Homemade Chicken Stock

The trouble with homemade chicken stock is once you make it you will lever want to go back to store bought.  It has so much flavor and does not need much salt.  I am posting 2 different ways to make it- I hope you give it a try- it is worth the efffort.  I am also looking for ways to get a quick meal so when I make stock I use a whole chicken so I have precooked chicken for a quick meal another time.

Feingold Stage 1

CSA ingredients avaliable: carrots, garlic, celery, and chicken

Ingredients

2 whole chickens (organic or antibiotic- hormone free)

2 onions

4 carrots- peels on is fine

4 stalks of celery- stems and leafy part is fine

8 cloves of garlic

any fresh herb you like and have on hand

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: Chop onions, celery, carrots and garlic. A food processor speeds this step up. Heat 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil in very large stock pot.  Add vegetables and saute until tender about 5 minutes.

Note: If you do not have a really big stock pot than cut this half to fit a smaller pot.

Now put the raw rinsed chickens into the pot plus any fresh herbs.  I remove the livers and add any "extras" the chicken comes with.  Fill the pot so that the water comes about 2 inches above the chicken. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 45 minutes.

Now remove the chicken and allow to cool enough you can handle it. Pull off all the cooked chicken meat. This can used for any recipe that calls for chicken.  I often put in freezer bags so I have chicken when I need a quick meal.  Add the bones, skins and thighs back to pot.  Simmer for another 1 1/2 hours. 

 Now strain the stock from the chicken.  I put through a large colander to remove the vegetables and bones.  You can strain again through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth if you wanta really clear stock.  Now add salt and pepper.  Don't add early because as the stock dissolves it could get too salty.  It does not take a lot of salt 1-2 tsp if often enough for the whole big pot. 

Allow to cool and freeze so it is ready. I like to freeze in 1 qt sizes and also freeeze in a ice cube tray if I need just a little stock in a recipe. 

METHOD 2

Another option is to make the stock in a crock pot.  Use half of the above ingredients (one onion, 2 carrots and celery, 1 chicken, 4 garlic).  Put vegetables in crock pot (sometimes I only cut into pieces instead of dice). Add chicken and fill with water to 1 inch of top of crock pot.  Cover and set crock on low for 8 hours.  Remove chicken after 4-5 hours to reserve meat and add back bones.  Strain like above.  It makes less but you don't have to watch the water temperture or even be home so it is a nice method.

Beef and Farro Soup The is nothing like a hot bowl of hardy soup on a cold winter day! CSA ingredients: carrots celery mushrooms Feingold: Stage 1 (if you add tomatoes Stage 2) This recipe was modified from Family Living magazine Beef and barley soup Feb 2013

1 tbsp vegetable oil 1 lb stew beef chunks, cut into bite sized pieces Salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced 3 cloves garlic clove, chopped 1 quart beef stock (low sodium) 2 large carrots, diagonally sliced 2 ribs Celery, sliced 3/4 cup farro- also called wheatberries (or can use barley) 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced (baby bella or white) 1/2 tsp thyme 1 cup frozen peas

1 Sprinkle salt and pepper over beef. 2 Heat oil in large pot of medium high heat. 3 Sauté beef until browned about 5 minutes. 4 Add onions and garlic- sauté 2-3 more minutes. 5 Add carrots and celery. Simmer gently, covered, for about 1 hour. 6 Add farro, thyme and mushrooms and simmer 30 more minutes. 7 Add peas and simmer 1 more minute.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe. Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information provided by the recipe author. Amount Per Serving Calories 304 % Daily Value Total Fat 7g 11% Saturated Fat 2g 10% Cholesterol 40mg 13% Sodium 724mg 30% Total Carbohydrates 33g 11% Fiber 8g 32% Protein 27g 54%

Tips Optional: add 1 can diced tomatoes with farro.

Meredith's Corn and Potato Soup

CSA ingredients:
corn
potatoes
red pepper
onion
(homemade veggie broth from CSA ingredients)- more to come in future post

This got 5 stars from all the kids!

Recipe:

1 tbsp olive oil

1  medium onion, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot peeled, and chopped

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth(or vegetable broth)

3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

4-5 ears fresh corn kernels, cut of of cob

1 spring fresh rosemary

1 red pepper, finely chopped

1 tsp fresh-ground black pepper

salt  to taste

1 1/2 cups cubbed ham

1/3 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Chives, snipped 

1. Heat pot over medium-high heat.  Add oil and heat. 

2. Add onions, celery and carrot saute until getting tender about 5 minutes.

3. Slowly add chicken (or vegetable) stock.

4. Bring to a simmer and add potatoes. Cook until tender about 20 minutes.  Can add 2 corn husk while simmering to add flavor to stock.

5. Add corn, peppers, and rosemary simmer 5-8 minutes until corn tender.  Add ham the last 2 minutes to heat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

7. Remove from heat and add cream- stir to incorporate.

8. Serve with chives on top.

Servings: 6

To make vegetarian omit ham and use vegetable broth.  I actually prefer vegetable broth for this even with meat if I have homemade vegetable broth. 

Kitchen tip: To cut kernels off corn put husked corn over bundt pan- put corn over center part and cut corn into pan.  It collects all the corn so you don't have stray pieces all over the kitchen. 

Kitchen tip: Simmer do not boil.  when you boil soup it gets fat on top- simmering does not seperate out the fat.

Kitchen tip: Don't try milk instread of cream if you don't want cream just omit.  The cream gives it a silky texture that is quite good though!

Kitchen tip: Left over corn- cut kernels off cob and freeze.