The
short autumn has given way to crisp December days. And while visions of
sugarplums may dance in the heads of those around me, I am pretty sure my kids
will turn their noses up at minced dried fruit and nuts, even if it is rolled
together in a ball and sprinkled with sugar.
So! What is an urban momma to do to get fresh fruits and veg in the Midwest? Well, since we live in the modern era I can get just about anything at my local grocery. From Watermelon to Mango – there is a bounty to have and to buy. Lately though, we have tried to maintain a diet that is seasonable and sustainable. What the heck can I feed my kids in December?
Locally,
we have a lot of good options. There are still Michigan apples in the stores,
and should be for some time as they store well and can ship from the local
orchards. Also, remember there is a reason oranges are traditional stocking
stuffers, citrus is prime in the winter months and will keep your vitamins up
too!
Winter
squashes are still coming in and will continue to be good from local sources
through the winter as they keep well. If your kids are like mine, they probably
turn their noses up a bit on squash, but I found a GREAT minestrone recipe that
I will share that will help get you through it.
First
you have to have a dinner of roasted chicken. It’s the best way to get
stock. At True Nature Foods, my local
store, I can get chickens from a farm in Illinois. The good news is that a lot
of our meat is local to the region, even the stuff you buy in stores. For
example when I was with the City Moms program this year (http://www.watchusgrow.org/about-us/meet-the-moms/) we toured a hog farm,
the Gould’s http://gouldfarm.com/, whose meat goes to Hormel.
That’s
getting us sidetracked from soup.
After
you have your roast chicken dinner, put all the bones, left over skin, meat you
aren’t going to eat, together with a chopped onion, carrot and celery, and any
herbs you may have stuffed inside the chicken for flavor into a large stock
pot. Cover with water and boil for an hour or two. You can do this process at
least twice and get a couple of gallons of stock. I freeze mine in gallon sized
bags for later use in soup.
Make
your soup! Make lots of soup with root vegetables and stock. You will survive and so will I!
Here
is my latest favorite soup, it is a lot of ingredients, but it is well worth
it.
Autumn
Minestrone
1
onion, diced
4-5
cloves of garlic, sliced
1
tbs herbs
2
tbs butter
2
tbs oil
3
carrots, roughly chopped, peeled if desired
3
stalks of celery, chopped
½
butternut squash, cubed
4
potatoes, peeled cubed
4-5
roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1
pound kale, stems removed, chopped
1-2
quarts of chicken or vegetable stock
1
can of cannellini beans
1
cup of pearled barley
1
5oz can of tomato paste
Salt
and pepper to taste
Saute
the onion, garlic and herbs in the butter and oil. When soft, add the carrots
and celery. Saute 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and as much of the
stock as you can get in your pot. Boil until the potatoes and squash are
fork-tender. Voila. Soup. Serve with bread and butter for an extra treat. This
makes a TON of soup, you can freeze the leftovers or have jealous coworkers for
lunch.
I
survive the winter by making the best of the local, sustainable ingredients
available to me and filling my stomach with hearty, warming soups. How do you
survive?
