Canning Tomato Soup

I'm looking to the ways of the ant, preparing my food while it's summer.  Even though it's not even hot enough for air conditioning (it's August 2 as I type this!), it's too hot for soup.  Soup, especially tomato soup, is a wonderful cold day meal.  It's particularly awesome paired with a grilled cheese sandwich.  :)

Okay, before I get into my story, you know the drill here.  First a story; or rather, an incident (I laugh about it now), then the recipe is at the end.

Look at all these wonderful varieties of tomato sitting on my kitchen countertop!  I am not going to be able to process them later for long-term storage, so my plan was to process them now.  If I left these tomatoes to my guys, the tomatoes would probably be ignored and go all moldy and get thrown out.  Ugh, especially since they're from my garden.

So after lunch a few days ago, Joseph and Thomas cleaned my kitchen, and then it was ready for me!  See the picture below--my canning pot is already on the stove, and the pot of already-processed tomatoes is, too.

Ahhh.  A clean quiet kitchen in which to work.  I have an awesome kitchen.  :)

I simmered all the ingredients on the stove in my tall Emeril eight-quart stockpot.  I love this pot!

Now I get to my incident story.  I started blending the soup with my Braun stick blender, but I wasn't getting the smooth soup consistency I wanted, so I figured I'd use my super-powerful Bosch blender.  Not a problem!  I filled the blender, put it on the base, put the lid on, and turned it on.

You may not see it so well in the image above, but there are tomato soup splatters all over the ceiling.  I'm not in the picture either, so you definitely don't see the tomato soup facial I gave myself.  Yes, the blender lid was on.  But my blender lid has a little insert that allows me to pour a thin stream of ___ into the blender while it's going.  And the soup was thin enough to shoot out of that little hole and do its damage in my kitchen and on me.  Lesson learned--for the second batch of soup pureeing, I put a washcloth over the opening before I turned the blender on.  Plus, I didn't fill it all the way to leave a little extra room.

I have yet to clean my cabinets thoroughly.  ;)

The lesson for today is--no tomato soup facials!  Seriously, just be careful when processing the soup; it's really, really hot.

The recipe.  My original recipe calls for chicken bouillon, and since I was leery about the chicken part with the water bath canning method, I simply used an equal amount of water and left out the bouillon paste (I use Better Than Bouillon).  When I reheat the soup, I'll add the bouillon at that point.

You may also use this recipe for dinner any time!  Just use chicken broth instead of water (or add bouillon to the water).  You can also use canned diced tomatoes from the store; it's very good that way, too.  Here's the recipe...

Home-Canned Tomato Soup

about 4 pints crushed/diced tomatoes (or, two pints home-grown and two store-bought cans)
1 cup water
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped/sliced
2-3 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use home-grown cayenne pepper flakes; can omit or reduce to taste)
pepper to taste (I use fresh--crank the pepper mill 3-4 times)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

For the canning process:
lemon juice -- measure out about 6-8 tablespoons into a pourable cup or a bowl


Start with your garden tomatoes, then you can adjust the recipe accordingly.  Core the tomatoes, then plunge then into boiling water for one minute.  Then, dump them into a bowl of ice water (or at least very cold).  Peel off the skins and put them in some sort of a measuring bowl or cup, squishing them as you do so (that fills up the space to help you measure the amount better).  I have an eight-quart pot with half-quart (and liter!) markings along the inside, so it's easy to tell how much I'm working with.  A Pampered Chef eight-cup measuring bowl works great, too.

Note:  For today's recipe, I used half garden tomatoes, and half organic store-bought diced tomatoes.  I think I did about 4 quarts garden, plus 6 cans diced.  This almost doubles the recipe (I should've used 8 cans diced), so I adjusted all the other ingredients in the recipe accordingly.

Adjust all remaining ingredients for the amount of tomatoes you have, or simply process tomatoes until you get to the four-pint mark (that's eight cups), then continue with the recipe amounts as written above.  Put all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then simmer 20-30 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

Let cool slightly and process in batches in your blender to your desired consistency.  Careful because it is hot!!  Return all the pureed soup back into the pot, and return to boil then simmer (don't forget to stir so it doesn't burn, and so it stays blended well (it will separate and be thicker at the bottom).  Meanwhile, prepare canning pot, jars, seals and lids.

When your canning water is boiling and you're ready to can:

To one pint jar, add one tablespoon of lemon juice.  Then fill jar with soup, leaving 1/2" headspace.  Wipe rim, center lid on jar, screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.

Place jars in canner; bring water to a boil again, replace canning pot lid, and time for 35 minutes.  Check every now and again to ensure jars are always covered with water (if the water level is too low, add boiling water to cover).

At end of processing time, turn off burner, remove lid, and wait five minutes.  Remove jars to a cooling rack; let cool 24 hours.  Check seals to make sure they're sealed; gently clean off jars (I remove the rings), label them, and store them in a cool, dry place.

