Stocked from thanksgiving...

"Good broth will resurrect the dead," says a South American proverb.

For those of you who eat meat- good grass fed, free range happy meat... I surely hope that if you made a turkey this year for thanksgiving- you made bone broth.  Those who don't eat meat, you should consider eating/ drinking broth.

Heres why:

• It makes food taste better
• It is used therapeutically by French, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, African, Middle Eastern, South American  peoples
• Considered medicinal, an elixir, "jewish penicillin"
• It improves digestion, immunity, hormone production, 
• Contains minerals in a form that the body can absorb (Calcium, magnesium, silicon, phosphorus, sulphur and more)
• Contains components of joints, cartilage, marrow and electrolytes (chondrotin sulphates, glucosamine)
• Contains gelatin (a rich source of amino acids and other valuable nutrients which are used in the treatment of many chronic disorders including anemia, diseases of the blood, diabetes, crohns, colitis, muscular dystrophy, celiac and even cancer).
  

What to do with broth:

Make soup, stew, sauces, gravies, dressings, reductions

It can be added to casseroles, stir frys 

Grains can be cooked in it 

Drink is alone as a tonic

Turkey or Chicken Stock

Bones from a whole free-range bird, ~3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings
gizzards from the turkey/ chicken (optional)
10-20 Litres of cold filtered water
2 tablespoons apples cider vinegar (aids in demineralizing bones)
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

Place turkey or chicken pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 minutes. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 8 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Strain the stock into a large bowl and chill. Pour into containers and freeze.  The fat that congeals on the top- eat it! It's good for you.

Made this week with turkey stock- French Onion Soup from the Baltazar cook book- drop dead incredible!

For more broth info:

Broth is Beautiful By Sally Fallon

Why Broth is Beautiful By Kaayla Daniel MS, CCN 

What to do with a rainy day???

This is probably your last week of saucing opportunities, unless you are going to use frozen tomatoes. This time is ripe people!

Take a rainy day and prepare a wholesome hearty local food for yourself and your family that will last you thought the winter.

I found 20lbs of tomatoes at the farmers market for $17.50. This was at the kits market.

A liter of sauce cost less than $3 a jar.

Yields ~7 Liters

What do you need

20 lbs tomatoes

4 onions

a head of garlic

3 handfuls fresh basil

red wine or balsamic

oregano for taste

olive oil

Material

Large stock pot

hand blender

4 baking sheets

7 - One Liter jars

Canning equipment

Recipe

Halve tomatoes, place seeds up on cookie sheet, do not over crowd. Leave room for tomatoes to breathe. Roast for 2 hours at 350 or longer until there a thin caramelized layer on top.

At the 1.5 hour mark- start to sauté onions & garlic in olive oil until translucent about 20 minutes, leave on low heat. Remove tomatoes from oven and slightly cool gently scoop tomatoes into pot.

Complete 3 rounds – 6 trays should be enough. Add in your flavourings.

While the sauce simmers get jars prepared by running them through the dish washer or washing by hand, drying and placing in the oven at 150. Boil lids.

Once all tomatoes are roasted let the sauce simmer on low for an hour, blend if you like your sauce smooth and cool slightly.

Get your canning equipment ready or containers for freezing, scoop sauce into sterilized jars- use a caning funnel don’t get sauce on the rim. Process jars in the canning pot for 20 minutes on a rolling boil- cool for 24 hours on a wooden surface and store.

Saltspring Apple Festival

Tis the season to celebrate heritage apples.

And that is exactly what we did this weekend on Saltspring,   (along with relaxing) at the 2009 Apple Festival. 

Early fall each year, the orchards of the island and other artisanal food makers open up their homes and farms to the public.  

I encourage an early rise as there is a lot to see.  Upon waking, breakfast and tea... head to the ganges info center and purchase a map, set a route up for yourselves and go hungry.  

There are:

-Old fashion apples presses pumping out heritage cider for tasting

-Tours of  properties, homes, farms and kitchens

-Apples, cheeses, baked goods, lunches and local produce for sale

- The event organizers and a few orchards themselves, set up tasting tables for you to see and sample hundreds of heritage apples

- Creative homes open there doors for you to picnic on the patio or elsewhere on the property, eating lunch or sipping cider

Quote from the map: "Good judgement comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgement"