Like many of you, I have been glued to the news and am so saddened by all that has been brought on by this latest storm. We have now heard from all of our family & friends who live there, so it is relieving to know they are all fine, but many of the stories of what folks are going through is heartbreaking. But we humans are a resilient lot. I woke to a lovely e-mail from my new friend Elizabeth (who I met in New York last May at the Blogfest on Design) and the subject line was, Resilient in Rye. She and her family live in the lovely New York town of Rye. She wrote of their many blessings and how grateful they are that all is fine. But I also know from all the news how tough it was for them and all the work that will go into the clean-up and rebuilding of things. Natural disasters make all of us really examine things, and makes us so grateful for the ones we love and the things we still have. I find questioning what is important in life part of this process. Times like these make us all so grateful for what we have and any good fortune–Mother Nature is very complex.
As the clean-up and rebuilding begins, they will all still need our good thoughts and continued prayers. I am a big fan of the American Red Cross. Check out all the amazing work they have been doing, and if so inclined donate to www.redcross.org
At a time like this, soup can be so comforting. We made stock the other week-end out at our place on Vashon Island. Here is our quick & easy stock recipe.
Since we frequent the organic farm stands all through the Summer, we collect every bit of produce that we don’t use in a recipe. We add all the onion tops & skins, spiny greens, carrot tops, herbs–to a plastic bag and keep it in the freezer. We add to the bag all through the season, many times creating several bags. I also roast many chickens for Sunday night suppers, so we create other bags for all the carcasses and add those to the freezer. Come Autumn, the freezer is brimming with produce and chickens, just ready to be made into stock. Add all to a large stock pot. Cover with water. Add a small handful of peppercorns. Boil all. Then turn down the heat to very low but you are still seeing bubbles coming up. Cover and let cook for several hours. Once done, skim the top layer of foam and any fat that has collected on top. Take out all the solids. Strain your beautimous golden stock. Fill containers. We use plastic soup containers we get from our local Thai restaurant. Put in freezer and enjoy all Winter long when you want to make soup or add to recipes when it calls for chicken stock. Your chicken stock. The stock you made yourself. Smile at how cool you are that you have stock sitting in the freezer.
What a lovely post, Ted. I also made quarts of soup yesterday. It must be in our bones during times like these to share warm comfort with neighbors, elderly family members and the stressed. Potato leek soup, French onion and hearty seafood stew are my staples. Thank you so much for sharing. I enjoy reading your blog and visiting your srores. Take care.
Hi Jan! Happy you liked the post AND my oh my, those 3 soups sound amazing. Please introduce yourself when you are next into one of the shops–I would love to meet you. Best, always, Ted
Will you be publishing your roast chicken receipe any time soon? She asked hopefully
Very glad to hear those near and dear to your hearts have weathered the immediate threats the storm brought. And you are correct, I believe, that soup is comforting in oh so many different ways. Your method of saving and adding to the freezer bag all through the fresh veg season for the stock is wonderful. I shall have to try that next year. I will continue to remember your friends and family in my extra prayers going to the east coast. I am afraid so very many will be faced with some extremely difficult weeks.
Ted, what a great idea!…I typically just compost all those things but to bag them for stock is a wonderful idea. I have frozen my turkey carcasses, and ham bones…now I will be doing stock!
Regarding the east coast…I can not even imagine how devastating it is. We see pictures, but they are only glimpses. I’m sure if you are there and everywhere you look, all your eyes take in is the aftermath, it must be numbing. I continue to pray for all those people, especially NYC who have had their fill. Glad to hear all you hold dear are fine. Same for me
I must say, I always love reading your blog, even if I don’t always comment. I haven’t been to Seattle since the last time I was in your store, I think after the Christmas season, I will need a break
If I order from you on-line, do you ship to Canada?
Hi Wendy. I do need to do a post soon with another variation, but if you go to the Tags section of my blog and click on Roast Chicken, you will see a recipe in the first post I did for it on the 30th of May last year. A citrusy version-enjoy! Thanks for commenting and reading, Ted
Hi Mary. It will indeed be a trying few coming weeks, but all the thoughts & prayers will help tremendously, and like I said, we humans are a pretty resilient lot, so all ill be back on track soon. Ted
Hi Jacquelyn. I love that you read the blog and completely fine to only occasionally comment. Many folks don’t at all and others do–ultimately I am just thrilled that folks enjoy reading it. We do ship to Canada, but here are a few caveats. Give me a call and we can go over. Thanks always, for reading. Bestest, Ted