Homemade Bouillon

This recipe requires a food processor. I have a 8-cup / 2 liter / 2 quart model, and needed every cubic inch of it. I found the best approach if you are tight for space in your food processor is to add a few of the ingredients, then pulse a few times. The ingredients collapse and free up more space for the next few ingredients. If you don't find yourself using much bouillon, I will suggest making a half batch of this. And for those of you wanting to do a version with no salt, freeze the pureed vegetables in small amounts - say, ice cube trays, just after pureeing them. Introduce salt in whatever amount you like later in the cooking process.

5 ounces / 150 g leeks, sliced and well-washed
7 ounces / 200g fennel bulb, chopped
7 ounces / 200g carrot, well scrubbed and chopped
3.5 ounces / 100 g celery
3.5 ounces / 100g celery root (celeriac), peeled and chopped
1 ounce / 30g sun-dried tomatoes
3.5 ounces / 100g shallots, peeled
3 medium garlic cloves
9 ounces / 250g fine grain sea salt
1.5 ounces / 40 g flat-leaf parsley, loosely chopped
2 ounces / 60g cilantro (coriander), loosely chopped

Place the first four ingredients in your food processor and pulse about twenty times. Add the next four ingredients, and pulse again. Add the salt, pulse some more. Then add the parsley and cilantro. You may need to scoop some of the chopped vegetables on top of the herbs, so they get chopped. Mine tended to want to stay on top of everything else, initially escaping the blades.

You should end up with a moist, loose paste of sorts. Keep 1/4th of it in a jar in the refrigerator for easy access in the coming days, and freeze the remaining 3/4 for use in the next month. Because of all the salt it barely solidifies making it easy to spoon directly from the freezer into the pot before boiling.

Start by using 1 teaspoon of bouillon per 1 cup (250 ml), and adjust from there based on your personal preference.

Makes roughly 3 1/2 cups.

Inspired by The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin. The U.S. edition of the River Cottage Preserves Handbook will be available this summer.

Prep time: 40 min

Onion soup Mix

I use low-sodium beef bouillon. You may want to add salt to your taste. You could use crushed celery seed if you don’t have dried celery, too.
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: approx 4 packets worth

Ingredients

1 cup minced onion
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp beef bouillon
1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder
1/4 tsp dried celery
Directions

Combine all ingredients. Store in jar.
About 5 Tbsp of mix are equal to 1 – 1.25 oz pkg.
To make dip:
Combine 5 Tbsp with 1 pint sour cream.
I usually use about 1/4 cup mix when using in dishes calling for onion soup mix.

Pumpkin Chowder

I LOVE this soup! The earthy flavors of this hearty chowder make it an ideal choice for an autumn or winter supper. If you can’t find fresh pumpkin, substitute butternut or hubbard sqush.
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon, diced
2 cups chopped onion
2 teaspoons curry powder, preferably Madras
2 tablespoons flour
1 pound pumpkin (eating or sugar type) peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup half and half cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds
Garnish: chopped green onion
Note from Sibyl: The recipe doesn’t call for pumpkin puree, but I usually put about 2-3 cups in.to give it more pumpkin flavor, additionally adding up to 2 Tbs of curry powder.)

1. Put the bacon in a large soup pot over low heat and cook gently until it releases its fat, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

3. Stir in curry powder and flour and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.

4. Add the pumpkin, potatoes, and stock. Increase the heat to medium-low and cook until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

5. Add the half-and-half and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil. Serve the soup in warm bowls, garnished with pumpkin seeds and a sprinkle of green onions. Serves 6.

Substitution tip: Use low-sodium broth in place of the chicken stock.