Intentional Food

[Beorn]

This will be a blog about my efforts (and those of anyone who wants to join me!) to be more intentional about the food I eat and prepare. The focus will be on eating and preparing food that benefits not necessarily from a great deal of effort and expense but rather from forethought and time. So the focus will be on things like slow cooked meals, bread, fermented food, light gardening, food preservation etc.

I'm no expert on these things and will be learning as I go along and would appreciate any input from other members.

Hopefully I can take some time each week to further this project and make a post. It will be a fun adventure!

 

[Dopa]

Good luck!

I've been doing this somewhat myself. Just trying to get in the fruits and veggies is hard. Is this mainly for health, or for enjoyment?

 

[BadOctopus]

Cool! I look forward to stealing reading your recipes. Especially the slow-cooker ones. My crockpot is such a lifesaver.

 

[Beorn]

Thanks for the feedback it's very encouraging!

I have to prepare and freeze some split chicken breasts for chicken and dumplings next week. So I think I just might start with making a simple broth with what remains.

I usually buy chicken broth and haven't been terribly pleased the one or two times I've tried to make it in the past (I think it was just a bit too gelatinous for me especially since I'm used to store bought). I will be back to report how it went. Since I'm planning ahead to do the dumplings it makes sense to do it this way and then use the broth in the chicken n dumplings.

 

[Beorn]

So yesterday I roasted my split chicken breasts and then shredded them. I put the shredded meat in my freezer for later use and set aside the carcasses for my stock. I made the stock by starting with a fresh mirepoix (chopped celery, carrot, and onion) in olive oil until it all was just starting to brown. After that I threw in the roasted breast carcass with some roasted mirepoix and whatever other goodness was left from the roasting pan. I added a bay leaf and a few other spices and herbs and filled it to the top with water. It didn't take long to bring it to a simmer and to fill the house with some great smells.

The first recipe I looked at only said to simmer it for an hour, but after checking it it quickly became apparent it would need much longer. I ended up actually having to put it in the fridge for the night before I set it to simmer for 5-6 hours today.

In the end it still didn't quite have a nice depth of flavor or any gelatin whatsoever (as opposed to too much the last time). Clearly this is because of the part of the bird I was using so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Still a heck of a lot better than anything store bought. For dinner I wasn't terribly hungry or eager to make more work so I just made a gravy out of the stock I didn't put in the freezer and added some frozen peas. Very humble food, but along with some nice crusty bakery bread and butter I wouldn't feel ashamed offering it to the Queen of England.

On the whole I'd call it a success and look forward to saving up some whole carcasses to put my BIG stock pot to use.

 

[EJCC]

I like this idea, and this thread. Seems very meditative and lovely.

Subscribing and encouraging my forum twin [MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION] to check it out as well--

 

[ceecee]

So yesterday I roasted my split chicken breasts and then shredded them. I put the shredded meat in my freezer for later use and set aside the carcasses for my stock. I made the stock by starting with a fresh mirepoix (chopped celery, carrot, and onion) in olive oil until it all was just starting to brown. After that I threw in the roasted breast carcass with some roasted mirepoix and whatever other goodness was left from the roasting pan. I added a bay leaf and a few other spices and herbs and filled it to the top with water. It didn't take long to bring it to a simmer and to fill the house with some great smells.

The first recipe I looked at only said to simmer it for an hour, but after checking it it quickly became apparent it would need much longer. I ended up actually having to put it in the fridge for the night before I set it to simmer for 5-6 hours today.

In the end it still didn't quite have a nice depth of flavor or any gelatin whatsoever (as opposed to too much the last time). Clearly this is because of the part of the bird I was using so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Still a heck of a lot better than anything store bought. For dinner I wasn't terribly hungry or eager to make more work so I just made a gravy out of the stock I didn't put in the freezer and added some frozen peas. Very humble food, but along with some nice crusty bakery bread and butter I wouldn't feel ashamed offering it to the Queen of England.

On the whole I'd call it a success and look forward to saving up some whole carcasses to put my BIG stock pot to use.

One thing I have found is adding a bit of tomato paste. Do this near the end of the browning process. I usually roast a few wings along with the other chicken pieces, onion, celery and carrot. On the stove, I add a 1/2 cup of water and maybe a couple teaspoons of paste, brown, scraping up the bits on the bottom then add 12 cups of water. The tomato past adds a depth of flavor that seems to be missing otherwise. I buy the paste in tubes - it's much easier to simply use what you need and store in the fridge.

 

[Beorn]

Thanks!

I'll try this next time and report back.

 

[EJCC]

One thing I have found is adding a bit of tomato paste. Do this near the end of the browning process. I usually roast a few wings along with the other chicken pieces, onion, celery and carrot. On the stove, I add a 1/2 cup of water and maybe a couple teaspoons of paste, brown, scraping up the bits on the bottom then add 12 cups of water. The tomato past adds a depth of flavor that seems to be missing otherwise. I buy the paste in tubes - it's much easier to simply use what you need and store in the fridge.

Where do you go about buying tomato paste in a tube? That would solve my issue with tomato paste (i.e. the issues with storing very small amounts of canned food).

 

[Beorn]

I might try this next weekend. I have several bags of unused tomatoes from last summer in my freezer. Quality won't be the best but I won't be getting that quantity of tomatoes again for many months.

How To Make Tomato Paste — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn | The Kitchn

 

[ceecee]

Where do you go about buying tomato paste in a tube? That would solve my issue with tomato paste (i.e. the issues with storing very small amounts of canned food).

I get it at my regular large grocery but it's not with the other tomato products, it's with the Italian foods. You can also buy it on Amazon and probably other online grocers. So much better than cans.

 

[Showbread]

I like this idea, and this thread. Seems very meditative and lovely.

Subscribing and encouraging my forum twin [MENTION=19948]Showbread[/MENTION] to check it out as well--

Hooray for forum twins!

This is definitely something I've been working. I've been really trying to be more intentional about purchasing meat. The way livestock and poultry are raised in America does not sit right with me. As soon as I started buy my own eggs I committed to cage-free only, free range if available. I'm currently trying to transition to natural/organic meats. But it's really pricey. I've been buying my chicken breasts at Costco, but I'm sure they are conventionally raised. I've switched over to hormone/antibiotic free ground turkey, it's only $3.99 a pound at Trader Joe's. I also have some organic, grass-fed ground beef in my freezer from the last time it was on sale. I've also just been trying to eat lower on the food chain in general, primarily more veggies.