Repeat Worthy Post ~French Sorrel Soup

French sorrel

Originally posted in May, 2012, with French sorrel abundant ... this is a great repost.

Three years ago I planted French sorrel, and for the first two years it was a bit neglected .. not used except for a little in Caesar salads to add a lemony punch of flavor.  It comes back each year without replanting in early spring, is drought tolerant and can be used as an herb or green.   For dinner I made its namesake soup for the first time.  It was better than I had expected.

French Sorrel Soup
serves 4

1 quart washed and diced French sorrel

1/2 cup thinly sliced and diced leeks, wild onions or ramps

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 Yukon gold potato peeled and diced in 1/2 inch cubes

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup whole milk 

2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

salt and pepper to taste

2 egg yolks, beaten

French sorrel soup

Heat the butter in a 4-6 quart sauce/stock pan.  Add leeks, cover and cook on med-low for about 5 minutes, stirring once or twice.   Stir in flour until mixed in .. cook about a minute.  Slowly add the chicken stock and whisk to prevent lumps of flour.  Add milk, sorrel and potatoes.  Simmer until the potatoes are soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Blend in the pan to a puree with a stick blender.  Cook another few minutes on low.  With a fork, stir the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl ... and slowly add a large ladle of hot soup mix (keep stirring) to temper the eggs.  Add the tempered eggs to the soup pan but don't let the soup come to a boil.  Just stir well and continue to heat on low for another minute before serving.  This soup is very flavorful .. tasting a bit like lemony spinach.

Tonight was our second meatless dinner in a row.   We enjoyed sorrel soup, followed by baked yams in their jackets with a little salt, pepper and butter added upon serving, corn oysters, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers, and stewed cherry rhubarb.  Hubby noticed we've had a rhubarb treat three times this past week .. very observant ;) ... it's rhubarb season and we're trying to eat what the garden produces. 

Green, Ripening, Ripe

We have staging boxes of tomatoes in the cool basement.  They are sorted by color every few days to make quick work when it's time to process a batch.  Later today I'll can more ketchup.   Since the majority of our tomatoes were picked green, this has given a little bit of lee-way on getting them all canned.

Our two rather small apple trees (McIntosh and Haralson) produced seventy-five pounds of organic worm free apples.  The McIntosh were easy pickings for the birds ... and I wasn't vigilant about protecting the crop as I should have been.  Haralsons are a much harder apple and didn't suffer as much damage.

 Three blemish free boxes have been wrapped and stored in the cool of the basement for later use.   The rest have been divided: un-pecked and slightly pecked (by the birds).  At least one more batch of applesauce .. and I'll call it a day.  The peels are fermenting in a crock and will hopefully turn into raw apple cider vinegar.

The gardens are still hanging on.   Onions, garlic and tomatoes pulled.  Still need to harvest carrots, potatoes, summer squash, celery root, pumpkins, cabbage and our second round of raspberries from the ever bearing plants.  Strawberries have rebounded and provide enough for a yogurt topping every few days.  I've only watered the garden once in the past several weeks.  The plants are hanging on with early morning dew and deep roots.

I'm so enjoying the late warmth of summer!  What's being 'put up' from your summer garden?

Summer Is A Busy

time, PERIOD.

The weather was a bit iffy last week and all of our tomatoes were picked as night time temps produced a few frosty mornings.  Ninety-seven percent of our crop was still green.  They are in boxes stored in the cool basement ... and are ripening up nicely.  From our 12'x4' raised bed we harvested 120 pounds of assorted heirlooms planted from seeds saved from last year's harvest; that's free tomatoes!

Speaking of seeds, please take the time to watch this movie, Genetic Roulette, while it's available for free through September 22.  If you are still on the fence about the dangers of GMO crops, this will help push you over the edge.  If you live in California, be sure to get out and vote in the coming election on Prop 37, making it the law to have food labels state if it's made with GMO's.  You can bet that a very HIGH percentage of grocery store items and processed foods contain them.

Oh Shucks

This has been a busy few weeks.  Summer is in full swing with vacationing AND gardening.  The calendar may say September, but I'm not in any hurry for the season to change; it took too long for summer to arrive.

Last weekend we drove to Sandpoint, Idaho with the family and stayed at a dude ranch.  There was some cooking involved as we had cabins with kitchens and shared meals.  This cut down on the expense and was actually fun to cook together and eat our meals outside on a picnic table.

Yesterday my pop and I drove to the local farm to pick 70 ears of corn to store away for winter.

shucked corn waiting to get blanched and frozen

 I think he was transported back to his farm boy days as we traversed through the corn field with our satchels.