When preparing the canned soup, simply reheat one pint in a small saucepan.

Add a teaspoon of chicken bouillon for flavoring.

Another note, since you can see it in the image below:  Separation is natural!  You can see the watery part separating from the thicker tomato-ey part, and that's completely natural, since I don't have the chemicals to keep it emulsified.  Just go to the store, pick up a can of Campbell's and read the ingredients.  You'll love your homemade and you'll never go back.

Back to life,
Christine

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Family Size Tortellini and Spinach Soup

Remember, the recipe is at the end.  :)

This soup was inspired by Pinterest, and developed in my kitchen using real ingredients.  Except for the tortellini.  I didn't want to spend an entire day making them just to dump them in soup (even though this soup is particularly awesome).  I bought the healthiest tortellini I could and didn't worry about it.

Assemble and set out all your ingredients.

Garlic from my freezer with my Pampered Chef garlic press.

The original recipe (found on Pinterest) called for the soup to be made in the slow cooker, but it also called for a package of white sauce mix--something I've never bought and figured I wouldn't buy now just for this.  It's pretty easy to make a white sauce (a roux) from scratch (butter + flour + salt + milk), so that's what I did and this became a stovetop recipe.  It takes me about 30-40 minutes from start to finish--not bad for a from-scratch recipe!

I use water and this instead of chicken broth (unless I have some homemade).

Don't be alarmed by the amount of butter (one stick total).  This is family size.  My family consists of hubby and me, and four big strapping young men.  If you won't eat this much, halve the recipe!  Because of the roux, it won't freeze well; however, the leftovers are simply divine.  Yes, even our family has leftovers (well, it was one nice big bowl, anyway).

Simmering the tortellini.

The spinach gets to wilt in the hot soup.

As I experimented, I wrote everything down in notes all over the typed-out recipe, with lines, boxes, circles, and arrows, then finally put it all together in readable format.   Now you get the benefit of my scribbles!

These pictures feature dried tortellini; the fresh refrigerated tortellini is even yummier!

Family Size Tortellini & Spinach Soup
Yield:  12 bowls of soup (about two large ladles' worth)

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms (can omit if you're not into 'shrooms)
6 cups water
4 cups chicken broth (I use water + chicken soup base)
1 teaspoon dried crushed basil (or the fresh equivalent--just plop some in!)
1 teaspoon dried crushed oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
16-oz. package dried or fresh cheese tortellini (main pic shows fresh, others show dried)
6 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
fresh Parmesan cheese

For the roux:
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups milk

In a six-quart saucepan, saute onion and garlic in the two tablespoons butter until soft.  Add mushrooms and saute a few minutes more.  Add the water, chicken broth, basil, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper.  Bring to a boil and add tortellini.  Simmer about 15 minutes or until tortellini is tender (our tortellini is done in under ten minutes--read the package to estimate the time).

Meanwhile, prepare the roux:  In a separate saucepan, melt the six tablespoons butter.  Add the flour and salt, stirring until bubbly.  Pour in the milk and stir frequently, cooking until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

When tortellini is fully cooked, add the roux to the soup, then stir in the spinach.  Let sit for 3-4 minutes until spinach is wilted and soft (doesn't need to be on the heat for this).  If desired, sprinkle individual servings with black pepper and Parmesan cheese.

Each bowl of soup is about 240 calories, fyi.  :)

Back to life,
Christine

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Sausage and White Bean Soup

Looks like winter is here to stay in Chicagoland!

 Looking out into my back yard.

Looking out my front living room windows.

Winter hit hard this January, and the day before today the high (as in the highest the temperature rose all day) was -18.  That's degrees Fahrenheit.  There's a "-" sign in front of that 18, too, in case you didn't notice at first.  With the wind chill factor, it felt more like -40 to -50 degrees.  There's a reason my pictures were taken from inside, folks!!

That's the road in front of my house--and hey, this is the suburbs!!!

Today would be a day for staying inside, keeping warm, and serving something hearty and filling for dinner.

It ended up being a day to drive over to my parents' for a visit, but I did manage to stay warm, mostly, and I did serve something hearty and filling for dinner.  Fortunately, I have a well-stocked pantry, and we had grocery-shopped for fresh produce and other items late last week.  We could have a blizzard and as long as the power didn't go out, we'd be set for a while.  So, with what I had on hand, it seemed like a good night for soup.

Enough of my story.  I know you really just want to see the recipe.  ;)

Oh, but some notes come first!  Soups aren't that finicky; you can fiddle with them if what's in your pantry doesn't jive with the ingredients below.  For the sausage, a friend had blessed us with Trader Joe's tomato-basil chicken sausage, which we had frozen.  It was amazing in this soup.  You can use a spicier version, or venison sausage, pre-cooked kinds like mine was tonight, or even breakfast sausage and it'll taste good.  Promise.

