Genesis 1:29 — And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Makin’ Soup

This month, I’d like to talk about something I have learned to do that keeps me from wasting food. In my freezer, I have a covered bowl labeled “SOUP” in which I put leftover vegetables for use in soup later. This might be accumulated for a couple of weeks or even a month.

At the end of the accumulation time, I pull the bowl out, thaw and empty it into a big pot on my stove. To this I add other ingredients that I feel match the vegetable flavors in the pot. Sometimes it might be vegetable soup with canned tomatoes added.

If I have no tomatoes, I might add ketchup, or I might decide to make a stew with added leftover meat. It’s really very simple and cost effective and not hard.

The list of things to add can be endless (well almost)! There are many herbs that add flavor and zest to soup, too — parsley, rosemary, oregano and basil, to mention a few.

Also, I find that turnips and rutabagas are used to impart a wonderful flavor in soups. I really like these two even eaten alone. These are used in many ethnic soups and foods.

So, fix up a pot of good tasty soup while the weather is cold!

Hearty Beef and Cabbage Soup

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

40-oz. can tomatoes

2 cups water

15-oz. can kidney beans

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper 

1 tbsp. chili powder

1/2 cup chopped celery

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

Saute beef in skillet. Drain. Combine all ingredients except cabbage in slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 3 hours. Add cabbage. Cook on high 30-60 minutes longer.

I want to include one of the recipes that I made while working at the Farmers Market in Halifax. The people especially liked this sweet bread recipe, which uses organic ingredients whenever possible and raw sugar.

Cranberry-Orange Bread

Sift together:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup raw sugar

Mix in thoroughly:

2 tablespoons shortening (I used safflower and extra virgin coconut oil)

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange plus fresh or diluted frozen orange juice to make 3/4 cups (organic oranges have more juice)

1 egg, beaten (I use free-range)

Fold in one cup dried cranberries (organic if possible)

1 cup finely chopped nuts

Bake in greased 9x5x3 loaf pan at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour. Test for doneness. I used small round corning ware fry pans and they turned out attractively different. Enjoy!

Proverbs 28:19 — He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

Alice Russell, also known as “Me Me,” resides in the Randolph/Saxe area. Her email address is letstalkherbs@gmail.com.