Chicken Soup Au Pistou
by fig + fauna farm on 02/29/12
Our Chicken Soup is a meal in the making for days. It begins with a vibrant herb and wine roasted chicken. We devour the dark meat as soon as it debuts from the oven. If I can keep from comsuming it all, I store the white meat to be continued on the following evening.
Early the next day, the frame of the chicken becomes the start of a bone broth, by submerging it into simmering water for several hours - until the bones are soft and free of minerals. Straining the broth provides a nurturing golden liquid that finds company in many of our meals, but soup is one where it truely shines.
The soup is then ready to be made. In a large pot, I pour the fresh broth, onions, carrots, white chicken meat and anything else complimentary to the flavor. The smell is comforting in every sense of the word. I can't help but to bring the outside in - so I gather a handful of spicy Arugula and blend it into a paste, smoothing it with extra virgin olive oil. A spoonful of pistou can accompany any pasta or sandwich, but tonight it has a home twirling in the broth of Chicken Soup.
Pistou/ a cold sauce made from cloves of garlic fresh basil/herbs, and olive oil. Some more modern versions of the recipe include grated parmasan, pecorino or similar hard cheeses.
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
For more details on how to make a perfect Bone Broth as well as the oustanding health benefits, check out my favorite resource - Nourished Kitchen.
CHICKEN SOUP AU PISTOU
Serves Two
You will need:
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2 cups Bone Broth or quality broth
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4 Carrots, sliced
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1 Onion or Shallot, chopped
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2 cups Cannelini beans, cooked and drained
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White Chicken meat, optional
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a few sprigs of Thyme
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1 Bay Leaf
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Pistou, to taste
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Salt/Pepper
In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients except Pistou and simmer until carrots are tender. Remove the Thyme and Bay leaf before serving.
For the Pistou -
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1 handful of Arugula
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1 clove Garlic
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1/2 cup Walnuts
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Parmasano Reggiano, to taste
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil, until smooth
The Value of Time
by fig + fauna farm on 02/24/12
As a child, I recall looking at the details in our hand carved pieces of furniture. I pondered the process, the years of learned skills and time involved in making something so intricate. These days, I look for similar pieces for our home that are crafted without machines and schematics - which offer me a moment in time with the creator. I dream of an artist with a common scenerio: perhaps an entire month of struggle to carve one very small scroll. The artist awakens in the night, to discover a new technique that would make the scroll just perfect. I know, it's all so romantic to believe in the art of another, but when it really comes down to it, I value time.
Our life on the farm is full from top to bottom with activities that require patience and time. Partially it's the anticipation that drives us, but also the appreciation in having to learn, wait and then harvest. Our meals take time to grow. Time that is well spent - caring deeply for animals which nurture our souls. Raising animals is a craft that wakes us in the night too. It's an obsession to keep them safe, happy and humanely harvested. Time gives us a chance to know what we are consuming and to taste the memories of our life together. Time is on our side.
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
Afternoon Delight
by fig + fauna farm on 02/17/12
At 4:30 pm, these are forces of nature that lure me outside. Hunger, curiosity and excitement are alive in each of the animals during the moments before I feed them. The anticipation fills me from head to toe, while they eagerly wait for their provisions. Molasses, oats and hay are on the menu. The sound of grains being scooped from the barrel, sends them over the top and they lean their bodies in for a smell. Watching them vigorously eat is an equivalent to seeing a child at a carnival - overloaded with pleasure senses. While they are immersed in eating, I finally have the chance to satisfy my fingertips by the touch of their wild hair.
/// PHOTOS BY ROSE E MARTIN
