Category: Uncategorized

Life Lessons Learned From My Son AKA Homemade Vegetable Broth

My son, Dennis is a great cook! We learn a lot from each other. He shamed me when he discovered that I was throwing away my vegetable peelings and scraps.

Homemade vegetable broth is SO SO much tastier than anything you can purchase. I feel that it has a more neutral flavor and thus doesn’t overpower and conflict with whatever your final  product is.

There’s no formal recipe but here’s the method:

Keep a freezer bag handy when cooking.

vegetables for broth

Add to it all your vegetable peelings, cut off ends of vegetables,mushroom stems, stems from herbs, wilted lettuces, the skin from an orange, a few peppercorns.

Keep the bag in the freezer and when full- voila! You have the base for a great broth.

Put the contents in a stockpot, add maybe an onion or carrot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Boil uncovered for about an hour.

Strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve and portion into containers. Cool thoroughly and freeze until ready to use.

vegetable broth

Gingerbread Scones

I know it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me- my “day job” has gotten a lot busier! But- I wanted to make sure to wish all of my readers a very happy and delicious holiday with a special recipe.

If you love gingerbread, then these scones are the perfect addition to your breakfast or brunch table.

In this recipe, I find that the most tender results come from mixing the dough with your hand. My most inspiring teacher was Master Pastry chef Albert Kumin. In our Breads and Doughs class, he held up his scrupulously clean hand with his fingers slightly curled and announced: “This is the best mixing tool that God has given you”.

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment

INGREDIENTS:

1  1/2 cups All Purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup sugar

1 TBS Baking Powder

½ tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/3 cup candied ginger

1 ¼ cup heavy cream

2 TBS molasses

1 TBS melted butter

1 TBS sugar for topping, preferably turbinado sugar

METHOD:

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder and salt and spices.

Stir in candied ginger.

Mix the cream with the molasses and slowly add to the flour mixture, mixing with your hand until the dough comes together and no dry particles remain. Stop adding cream as soon as the dough comes together. Depending on the weather this could take 1 cup of liquid  up to 1 ½ cups.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 4 or 5 times.

Roll or pat the dough into an 8” circle about ¾ inch thick.

Brush the dough with the melted butter and evenly sprinkle the sugar on top.

Cut the circle into 8 wedges.

Place evenly on the baking sheet

Bake 12-15 minutes until lightly browned and firm to the touch.

panned dough

gingerbread scone dough