead and it makes great leftovers for lunch. J

Kelly

White Bean and Braising Greens Soup

Inspired by Bon Appétit via Epicurious

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 large carrots, cut into small dice

6 spring garlic bulbs, peeled, finely diced (or 5 cloves of garlic flattened to be removed after sauté)

4 cups (packed) 1-inch pieces braising greens

4 cups (or more) canned vegetable broth or low-salt chicken stock

2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained

1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and sauté until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes.

Add braising greens; stir 3 minutes.

Add 4 cups broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until escarole is tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Thin with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with an arugula salad dressed with lemon and enjoy!

I have a confession; I have a fear of making soup. Why, I am not really sure. I think it has something to do with the fact that I have so many memories of my mom and my grandmother making wonderful soups. It really is a family tradition that comes from out Eastern European ancestors. I have just recently tried to make soup on my own, but this is the first that I really feel is mine. I will even pat myself on the back and give myself credit for this one. It was good. Really good. I was even surprised because I am picky about chicken soup. I think it is tarragon, I don’t think I like it. So, I used what I like instead, thyme, it made all the difference for me.

Since my mom is under the weather today, I got inspired and decided to conquer my fear. There is nothing more classic than chicken noodle soup and nothing better to nourish you out of a cold. There are many variations, but really it just consists of chicken stock, mirepoix, chicken and noodles. So simple. And yet, some are better than others, so what gives? To me, the key is in the ingredients. Starting with a great stock is key. We have already made chicken stock together, remember? Next, make sure to cut your vegetables in even pieces, the onions small and the chicken in bite sized pieces. My grandma swore that there is no need to sauté the vegetables before adding to the stock and I think she is right. Skipping that step eliminates the fat element and the vegetables still end up tender. Finally, make your own noodles. I know, I know, it seems like a lot of work, but I promise it is easy and they make a huge difference. Just try it! This will rock your socks off! I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Kelly

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients for Soup:

2 quarts chicken stock

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, sliced

3 carrots, sliced

2 chicken breasts, cubed

Small handful fresh thyme, stems removed

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper

Ingredients for Noodles:

1 cup flour

2 eggs

Generous pinch of coarse salt

Tablespoon fresh thyme, stems removed

Bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add the thyme, bay leaves, onion, celery and carrots. Allow to simmer about 10 minutes until the vegetables are slightly tender.

Add chicken to the pot making sure not to allow the pot to boil, but maintain a simmer (it will keep the chicken tender.) Allow to cook about 20 minutes. If the stock has reduced too much, add additional water about a cup at a time, season with salt and pepper then reduce to a low simmer. To prepare the noodles, add all ingredients to a food processor with the blade. Pulse until the dough just comes together forming a ball, do not over mix. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead 3-5 times until the dough is smooth. Gently form into a ball and cover with a towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out the dough until it is very thin making sure to sprinkle with flour to keep from sticking and loosening the dough from the board and turning often. You should be able to nearly see through the dough when it is ready.

Sprinkle again with flour and roll the dough up lengthwise so you can cut the dough into strips easily. Cut the dough into desired width.

Unroll each noodle and make them into a nest to allow them to dry a bit while the soup simmers. Make sure to toss in a bit of flour to keep them from sticking.

When they are ready to go into the soup, shake them through a strainer to remove the extra flour.

Add to the boiling soup just before you are ready to serve and allow to cook approximately 3 minutes. Remove bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Scoop into bowls and enjoy!

**P.S. If the stock and noodles really scare you, use prepared stock and egg noodles. It will still be good!