Chicken Soup

This is the chicken barley soup I made for dinner last night. Johnny and I managed to catch the same cold this week, and we're desperately trying to shake it. I wasn't feeling too excited about cooking anything, but it was actually quite easy. I sauteed two leeks, garlic, two carrots, and chicken breast in olive oil, added chicken broth, sliced mushrooms, dried thyme and basil, a tiny rice wine vinegar, and lemon juice. I wasn't sure how much the barley would cook up, so I added a few handfuls and let it cook for about an hour.

I don't know if it was the soup, or the yoga routine I've been following, but I've gotten over this cold much faster than usual. Chicken broth is basically bones that have the marrow cooked out of them. There's lots of good minerals in there, plus it gives you extra liquids, and the steam is good for the sinuses.....I guess the belief that chicken soup is a cureall goes back to Ancient Egypt, Persia, and Greece. If it's stood the test of time so well, who am I to argue?

As we were eating, Johnny commented that when he was a kid he thought Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup was as healthy as it got. It never occurred to him that a person could make their own chicken soup. His upbringing was so different from my hippy health food past! He's a good barometer for me of how most Americans relate to food...... It's interesting how many levels there are to diet. He was excited by home-made soup, andI was feeling guilty about using store bought broth!

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Here's the current produce line up on the dining room table. I've still got the Marina di Chioggia, the Turban, and the Long Island Cheese squashes. I'm planning on making gnocchi with the Marina and pie with the Long Island Cheese for Thanksgiving. It's probably just be Johnny and I, but I'm not going to let that stop me from cooking. I'll still get to blog about it!

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The larger red apples are Galarinas from one of my favorite farmers in Blue Lake. They're really pretty - so red with beautiful galaxy like patterns. The flavor is good - sweet, with almost a hint of spice. The little apples are Crimson Golds. We're going to have these on sale over Thanksgiving, so I'm sure I'll be writing more about them. They were developed locally in Ettersburg by Abert Etter. They are tiny, cute, and oh so tasty. They really have hints of wild honey......

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And oh yes, the persimmons. These are Fuyus from Gilroy. I like the tops - there's just something about them that makes me happy.

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