Change the veggies if you need to.  No spinach?  Use kale.  Or leave it out and serve a simple salad on the side.  No white beans?  Use black, or pinto, or turtle...  I hope you get the idea.  Here we go...

Sausage and White Bean Soup

• 1.5 pounds sausage
• about 2 cups chicken broth (or use hot water + chicken bouillon or soup base to make two cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (I used five!)
• 1 can chopped tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups chopped carrot (or slice them if you like)
• 1 chopped green pepper (I omitted this for tonight's meal)
• 2 cups (or more) water -- I actually added more chicken soup base to this for taste
• 2 cups prepared white beans (I used great northern, prepared from dry--you could use two cans drained)
• 8 ounces fresh spinach, chopped (or 2 boxes frozen, or whatever!)

If the sausage is not pre-cooked, cut it up and brown it in a large pot (I used a six-quart, and what's a Dutch oven, anyway??).   Cook it in a little oil, or use some of your water or broth if you don't want to use oil (keep adding a little water as it dries out; it works just fine!).

Once the meat is pretty browned (or if it's pre-cooked, then...) add everything else but the beans and spinach to the pot.  Bring to a boil then simmer a while until the carrots and onion are tender.  Then add the beans and spinach and cook a few minutes more until spinach is tender.  Adjust seasonings for taste--add either salt, pepper, more bouillon, or whatever you need.  I added a little salt and pepper.

If there doesn't seem to be a lot of liquid, add some more--either water with bouillon, or some more broth.  I ended up adding a little extra, maybe a cup or two, with some bouillon, and I ended up with about four quarts of soup, at least.  There was plenty to serve my five guys--though they also love making PB&J's on the side on soup nights (long family tradition, no matter the soup, seriously!).

Want a one-pot meal?  Add some cooked pasta, any shape.  Or rice--white or brown, or even wild.  Or some barley.  Or quinoa.  Whatever you've got.  Get those creative soup juices flowing!

Soup hits the spot on cold winter evenings!

Back to life,
Christine

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Way Beyond Grilled Cheese

Pinterest is a dangerous place.  Once you go there, you get sucked in.  It's so easy to spend hours scrolling through everyone's pins, drooling over yummy-looking food photos or daydreaming about home decor ideas posted by all your friends or...  Back to reality, lady!  (I was talking to myself there, sorry!)

A photo of a really interesting sandwich came across my Pinterest homepage (visit my Pinterest boards if you like!), and I thought I'd try my own version.  Since grilled cheese goes well with tomato soup, I thought I'd make some of that, too.  I'll have to post that recipe later.  For now, let's focus on this awesomely amazing grilled cheese sandwich.  First a photo.  Then the how-to.

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Y'know, I realized just now that you probably already know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich.  So I won't bore you with the details of an actual recipe.  Besides, I don't have a recipe.  So I'll just tell you what I did.

First, I made some guacamole.  Then I fried up some bacon--yummy uncured bacon straight from Nature's Choice Farm.  Next, I sliced a bunch of cheddar cheese and buttered some slices of bread.

Once my griddle was heated, I placed a slice of bread on the griddle (buttered side out), slathered it with guacamole, laid two strips of bacon on the guac, then topped it all with a few thick slices of cheese.  I set the top slice of bread on top and carefully pressed down.  You know the rest--brown on one side, flip, brown on the other, and remove to a plate.  Et voilá!  An awesome sandwich with a side of homemade tomato soup and tortilla chips.

We don't eat sandwiches like this very often.  But, oh my--they're amazing!

Simple dinner for two in the dining room!

Back to life,
Christine

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Potatoes and Leeks

I have taken a ton of food photos lately, so little by little, they'll be appearing on my blog in the form of recipe posts.  Won't that be fun?

I don't know where I got this recipe, but it's a good one and it's easy.  If you have potatoes and purchase some leeks, you don't need much else--just staple goods you should find in your kitchen.  Also keep in mind when looking at my photos that my quantities may seem different--I have been known to 1.5x, double, or even triple a recipe to feed all my men.  :)


Potato Leek Soup

3 leeks
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped shallots (I use regular onion)
2 tablespoons butter
1 quart chicken stock (or water with bouillon to taste)
4 potatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup light cream (I used half 'n half)
2 tablespoons butter

Prepare the leeks by slicing the root end off just a little above the roots.  Thoroughly rinse with cold water and shake out as much water as you can.  Place them on a cutting board and thinly slice the leeks, removing a layer or two as you slice into the tougher, darker green area.

Sauté the leeks with the celery and shallots in the two tablespoons of butter about 5-7 minutes.  While they're cooking, peel and quarter the potatoes.

