November 14, 2013

Not-Pumpkin Soup(s)

Remember this photo from my "Not Pumpkins" post?

    These are actually mature Tatume summer squash rather than pumpkins.

Once I figured out they were Tatume summer squash that I'd accidently let mature, I didn't know what to do with them (besides regret that I hadn't picked and eaten them earlier). But because they looked like pumpkins, it occurred to me to try them in a "pumpkin" pie.

That pie was only so-so, not a repeatable experiment. What I did learn, is that even mature, the squash remained mild-flavored, even sweet. Still very edible. Being summer squash, however, they were not keeping well. So I spent a good part of last week de-seeding, steaming, scooping, and making soup. The squash mashes very well and makes the soup thicker and heartier. That's how we like it.

Scooping out the steamed squashes

The rinds were very tough, I had to saw through them! The seeds were scooped out first and fed to the goats and chickens, The halves were steamed until the flesh was tender.

Since I was making soup to can, I figured it was a good time to clear the freezer of all the bones I'd been saving to make bone stock. That became the liquid base for those soups. The rest of it was just a matter of adding whatever I could find, Scrap Soup in a jar!

Squash and kale soup based on a recipe from Farmer John's Cookbook.
 I added sausage for my meat loving husband. I was a little heavy handed
on the garlic (good harvest this year), so I named it "Tatume Garlic Soup"

I had cooked a chevon shoulder roast in a quart of my home canned tomato
juice. This became the base for the next soup. I added more garlic (but less),
the last of the roast, more canned tomatoes, and the squash ,of course.

Tatume chicken soup. I had the remains of 3 chicken carcasses in the freezer
which became the stock for this soup. Besides adding mashed squash, I added
more chicken, dehydrated onions, and chopped carrots for a little color. 

Barbecued Chevon Soup. Awhile back we had BBQ chevon ribs and I put
all the leftovers in the freezer. For the acid to make the stock, I used sweet
wine pickled beet brine.  I also added recently harvested sweet potatoes.

Besides the soups I also froze half a dozen or so quarts of mashed squash. It's a real treat with butter, salt, and pepper.

Parting shot.

Katy begged and begged for some squash while I was scooping it out.
She was less than impressed, however, when she actually got some.

It's so nice to have all these convenient homegrown soups on my pantry shelves. I won't have to worry about what to have for lunch for a long time.

Not-Pumpkin Soup(s) © November 2013 

17 comments:

Farmer Barb said...

You have the best pantry ever!

DebbieB said...

I love soup so much! I made a potato soup yesterday that we loved, and I have leftovers for lunches for the next few days. You have such a great variety there!

I save my bones in the freezer now because of your posts about bone broth, and make my own. I don't can, but I do have canning jars, so I freeze my broth. So much better than storebought stock, and so much healthier.

Quinn said...

Every evening when it gets cold(er), I think it's time to start making soup. But every morning, when I come in from chores and the house feels warm (because it is 20F outside and 55F indoors), I decide to bake something instead. Maybe it's time to up my game and do both? You have a very impressive pantry there!

Woolly Bits said...

haha, what a disappointment for Katy - her suspicious face looks so funny:) it's like our dog, when we eat fruit!
unfortunately soup isn't something I'd do for storage - because DS isn't keen on it. I might get away with one or two recipes, but canning doesn't make all that much sense, when you have to buy in most of the ingredients anyway. we'll see if that changes, when the "brat" has his own nest:)
enjoy your pantry contents!
Bettina

Cat Eye Cottage said...

Nice! Way to use your scraps!

The Squirrel Family said...

What a wonderful variety, I must dig the canner out and see if it compatible with my new range

Sandy Livesay said...

Leigh,

Now those are some really interesting soups you've made. I haven't heard of Barbequed Chevon Soup before.

I have stored bones in the freezer to make more beef broth to can. I need to get that done before Thanksgiving, where they'll be bird carcass for turkey broth.

Isn't it wonderful to have canned soup put away for the upcoming year?

Nina said...

Poor Katy. I have an old cat who loves to come up to our plates at lunch and dinner and just sniff the food. I like the idea of canned soups for quick, simple meals. I guess though I'm going to have to find a pressure canner to make that work.

DFW said...

I just love thrown together soups. However, when I make one that I really really like, I can't seem to replicate it, oh well.

Mama Pea said...

Leigh, you are the kind of cook I aspire to be. Give the woman some over-ripe produce from the garden and she lines her pantry shelves with gourmet meals to feed an army!

You go, girl!

P.S. If I ever get run over by a loaded beer truck (one of my father's favorite expressions), I'm leaving my soup-loving husband your address. He would think he'd entered heaven to see your array of soups in your pantry.

Leigh said...

Barb, in the soup department at least. :) I still lament my poor tomato season and no pizza sauce!!!

Debbie, I love potato soup. If I ever get an overabundant potato harvest, I'm gonna make lots of that!

Quinn, I probably wouldn't have done it if it hadn't been for all that squash! Actually, hot soup and fresh baked bread, Yum!

Bettina, funny, but Dan didn't care for soup as a kid either. Of course, I usually only fix it for lunch. He likes something more "solid" for dinner. :)

Candace, and it's fun too!

Squirrel Family, I hope it is! I love having home canned goodness at my finger tips. :)

Sandy, all thanks to surplus garden harvest and cleaning out the fridge. I confess I'm looking forward to turkey soup too!

Nina, how funny about your cat. We used to have one that would beg for everything. My daughter started letting him sniff the salad fixings, telling him "vegetables." One day he was asking to see what I had and I told him "vegetables." By the time I'd grabbed a scrap of onion for him to sniff, he'd already walked away! From then on we just had to tell him "vegetables" and he'd leave without further comment.

Do get a pressure canner! They're expensive, but worth it in the long run.

DFW, yes, that's the down side!

Mama Pea, please do watch out for runaway beer trucks! ;)

Renee Nefe said...

A pantry full of soup! YUM! I want to go to Leigh's house this winter. :D

I need to clear out my freezer of soup & stock savings to make room for all the large meat I need to stock up on.

I tried my canned tomatoes and other than being very sweet (I didn't put any salt in them) the sauce was good and made good chili.

Bill said...

I've never heard of Tatume summer squash. Looks interesting. Any idea how it tastes fresh? Would you recommend growing it?

Jocelyn said...

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the squash tastes in soup. I hope it's good.

I love to keep broth in the pantry, made out of our meat birds. It's a great go to for a "soup night"!

Frank and Fern said...

This is a very interesting idea. I haven't been brave enough to can up an soups yet.

Fern

Leigh said...

Renee, this is the first year I've had so much and I'm really pleased. I do still have quite a bit of stock for out if the fridge soups too. Your chili sounds good!

Bill, it was a new variety for me this year. I got the seed from Baker Creek. They are excellent when picked small and tender. They saute up beautifully. I would definitely recommend them because they seem to be tasty at all stages.

Jocelyn, I save all the bones from our homegrown chickens and goats too! The squash in soup actually tastes really good. The other thing I've done has been to grate fresh summer squash and freeze to add to soup later.

Fern, it is wonderful to have homegrown convenience foods like soup. Plus, they are perfect for small bits of whatever the garden has to offer!

Michelle said...

I'm so impressed; all I've ever canned is condensed tomato soup!