Pop .... still a mid west farm boy at heart

The corn was shucked, blanched with some left on the cob and some cut to leave more room in the freezer.  Last year I canned corn and still have enough left to last through this winter.

shucks drying in the shed for winter tamales

There's no denying that autumn is just around the bend; our mornings are crisp ... and the day's are slow to heat.  The gardens are winding down.  Apples are filling out and limbs need propping up.  Raspberries are starting to put on a second crop ... tomatoes are turning red (FINALLY).  Lettuce is bolting, onion tops are flopping over.  And .. I've noticed the hummers have gone with the last of the summer breeze.

Soon ducks will fill the sky with their honking ... then I'll be happy for a rest from gardening and farm girl work.

How is your summer or winter winding down?

My Garden Is For The Birds

There is a pretty amazing cycle going on in the garden.  It's probably been going on for a long time, but I'm just more in turn with it now. Each morning the birds arrive just around dawn to 'clean' up the beds and plants from bugs and slugs.  Mama and daddy quail arrive with their brood and slip through the wire fence.  Dad sits atop a fence post as lookout while mom ushers the babies in and around the 'breakfast table.'  Then they scurry over to the in ground garden for their dust baths and have a treat eating the raspberries that have fallen to the ground.  Next comes the robins and spotted towhees that eat much bigger bugs.

  The hummingbirds sip nectar from the scarlet runner beans, pollinating them.  When I water, they like to dance in the mist and fly pretty close to say thank you.  My dill is frequented by lady bugs that have kept away the aphids.

 Dragonflies and butterflies are plentiful.  Of course, there are bees and wasps that do most of the heavy pollinating, and from the looks of the tomatoes, have been quite busy.  The 'dance' in the garden is wonderful to watch.

"No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden."-- Thomas Jefferson

Mid Summer Blooms

Favorite spot to relax

Here's a peak into the garden.  With the recent heat, everything has taken off.

cabbage

tomatoes

Green beans, raspberries, lettuce, herbs, cabbage and peas are getting picked this week.

raspberries

Next week more lettuce will get sowed.

The overwintered plants (geraniums, mint and rosemary) have bounced back in full bloom.

overwintered geraniums

overwintered mint

'Dune' geraniums .. overwintered

Busy weekend with a wedding and church outing.

What's blooming your neck of the woods?

Cherries .. (Not) For the Birds

In an attempt to thwart the birds from eating all of the sour cherries, I've gone to extreme (comical) measures.  One complete spool of thread has been tossed about-over/under .. tin foil streamers that make a crinkly sound at the slightest breeze .. and my not so scary scare crow has been positioned next to the tree.

I'll update you as to how well this works as the cherries are starting to ripen.

If you have any 'bird proof' ideas, please share.

Preserving Herbs

I know it's summer and you have lots of fun things planned, but if you have herbs growing in your garden, don't forget to pick some of them at their peak, bundle .. and then hang to dry.  You will be so glad come winter when you can have your own supply to use for soups and stews.  Today I picked lots of dill .. leaving the smaller growth and any seed heads intact to continue growing.  Dill will reseed itself each year.  Some of the seed heads will be picked later and used when making dill pickles.  I'm off to gather some thyme.  

Making Potpourri

Now that summer has arrived there should be some flowers blooming in your garden.  A good way to extend their beauty through the dark days of winter and early spring is to dry them.  There are many methods.  You can pick blooms that are not quite fully opened and tie string around the stems .. then hang upside down from the rafters in a warm (dry) garden shed or garage.  Or you can snip the flowers from their stems and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and put into a 100 to 180F oven for a few hours.  Be sure to prop the door open slightly to allow moisture to escape and air to circulate.

 I use the drying setting of my convection oven set at 120F with the door propped slightly. Once dry from the oven heat, leave the flowers on the tray overnight on the counter to make sure the blossoms are completely dry.   Store the dried flowers in a paper bag or box.  When you want to make potpourri, simple take a few cups of flowers and sprinkle on a little essential oil, mixing well with your hands.  Once the oils have been added, store the potpourri in a plastic zip lock bag or container with a lid.  Small amounts of potpourri can be placed in little dishes, teacups, saucers and left out in different rooms of your home for a fresh floral scent ... even in the winter. 

How to dry flowers in the oven.
How to dry flowers by hanging

Saturday Ramblings At Home

garden peas

Summer finally arrived on the first day of summer, imagine that!  We had a long, cold wet spring again this year.  With just a few days of warm temps this past week, the garden is taking off.

Yesterday I tackled the weeds, applied fresh (homemade) compost around some of the veggies and gave everything a drink of fish emulsion-water.  With last nights thunder-lightening storm, the charged air and metal fence surrounding the garden produced a natural nitrogen fertilizer.  

