Wild Rice Soup Recipe From Our Ancestors

A while ago, we had friends over for a pot luck gathering.  I made several things.  However one of the favourite “eats” was this wild rice soup.  Several people said that they would serve it for Christmas, if I would share the recipe.  Some of us plan our Christmas menu ahead of time, and like to test the results before the big day.  Here is the Wild Rice Soup recipe.

  

Wild Rice Soup 

8-10 Servings 

Wild rice was, for hundreds of years, one of the -main food sources for the Indians of Minnesota. It is a large reed-like grass and grows in three to four feet of water. This grass, with its long sweeping flower cluster on top, sometimes grows eight to ten feet tall.

Ingrediants

1/2 cup wild rice ( I used ¾ of a cup of wild rice)
1 pound bacon (I left out all the bacon and drippings and added 2 tablespoons of virgin olive oil.)

3 tablespoons bacon drippings (Leave out for vegetarian soup)

1 cup finely chopped celery 
1 cup finely chopped onion 

¾ cup finely chopped red pepper
2 14¹/2-ounce cans (ready to serve) chicken broth (I used 7 cups of distilled water and a 2 vegetarian broth cubes)

2 white potatoes, cubed
2 10³/4-ounce cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 

Variations:

Add grated carrot, or green onions, or finely chopped leek, or finely chopped mushrooms.

Wash wild rice. Boil rice for 15 minutes and drain; set aside. If you use the bacon, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and discard all but 3 tablespoons bacon drippings. Sauté celery, onion and green pepper or whatever veggies that you use either in the drippings, or in olive oil, until onion is transparent. Put in a large kettle and add rice, broth, mushrooms, soup and diced bacon. Cook on low heat for 1 to 3 hours.  (I find that 3 hours gives it the best flavour.)  Do not add salt.

Blessings,

Judy

Juniper Berry - An Interesting Herb

Juniper Berry picture from Wikipedia

A good read is Whispers From the Woods by Sandra Kynes (Lewellyn Worldwide, Woodbury, MN www.llewellyn.com). The description of one of the trees really struck a me with a moment of AHA! All over Canada, it seems that juniper bushes get planted in front of the house or behind the house or in the yard.

 

Kynes talks about the fact that juniper bushes were planted in front of a house as a protection against witches. She also talks about the German belief that having a juniper bush in front of your house will prevent thieves from breaking into the house and stealing all the valuables. Did you know that juniper berries could be used to make gin?

What is really striking is that in the West, we have acres of juniper, if it were all together in one lot. It is striking that because of its medicinal purposes for colds, aches, and pains among other things, that almost every home then has a little medicine cabinet outside the door. Yet we are not conscious of the properties of the plant. We do seem to be conscious that somehow juniper is beneficial for we name many things from network systems, to music to designs after the juniper bush. 

The juniper tree's greatest gift is the berries.  These berries may be used to make a diuretic tea that does not seem to diminish one's electrolytes as over the counter diuretics may do.  

Recipe

Pick the berries when they are ripe and then place them on a cookie sheet covered with brown paper. Place the cookie sheet in a dark place - a pantry - for three days. The berries will dry. They may be stored in a cloth pouch and used, a teaspoonful at a time, in tea.  Pour boiling water over the berries, and mash a bit, and let the tea steep for three minutes.  Sweeten with honey if you find the taste too bitter.

This is just one recipe for the use of juniper berries.  Let me know how your medicine from juniper turns out. Let me know too, if you have any juniper recipes to share.

 Bright blessings!

  Judy

Hamburger Soup Recipe

 When I was growing up, my mother would make a big pot of soup every week in February and March for us to have for lunch.  She said that the soup helped balance out the heavier foods that we ate over the winter.  The recipe below is one of my favourite soups from that time, and, I make it often for my husband and me.

Homestead Hamburger Soup 

8 Servings 

1 pound ground beef 
1 cup chopped onion 
1 cup diced potatoes 
1 cup sliced carrots 

1 cup shredded cabbage 
1 cup sliced celery 

1/4 cup raw rice 

3 cups water 

1 beef bouillon cube 
1 teaspoon garlic salt 

1/4 teaspoon basil 
1/4 teaspoon thyme 
1 bay leaf 

1 quart tomatoes, undrained

Brown ground beef and onion until meat is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat. Add 
remaining ingredients. Stir so tomatoes become slightly mashed. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Adjust seasonings.   

Note:  I start this in the morning, and leave it covered, on low all day.  The flavour goes through everything 

Many blessings,

Judy

Irish Soda Bread as a Pick-Me-Up

                                   

Our family loves soda bread.  We use this recipe because it tastes good, and it feels like it lifts our spirits.  Soda bread seems to balance the digestive system and its soothing taste is a good antidote for the rich food consumed over the Christmas and New Year festivities.

If you feel down, try the soda bread as a pick-me-up.  Tear off a bit and spread it for the birds as they love soda bread!

IRISH SODA BREAD WITH ROSEMARY AND CHEESE

--Makes 16 servings thinly sliced

1 ½ cups of all purpose white flour 

1 cup whole wheat flour 

2 tablespoons of granulated sugar (I use brown sugar) 

1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder 

½ teaspoon of baking soda 

½ teaspoon of sea salt 

1/3 cup of grated cheddar cheese (for a different taste, use raisins or currents) 

1 tablespoon of rosemary flakes or crushed rosemary or fresh herb rosemary as in the picture 

1 egg 1 ¼ cups of buttermilk (I use regular milk with 2 tablespoons of white vinegar) 

3 tablespoons of vegetable oil 

In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together well. Stir in cheese and rosemary seeds into flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and oil. Pour liquid ingredients over flour mixture and very lightly combine together into rough dough. 

Place dough in 9 inch by 2 ½ inch spring form pan lined with parchment paper. 

Bake in preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven for 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on rack.

Happy baking,

Judy

Recipe for Ham and Potato Soup

 

If you are like me, you are tired of all the big meals - potatoes, ham, turkey, chicken, beef - that we all love to eat at Christmas time.  Changing up the menu for some hearty, home-made soup is a lovely way to use up left overs and still have a nourishing meal.  This soup is one of my go-to’s because we love ham at our house.  The soup is filled with goodness the next day!  Enjoy the recipe and drop a comment to tell me how it turned out for you and your family.  

Delicious Ham and Potato Soup 

Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 25 Min Ready In: 5 Min 8 Servings

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes 

1/3 cup diced celery 

1/3 cup finely chopped onion 

3/4 cup diced cooked ham 

3 1/4 cups water 

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules 

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste 

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste 

5 tablespoons butter 

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 cups milk 

Directions 

Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.  

Many blessings,

Judy