Once the leeks are soft, add the broth/water+bouillon, and the salt, and simmer 20-25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are tender, remove them to a bowl.  It's okay if you get leeks in with the potatoes, and it's okay if you leave some leeks in the broth.  Then, mash the potatoes with a potato masher, and return them to the broth and stir until incorporated.

Then, stir in the milk, cream, and remaining butter, reheating if needed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Garnish with some parsley or croutons.  We like putting cheddar cheese on top of our individual bowls of soup.  This soup has a nice, potato-y flavor, and the onion taste is super mild.  If you (your kids) can't stand even the sight of an onion in any shape, take an immersion blender and blend everything together once you've completed the recipe directions.  (They'll never know.)

We tried making pumpernickel croutons (click here for recipe!), which turned out yummy.  They complemented the soup well.


Back to life,
Christine

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A Hearty Soup for Autumn

"There is rhythm to being a farmgirl.

It is the rhythm of working hard when there is work to be done.

It is the rhythm of finding joy in the "doing" of the work.

It is also the rhythm of slowing down to enjoy each moment."

Rene Groom

I'm linking up with Lori's Friday Farm Girls @ Heart today.

I thought I would post a recipe today.  I'm feeling cold, and rightfully so--the thermometer has been in the 40s and 50s whenever I've checked!  Still, there has been no hard frost yet, which is good because I still have a few herbs in the garden to process!

With the cold days, and especially with the wind that has recently been howling, it's a great time to break out the soup recipes as I plan our family's weekly dinners.  This particular soup is one of our favorites, and just by looking at the title, you'll be able to tell why my guys love it so much.  It's also very easy to make.

This soup can also be healthy with just a bit more planning.  Dry beans are cheaper and healthier than canned, so plan this soup a day in advance so you can soak the beans overnight.  When I soak and prepare my beans, I double the amount I need, because you can freeze cooked beans!  Then the next time I need beans, or make this soup, I can simply pull the beans out of the freezer to defrost.  Healthy, and easy!  We've put up lots of tomato products for the winter, so it's easy to pull out those jars for the spaghetti sauce.

No matter how you make it, it really is a quick recipe.  My boys make this on their own, which frees me for other things instead of meal preparation.  Like blogging.  :)


Easy Taco Soup

1 pound hamburger, cooked and drained
2 cups water
3 cups spaghetti sauce (about the size of a typical store-bought jar)
3/4 cup dry beans (soak overnight, change water, simmer until soft; substitute 1 can beans, drained)
1 packet taco seasoning mix (we use 3 T of our homemade taco seasoning)
1 T chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all together and simmer for 15 minutes.  Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and other taco toppings if desired.  Also may serve with tortilla or corn chips.

She rises also while it is still night

And gives food to her household

And portions to her maidens.

Proverbs 31:15 NASB

Back to life,
Christine

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Soup's On!

Chicken soup with pasta.

During the fall and winter months, it's so nice to have soup for dinner.  In past years, we designated Tuesday night as soup night.  I haven't gotten into the Tuesday groove yet, but we've had soup several times now.  Homemade chicken soup is the best, and the easiest to make!

At our farmers market, Fernando and I visit Eric and Samantha from Nature's Choice Farm.  They raise 100% grass-fed cattle, plus free-range chickens and pigs.  We buy their farm-fresh eggs and whatever meat we can afford  Their prices are high, but as I've heard, good food isn't cheap, and cheap food isn't good.  This time, I asked Eric for the biggest chicken he had.  Well, they raise 'em big on their farm--it was nine pounds!

On Sunday evening, I put it in a large pot, covered it with filtered water, and simmered it all night.

Chicken simmering on the stove.

About lunchtime, I removed the chicken and bones from the stock, and let everything cool down a bit.  I strained the stock, return in to the pot, and de-boned and chunked up all the chicken.  I froze three portions of cooked chicken for future meals, and saved a portion for my soup.

Late afternoon Monday, I got the stock boiling again, with a little salt and organic chicken soup base added.  Once it was boiling, I added carrots chopped by Joe!  He was so sweet to help me pull out the rest of our garden carrots and wash them, too.

I kept this soup simple, but I love to add chopped onion, celery, and any other vegetables that I have on hand.  The stock simmered for several minutes until the carrots were tender, then I added cooked whole-wheat egg noodles (I like to cook my pasta separately, then add it to the stock).

Since you can't have chicken soup without herbs, I picked some fresh garden parsley.

Thomas, my official kitchen helper for the year, added the parsley.  Not only is he my kitchen helper (it's home-ec class!), he has become my photography assistant, since I can't add parsley and take a picture at the same time.  :)

When we have soup for supper, we always have a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.  This tradition was established growing up in my family, and it is now cemented in our own family--no matter the soup!

More recently -- chicken soup with orzo!

Truly yummy -- leftovers all week long!!

Back to life,
Christine

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