The apple trees have been thinned of excess fruit to keep the branches from breaking.  This needs to be done before the fruit gets too big and wastes energy.  We'll have enough to store and can lots of apple sauce and make pie fillings for winter.  The sour cherry tree is loaded with fruit as well.  For several years our trees were producing every other year .. and this is the second year for consecutive fruiting.  Yea!

apples getting thinned out

jalapeno pickled eggs

dried peony flowers for winter pot-potpourri

The kitchen counters are brimming with homemade sourdough starter, pickled eggs, homemade stick deodorant, flowers drying for pot-potpourri and dishes needing to be washed.  What's going on in your garden/home?

update:  here's a link to homemade deodorant .  I use a little less tea-tree oil and add a little lavender oil.   Start with the room temp coconut oil .. and gradually add up to the suggested amount in the recipe of corn starch and baking soda .. I prefer organic corn starch (minus Monsanto round up ready corn)  and organic baking soda (aluminum free).  If you live in a hot, hot climate, you might need more cornstarch .. or make it as a powder form and skip using the coconut oil and place in a small jar with a screw cap lid.  Store in a cool location during the summer.  If you make this in a cold climate during the winter, the mixing bowl needs to be warmed to help soften the coconut oil. 

'refilled' deodorant containers

Gardening To Alleviate ....

STRESS!  Hubby and I were at the hospital for a good part of the day.  Our precious granddaughter, Rowan, is having major heart surgery as I type.  After four hours we had to return home to pick up our youngest son from the bus stop.  As soon as I got in the door and let out my daughter's dogs that we're watching, I headed to the garden to dig in the dirt to plant three blueberry bushes.  I don't know about you, but I find gardening such a great stress reducer.  Now that the berry bushes have found spots in the yard .. maybe I'll go plant some pumpkin seeds as baby is still in surgery.  I just may have enough stress to finish planting EVERYTHING!

Souper Supper

I've been going 'crazy' reading and putting into practice ideas found in my new vintage book, 'The American Woman's Cook Book,' taken from my mother's bookshelf, written long before convenience foods were 'born.'


Did you know that soups made from bone/meat broths aid in digestion by stimulating the digestive juices.  Cream soups, purees, bisques and chowders are valuable as they increase the nutrient content of your meal.  A heavy meal should begin with a thin soup (stock based) .. and a light meal should begin with a heavier soup.  Who knew there was such good reasoning behind homemade soup.  Economical and Nutritious!  When I see advertisements for products such as 'Joint Juice' .. for restoring joints I shout at the TV .. 'MAKE SOME HOMEMADE SOUP!'



Years ago a 'perpetual' stock pot was on the back burner day and night.  You could add any meat, bone scraps and/or vegetables to produce a very flavorful stock.  It is well worth the effort to learn how make your own stock and and keep some on hand frozen for easy use.


Last night we started our meal with a thin chicken broth based soup.  To one quart of flavorful homemade stock I added a diced carrot, leeks and fresh herbs.  Now that was simple.

We've started eating our meals in courses.  The family is tickled at the whole process as it makes dinner more enjoyable with anticipation.  First a small cup of soup is set on top of the dinner plate.  Next salad plates are taken from the freezer and the second course of fresh garden salad is eaten .. followed by the third course (of Salisbury steak with a little pan gravy and a piece of garlic toast).  Dessert can be as simple as a small dish of applesauce.


Tonight our soup was cream of asparagus.  I have not so fond memories of such soup from a can as a child.  But made in about 15 minutes on the stove with fresh milk and asparagus .. well ...it was the star of the dinner.  We started with a first course of chilled salad followed by the soup and small grilled cheese sandwiches .. for dessert .. freshly picked rhubarb turned into a quick sauce with a little raspberry syrup.

Fresh Cream of Asparagus Soup

4 cups milk (I used whole) 

2 tablespoons butter                                           

2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chopped asparagus

1 small-medium starchy potato peeled and diced

3 tablespoons of thinly sliced leeks, shallot or onion

salt, pepper or other seasonings (I added fresh thyme)

Prepare asparagus by washing and  trimming off tough ends.  The tough skin on the ends can be peeled away exposing tender asparagus underneath that would otherwise get tossed out.  Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Add the butter to a medium sauce pan (4-6 quart).  Add the onion and saute for a minute until tender.  Add the flour and gradually stir in the milk, whisking to prevent lumps.  Bring to a light simmer and add the asparagus and diced potato.  Cook at a medium simmer until the asparagus and potato are tender.  Add salt, pepper and seasonings to taste.  With a stick blender, blend the soup into a puree in the pan (or cool slightly and blend a little at a time in a blender.  I picked up a stick blender at a thrift store for $4; using it saves on washing dishes).  Blending makes the soup thicken up. Cook the soup for a few more minutes.  If you let it sit for a bit and reheat just prior to serving it will thicken up quite nicely.  Store any remaining soup in the refrigerator.  

