Harvest Time in the City
I woke up this morning to the smell of beef. No, this is not a typical morning, although many Midwesterners eat steak for breakfast. I am making stock, something that I enjoy doing in the fall. It tends to heat up a kitchen and also has a rich, heavy scent while cooking, so this is not a job for hot weather. However, it’s easier to do this than most people think.
I was at Publix on Rosewood yesterday (the people are so nice there) when I saw some beef bones on sale. I bought two packages, along with some carrots, onion, leeks, and celery. Yesterday evening, I browned the bones in hot oil, then roasted them and the veggies in a hot oven for about an hour. After that, I put the pot on top of the stove, filled it with cold water and brought it to a boil. After reducing the heat to simmer, I went to bed.
This morning, I pulled out all of the bones and veggies and turned the heat back up. I am reducing the stock now so that the flavors will concentrate. After that, I will chill it in the refrigerator to de-fat, then divide the liquid and freeze. It smells divine, and will be a great base for soups, stews and other recipes.
I also baked two pie pumpkins on Saturday. Another easy task-just cut in half, cleaning out the strings and seeds. Place cut sides down in a baking pan with about an inch of water and bake at 350 until soft, about 45 minutes or so. Peel off the outer skin, and put through a blender or food processor to break up long fibers. I like to freeze these in one cup amounts and use the pumpkin puree for pies, cookies and fancy breads. I also found a recipe for pumpkin custard that the children are crazy about. This is a good veggie source for them that they think is a treat.
As I am doing all of this, I can look out of my windows to watch the signs of autumn. All over the Shandon area, there are oak tree’s losing their acorns. They drop with a startlingly loud crash, and sound like they could take out a windshield or even a small adult. As fast as they are falling though, the squirrels are racing out to eat their fill and gather the rest for storage. I guess those prep-for-winter instincts are a part of all living things.
I was at Publix on Rosewood yesterday (the people are so nice there) when I saw some beef bones on sale. I bought two packages, along with some carrots, onion, leeks, and celery. Yesterday evening, I browned the bones in hot oil, then roasted them and the veggies in a hot oven for about an hour. After that, I put the pot on top of the stove, filled it with cold water and brought it to a boil. After reducing the heat to simmer, I went to bed.
This morning, I pulled out all of the bones and veggies and turned the heat back up. I am reducing the stock now so that the flavors will concentrate. After that, I will chill it in the refrigerator to de-fat, then divide the liquid and freeze. It smells divine, and will be a great base for soups, stews and other recipes.
I also baked two pie pumpkins on Saturday. Another easy task-just cut in half, cleaning out the strings and seeds. Place cut sides down in a baking pan with about an inch of water and bake at 350 until soft, about 45 minutes or so. Peel off the outer skin, and put through a blender or food processor to break up long fibers. I like to freeze these in one cup amounts and use the pumpkin puree for pies, cookies and fancy breads. I also found a recipe for pumpkin custard that the children are crazy about. This is a good veggie source for them that they think is a treat.
As I am doing all of this, I can look out of my windows to watch the signs of autumn. All over the Shandon area, there are oak tree’s losing their acorns. They drop with a startlingly loud crash, and sound like they could take out a windshield or even a small adult. As fast as they are falling though, the squirrels are racing out to eat their fill and gather the rest for storage. I guess those prep-for-winter instincts are a part of all living things.
posted by CityWords at 11/07/2005 08:57:00 AM
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