Eat Close To Home

I started with a whole, local, free-range chicken from Ernst Farms.

To make stock:

• I had roasted the chicken earlier in the week, then, after we’d eaten all the easily-accessible bits…
• Throw chicken carcass in crock pot. Cover with water and simmer on “low” overnight. (If you don’t have a crock pot, simmer on the stove for 2-3 hors on low.)
• Strain the broth into a large pot. Pick over the bones and put the chicken back in the pot.
• Add salt – about 1/2 tsp. per quart of stock.
• This stock was so rich, I also added a little more plain water to make it a more normal broth strength. Still, it was richer in flavor and less salty than anything store-bought.

To make the soup, add:

• One large potato, diced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tomato, diced
• 2-3 c chopped kale

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are done, about 15 minutes. Just before serving, add:

• 3 Tbl minced fresh cilantro
• 1-2 c. frozen corn kernels
• a squeeze of lime juice (not local, but a nice touch)
• ground red pepper to taste

The frozen corn will bring the temp of the soup down from scalding to merely “hot,” and that’s all the cooking it needs.