To aid in portion control, I have started serving our meals from the stove and better judging how much food to prepare so we don't have too many leftovers.  This saves dishes, calories, money and keeps us from eating second helpings.  Serving in courses .. ending with a tiny 'dessert' (fruit sauce, pudding, etc.) gives everyone a satisfying meal and not feeling hungry before bed.  No 'supersize me' portions allowed :)

The reasoning and common sense approach to cooking nutrient dense foods was a standard in homes worldwide prior to duel incomes that started relying on ready-made food 'helpers' with the industrial revolution. These so called 'helpers' have become so loaded with artificial ingredients they rarely have any healing powers, instead tending to be highly addictive causing degenerative diseases of all sorts.  Get the stock pot simmering .. even in the summer for soups that include the bounty of the garden.  If it's hot out, try a cold fruit soup.  Think of peasant food as being economical and good for the body and soul.  Bon Appetite!

vintage image from here

From Garden to Table

While our garden is still weeks away from producing much of anything, we had our first harvest of asparagus last night for dinner.  This was planted three years ago and is now producing enough to pick.  Another bed was planted last year and I'm tempted to plant one more strip this spring.  There is NO comparison to freshly picked and store bought.  It's that delicious.  Last night I made salmon noodle casserole served with asparagus, carrots, stewed rhubarb and milk for dinner.  You can buy Alaskan salmon in small tins .. it's drained, flaked and added to homemade mac and cheese making for an easy to prepare meal.

What's getting picked or preserved from your garden?

Conquer and Divide

'freebee' plants

Week three in the garden ended with the nicest day so far this year.  Mid 70's .. blue sky .. making for a good work in the yard day.

The soil under the fruit trees was tidied up (weeded), fertilized and mulched.  I am still in sticker shock from our tax bill we just paid so wanted to go easy on buying any flowering perennial plants.  You know .. if you just take a look  around you can often find 'freebies' from plants that have self seeded.  I have lots of foxglove and columbine.  And I'm still finding violas that were originally planted about four years ago.

campfire cooker

Our geraniums were overwintered and are perking up .. as well as mint and rosemary that is getting an 'attitude' adjustment by being on the shady front porch for a week before getting any full sun.  The mint has been divided and now I have some potted ready to give away.  It was given some new potting soil that retains moisture.

We had dinner al fresco using our new campfire cooker.  Beenie weenies cooked in a covered dutch oven  ... and coleslaw served up on metal camp plates .. easy peasy.

freebee foxgloves plants

Yesterday I planted peas, lettuce and radish from seed.  What's being planted in your garden?

Week Two

a blank slate to start the 2012 garden

Himrod grape vine

hardy rhubarb

... in the garden.

in ground garden

I wish I had taken a few pics of the garden last week.  It was strewn with straw bedding, pine needles, and much debris that had blown in with the winter storms.

We topped off the raised beds with a fresh blend of compost mixed with sand .. and gave the walkways a fresh layer of fine bark that smells heavenly.  Our older (in ground) garden is half way prepped.  The raspberry vines are pruned, rhubarb is greening up and the garlic is starting to poke through the soil.  I can't believe the voles ate most of the horseradish I planted last year.  I guess I'll have to devise a wire cage around what root is left.  Can you believe the heat from this root doesn't just ward off the little pests???  A grape vine has been planted.  I hope the site gets enough sun and does well.  One of three hoop covered beds was also installed.  What's up and going/growing in your garden?

A Pattern Of Rain ... and Itching to Garden

some backyard visitors in March

Yesterday I was able to walk around our property checking for signs of spring.  Rhubarb, French sorrel, oregano and thyme are bouncing back.  Raspberry canes show budding leaves.  Fruit trees are waiting patiently for their turn to wake up.  We are completely snow free .. even the snow piles from clearing the driveway have melted.   Now the work begins getting the yard back in shape, adding additional soil to the raised beds, raking the lawn and clearing out the footpaths in the garden .. refreshing the bark.  To do this work, we will need a few days of sunshine .. and that's not happening anytime soon.

I have grapevines to plant.  Again .. wait and hope for sunny weather.

It is amazing to watch plant life unfold after being dormant all winter.  Perennials look stick dead until you peek near the soil and see life clinging near the roots.  There is much trimming to do in the next few weeks to remove the dead tops of these plants.

Our little indoor greenhouse is brimming with overwintered plants, geranium starts, seed trays, grow lights and a heating mat.  I chose the seeds to have a mix of paste tomatoes for sauces and heirlooms for slicing.  One of our 4 x 8 ft. raised beds held 32 plants last year producing 140+ pounds of  tomatoes.  We grew them using the square foot garden planting system .. training them to grow UP .. anchoring them to tall trellises.  These raised beds have thawed enough to plant peas and early spring seeds.

It looks like we're in for more rainy weather in the Inland Northwest

This will be our seventh year of having a veggie garden and there is SO MUCH more to learn.  What's going on in your yard?