Winter Vegetable Soup

    On a rainy Saturday, it's nice to occupy oneself with making a savory but simple soup to warm the cockles and perhaps use up some things in the fridge. Here's an attempt to do just that.

Winter Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

3 c. beef broth + 1/2 c. water

1/2 c chopped onion

1 stalk celery with greens, chopped

1/2 c. chopped or diced carrots

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp fines herbes, 1/2 tsp ground mustard, 1/2 tsp ground garlic, salt & pepper to taste 

1 c. chopped purple cabbage

1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach

1/3 c frozen green beans

1/3 c. soy protein crumbles or dried breadcrumbs

OPTION/VARIATION: 1/2 lb browned ground beef or ground turkey

Method:

    Heat oil in 3-qt saucepan with heavy bottom on medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, and carrots and cook til slightly browned. Add herbs and spices, stir well to combine. Cook about 5 minutes before adding broth and water, stirring well.

    Add chopped cabbage, spinach, beans, and crumbs/crumbles and cook for 20 minutes or until boiling for at least 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce to simmer. May add meat after boiling and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Serve with corn muffins, crusty bread, or cheese crackers and tea. 

Yield: abt. 5 servings 

 

 

Cathead Biscuits

Bryson City Cathead Biscuits (original recipe)

2 1/2 c. flour

1/3 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

5 tbsp. lard

1 c. buttermilk

Sift and mix dry ingredients then blend with lard. Add buttermilk. For each biscuit, pinch off a portion of dough about the shape of a large egg and pat out with your hands. Bake in a 350 degree oven in wood stove about 10 minutes. In a modern electric or gas stove, bake at 475 to 500 degrees.

This recipe is found on page 115 in the chapter entitled, "Biscuits," in the book Smokehouse Ham, Spoon Bread, and Scuppernong Wine, by Joseph E. Dabney (Cumberland House, Nashville, TN 1998).

I've made a few adjustments over the years, starting with the substitution of shortening for lard. I do not adjust the amount and have good results. I choose a quality unbleached all-purpose flour such as King Arthur or Hodgsons Mill Organic. Also, when I do not have buttermilk, I substitute 1 c. whole milk plus 1 tbsp. plain yogurt. The texture of the biscuits is fluffy and light, and they brown nicely in a hot oven - however, I've found that generally the temperature does not need to be more than 450.

Serve warm with jam, honey, or just good butter. This recipe is also suitable to use for dumplings.