End of season chores, knitting, chicken stock and soup recipe

Our last Saturday at the Attica Farmers' Market was last week so now I can begin the Fall food 'putting by', more soap making, finish some knitting and start some knitting orders (hope to have some pictures on my blog soon) .  I put laundry on the line at 7:00 today which seemed strange since, during farmers' market season, I do all the laundry on Sunday.  Tomorrow, however, I will be making soap so that it has time to age by the holidays and noodles to replenish my supply in the freezer.  I also have a new soap mold that I am anxious to use.  Two more batches of soap, along with the batch that I made 3 weeks ago, will see us through the winter with some left over for gifts.  I promised myself that during this long Labor Day weekend, I would finish Liberty's purple cardigan sweater which, if today is any indication, she will need for school soon.  For the first time in months, I feel the need to wear socks in the house--it got down to 49 F degrees last night!  Dad has a large bucket of pickle-size cucumbers ready for me to put down in one of my crocks.  My prolific morning glories decided to strangle my dill in the herb garden, but I will see how much survived.  If not enough, I'll have to buy some somewhere.  Still have a lot of apples to peel, slice, and freeze.  Pumpkins ripening fast and fall broccoli and cabbage (think crocked sauerkraut) doing well.  Deer season will be here before we know it and since I help with the butchering, it is a good idea to have everything done and canned, dried, or in the freezer before that begins.

Made a 'green soup' this a.m. for supper (most farm people still refer to the noon meal as Dinner and the evening meal as Supper. To us, it is the right way---but to each their own!)  For those who care, here's the recipe.  Add some really good homemade bread and butter and you've got yourself some really healthy stuff (I am sure in a New York restaurant somewhere it would be on the menu  for some ungodly amount of $$).

Peasant Green Soup

1 medium or large crock pot
5-6 large swiss chard leaves, de-ribbed and chopped coarsely
(frozen on fresh spinach will do, I am sure)
2 cups dry great northern beans (or your favorite dry bean)
4 cups homemade chicken or turkey stock (more on this big saver below)
4 cups water or 4 more cups stock if you have it
handful fresh basil leaves, chopped coarsely
3 large cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
2 T salt (I make a sea salt, garlic powder, coarse black pepper blend that I keep on hand for everything so I use it for this also--increase the quantity to 3 T of the mixture)
I also found 1/2 cup chopped turkey in the frig left over from cutting meat for sandwiches the other day so I added that--what the heck!
Cook on high until beans are done.  Mash a bit of the mixture to thicken.  Stir and serve.  Also, freeze the remainder for work/school lunches.

Now, about that stock.  Nothing costs so little, takes so little time, and does so much to save on your food bill than stock.  No excuses--you'll be using up stuff you have probably been throwing away!.  It's ecological and free!  Two of my favorite things. Come on, the stove does all the work! 

Chicken or Poultry Stock Primer (variations at the end)

1) Save all your cooked and uncooked backs, wings, skin, carcasses of turkey (I collect the families turkey carcasses during the holidays and freeze them) or chicken in a bag in the freezer so that when you have a weekend afternoon when you are going to be home, you will be ready.  Also save the bottoms of celery stalks, old carrots, bits of onion and their skins (all in the freezer), garlic, bunch of parsley, etc.

2) Put the poultry pieces and vegie material in the bottom of a 20 quart pot (invest in one of these---VERY multi-purpose), add 6 - 8 whole peppercorns if you have them, enough water to cover everything, add about 2 T of salt (careful, this will boil down and concentrate a bit). 

3) Now put the pot on the stove, put the lid on the pot, and turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.  As soon as it comes to a boil, skim off any scum if there is any, and turn the heat down until you see just the hint of rolling boil under the surface.  Put the lid kind of slanted so that some steam can escape, then set your timer to about 4 - 5 hours.   The stove will heat your kitchen for you that day. 

4) After about 5 hours, turn off the heat and let it set for a few hours. 

5) Then, take it to the sink and find one of those terrible plastic bags (without a hole in it) that we get from every store.  Open up the bag in your sink.  Using a slotted spoon or strainer, dip out all the solids from the pot and put in the bag.  When you have all the stuff in the bag, tie the two 'ears' together and toss in the compost minus bones (those go into the trash). 

6) Now, put a dishcloth in the bottom of a colander (that thing you drain your pasta into).  Set the colander in a dishpan or some other large container and pour your stock in.  Discard whatever is in the dishcloth and the rest is stock. 

Put into freezer containers (I freeze mine by the quart) and use for soup, noodles, vegies, whatever.  Nothing is so easy and cheap and adds so much flavor!  I do this every 3 weeks or so in the winter and it seems to be enough for us.  P.S.  Also works with venison bones, beef bones (get what is called dog bones at the butcher counter) for a great beef stock for stews, etc.

Forgot to add.  When the open the frozen container of poultry stock, you can spoon off the fat on the top (not all of it--where do you think most of the flavor comes from).  Save this fat--nothing is more perfect to add to a little vegetable oil when you fry or saute--lots of flavor and very pure.  Do not do this with beef stock--THAT fat really isn't good for us at all.