Reviving Traditional Foods
Gluten-free chicken and dumplings swimming in a salty, creamy broth of herbs and aromatic vegetables found its way to our kitchen a few weeks ago. A cold-weather food, good for the changing of the seasons, gluten-free chicken and dumplings can satisfy hungry bellies on chilly autumn evenings – fulfilling the roles of both company food [...]
Potato Leek Soup, dotted with dill and pasture-raised bacon, may seem like an odd addition to a June post. I mean, really now, summer’s less than a week away – and I imagine all of you sipping away at icy tomato gazpachos and spooning sweet cherry sorbet into your mouths. It’s hot. It’s humid and the night air is sultry and warm where you are, isn’t it? Don’t lie to me now – I know it’s true. While you’re lounging by the grill, sending your kids to run naked through the sprinklers and collect raspberries on tall, leafy canes, I’m shivering and considering turning out the heat though it’s the middle of June dammitall.
Caldo verde – a Portuguese soup classically featuring kale, potatoes and chorizo swimming in a nourishing, mineral-rich stock – is a remarkable dish. Richly flavored and deeply satisfying in a way only traditional peasant foods can manage, caldo verde is simple to prepare and a truly delightful addition to the supper table. Like all dishes [...]
Looking for healthy school lunch ideas? School lunch has quickly become one of the most deplorable American meals – comprised of low-cost, commodity items like CAFO-raised beef, canned fruit and vegetables. Standard lunches of chocolate milk, overcooked peas and mealy french fries lack versatility in nutrients, flavor and, most importantly, they lack inspiration. So, per [...]
While fresh fruit makes it to our table for dessert often, sometimes we appreciate a hint of variety, and that’s precisely what this chilled melon soup provides. Melon – we use an heirloom orange fleshed honeydew melon, though any melon will do – is simply pureed and served with fresh berries. The soup [...]
Lentil stew – wholesome, nourishing and filling – makes for an inexpensive and satisfying meal. Pastured bacon in all its sweet and salty smokiness provides the perfect counterpoint for the humble brown lentil in this simple soup. Carrots, onions, celery and fresh parsley complete this version of a classic lentil soup. [...]
Beef stock – especially homemade beef stock is remarkably easy to prepare especially using this tried-and-true classic beef stock recipe. You don’t need purchased beef base to prepare a decent beef stock any more than you need those hateful little granules of chicken bouillon to prepare a chicken stock. Just a lazy Saturday [...]
Ham and bean soup: it’s just about as simple as it can get and it takes such little time as this particularly version of ham and bean soup is cooked in a crockpot. I love how the mildness of tender white beans complements the striking, sweet smokiness of a pastured ham hock in a [...]
Eating well on a budget and keeping food frugal is on my mind … a lot … actually. Looking at our bank account and realizing that payday just doesn’t come fast enough, often enough or large enough has me understandably worried. Never mind the looming bills and the fact that every paycheck for [...]
Money woes are everywhere. Healthcare costs are rising. Food costs are increasing. Electricity is higher now than it used to be. Between lost jobs, shortened working hours, missed bonuses and the ever-increasing costs of living, it seems everyone is looking for ways cut back. Of course, we’re no exception. Money’s [...]
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Jenny McGruther is a wife, mother and cooking instructor specializing in real and traditional foods. Her work has been featured on CNN, the Globe & Mail, the Atlantic, the Christian Science Monitor, Denver Post and WebMD. Click here to learn more.
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