Nourishing Broths

Jamie's prompt this week - "How do you wish to be nourished?"

* In a little while, I'm receiving a massage from my coworker, Jackie (my goal is 2 massages each month)
* I love epsom salt baths with candles
* dancing
* meeting with friends
* hanging out with my 21 month old cherub of a grandson
* a luxuriant, abundant garden

* my most recent passion~ brothmaking ~

"Good broth will resurrect the dead"  - South American proverb.

I've always 'occasionally' made stock/broth; Wm Michael & I used to get 'dog bones' & make Dog Bone Soup (more meat than 'soup bones!' & I usually save chicken bones, & add them to my veggie trimmings for stock .... here's an excellent article on 'Bone Broth' from the Chinese medicine perspective! I love the idea of adding adaptogen herbs!  

After 9 months eating 'Plant Strong,' with little meat, I've gone through another shift - still LOTS & LOTS of OG veggies (mostly local & in season) to adding in more meat & fish - & dropping the grains & dry legumes, at least for a time, as many in the GF community feel this enhances healing the digestive system. (Paleo, or low carb, high fat) Gluten Free RN (who went GF ~ 6 years ago) has been eating this way the last 2 years, & shares her favorite resources here. (an unexpected side effect - though I was already ~ my HS weight, I've trimmed down a bit more, & now my 'skinny jeans' are baggy!!)

Cindy Micleu, MTCM, LAc. writes: "Winter is the ideal time for nourishing the Kidneys, and soup is the perfect winter food. Bone broth is prepared in cultures around the world as both a tasty, healthful soup and an easily digested medicinal food. The prolonged cooking of bones in water results in a broth rich in nutritional constituents that promote strength, tonify blood, nourish in times of sickness and rehabilitation, and help to prevent bone and connective tissue disorders.

"Chinese herbs such as Huang Qi (Astragalus) and Dang Shen (Codonopsis) may be added to increase the medicinal properties of the broth. These herbs not only enhance the nutritional status of the broth, but are flavorful and add to the sweet taste. Huang Qi and Dang Shen tonify the qi, support digestion, build energy, and strengthen immune function. Gou Qi Zi (Lycii berries) may be added for additional blood tonification."
(I have a 'soup packet' from our LAc, Lisa Pool, that I'll add to the next batch! Now, to get some *good* bones from pasture raised animals!)

********* Veggie Trimmings

When I lived at Breitenbush in the mid 90s, one of my housemates was a chef, & taught me to freeze my veggie trimmings!  This is great, as in the past, I'd often just left them in the veggie drawer, they they get mushy ....
I save many trimmings:  mushroom ends, peels, carrot tops & tips, beet & leek tops, asparagus ends, parsley & other herb stems etc etc. in a container in the freezer, & onion & garlic skins in a container on the counter. When I'm ready to make stock or broth, in they go! Bones are generally simmered first (the article has excellent instructions) & the veggie trimmings/whole veggies added for the last 1-2 hours.

Fish stock is even quicker - about 4 hours simmer time.

Brassicas (which overpower general soups/stocks) I keep separate, & simmer a brief time, for cauliflower, broccoli etc soup.

Here in the relatively warm Willamette Valley, I have sage, rosemary & even true Bay leaves available throughout the year, & I add some of those, a handful of dandelions & other wild edibles, as well as a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to the broth as it brews. & I add a strip of seaweed, usually Kombu.

My CSA farmers made the shift to 'low carb, high fat' (rare beans or grains, but they use cream & fermented milk from their own pastured cows) last fall. & commented they're eating EVEN MORE GREENS than they were before! They pour some broth over the greens & let them cook down (40+ minutes), I pour over some coconut milk kefir, while they might add a dollop of fresh cream! mmmm 

Here are some other stock making articles - from the Healthy Home Economist  & Sally Fallon, & a great bit on making 'portable bouillon' from stock! (ever wonder what folks did 'on the road' before cup-o-soup type things?)

May you be well nourished!