Between fully stocked grocery stores and the availability of delivery and drive-up services, it has never been easier to access ingredients, from the basic to the most esoteric.
Yet on a recent Tuesday, I found myself in a bind. I had to come up with all the ingredients for a dinner that night shopping only at the farmers market (which was where I was working for the afternoon). There was zero time to stop at a store and no way for a large online retailer to ship me a box.
I had a beef farmer on one side and a vegetable farmer on the other. I had a streamlined pantry at home. With the weather growing consistently colder, I decided on an old-fashioned soup like the kind our grandparents would have made (with the addition of one ingredient I’m sure my grandma didn’t use: buckwheat groats).
First I chatted with Kevin Oppermann from Highland Spring Farm. We debated stew meat vs. an oxtail vs. a beef shank (also referred to as a soup bone). I chose the beef shank so I’d get both a flavorful broth and meat for the soup all at once.
This is a cross cut of a leg of beef, so there’s a nice bone that yields collagen, flavor and marrow and also a good amount of shredded beef for the soup.
I then scoped out my vegetables and chose the classics: onion, carrots and potatoes. Scott Williams from Garden to Be gave me the fall farm veggie update: things are wet, wet, wet! He said that it’s been another difficult harvest year with too much rain and no opportunity for things to dry out.
This means that farmers are having a messy, challenging time in the fields. Yields of your favorite fall produce likely will be lower, and storage crops are not going to last as long. If you see your favorite sweet potatoes, winter squash, carrots and more, get them now.
If you typically stock up and store these root crops over winter, you may need to put in more effort. Instead of just storing them in your garage or basement, consider preserving them by roasting and freezing or making puree.
Making a hearty broth by simmering a beef shank for hours yields a flavorful soup that tastes a lot like what your grandparents probably served — none of this clear, extra-salty beef water from a can.
While I used buckwheat groats to make my soup extra filling (and because I had a bag on hand) you could skip the addition altogether or use an alternative like barley or rice.
This wasn’t the fast meal I was looking for, but it was simple and cozy, just what you need on a chilly October night.
Anna Thomas Bates is a mother, writer and cheesemaker who lives in southern Wisconsin. Email her at tallgrasskitchen@gmail.com.
RECIPE
Old Fashioned Beef and Vegetable Soup
Recipe tested by Anna Thomas Bates
Makes 8 to 10 servings
2 tablespoons bacon fat (divided)
1 large beef shank (1 ½ to 2 pounds)
4 quarts water
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
Salt
1 large onion, diced
1 pound carrots, peeled and diced
1 pound red potatoes, peeled and diced
1 ½ cups buckwheat groats
Freshly ground pepper
Heat 1 tablespoon bacon fat in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown beef shank in skillet on both sides. Fill a large stockpot with water and add browned beef shank. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer 4 to 6 hours, until meat is completely tender (you can also do this in a slow cooker if you’d prefer not to watch the pot).
Remove shank from stock and take meat off the bone, shredding it. Sprinkle with a little salt and set aside until ready to make soup. Reserve stock.
In a large stockpot (you can put the stock in a different container and use the same one), heat remaining a tablespoon bacon fat over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add carrots and sauté a few more minutes with a little salt. Add stock to pot along with potatoes, reserved beef and the buckwheat groats. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until everything is soft. Add more salt and black pepper as needed.
"soup" - Google News
October 30, 2019 at 07:00PM
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Beef and harvest vegetables simmer into perfection in a homey, comforting soup - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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