It’s another night of the current Arctic blast, with temperatures setting a new low record for this part of the world at this time of year. I think we need something warm, thick and hearty (apart from me, that is) to get us through the evening. Hmmm . . . what leftovers do we have in the fridge and freezer, things that really need to get used up within the next day or two?
- Half a cabbage;
- 3 onions;
- A head of celery;
- Half a tub of 5-day-old leftover rice.
Add:
- Two cans of Great Northern beans;
- Two cans of diced tomatoes;
- A can of baby corn spears;
- A can of green beans;
- A sixteen-month-old tub of home-made duck stock from the freezer (about 3 cups);
- A pound of stir-fry vegetables, ditto;
- Garlic, onion, and vegetarian stock and seasonings, dissolved into 2 cups of hot water.
Combine the lot, and set to simmer. The smells are delicious, and the early, as-yet-unseasoned flavor isn’t bad at all, if I do say so myself. This should be a good antidote to the weather!
Peter
Sounds good. Where's the meat?
@Beans: No meat. This is a hearty vegetable soup. The duck stock gives it a mild undercurrent of meat flavor, but not much at all.
I went the other route. Pulled out two frozen pouches of bean soup (OK but thin). Blended one as a thickener. Addwd a pound of browned stew beef, two finelybdiced potatoes, and four seeded, veined, chopped cayennes (last picking). Simmered for eight hours in the crockpot and got a hot and mildly spicy stew, needed maybe a bit of salt. Made about 3 qts, so plenty for the cold snap.
Freezer diving can yield some great combinations, usually a good surprise.