That looks so gross. But it's *my* gross. Thyme and parsley from my little pots that sit on the kitchen floor. The rest of it is fixings for chicken stock, which will become chicken soup tonight.
Last night, I finally got the chicken (his name was Gary, by the way) in the slow cooker with onion, carrots and celery. The recipe called for a parsnip and another vegetable I can't remember. Didn't have them, so I ignored that part. I feel really ridiculous for needing a recipe to make chicken stock in the first place. I mean, really. It's hot chicken water. How do you screw that up?
The recipe also called for a bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Alright, I thought. I have a package of bay leaves that have been in the back of the fridge for almost a year. It's dry in there, and they still look great, so I used a couple. You can sub extra bay leaves for a parsnip and that other mystery vegetable, right? Totally.
It was exciting though, to find that the parsley that hadn't been growing so great outside has really done better since I moved the pots inside about two weeks ago. So that's in there, kinda hugging the right side of the slow cooker insert.
The thyme, well, it hasn't done so hot since the move. It was in a pot with some insane, ravenous chocolate mint, and I think the mint might have screwed things up for the whole pot. Roots running around the perimeter of the pot are a bad thing, right? At any rate, the mint seems to have burned itself out, and there were still teeny sprigs of green thyme. They're in the mix too, right on top. Poor baby thyme. You get your own pot next time.
So it's all sitting and stewing as I type. Hopefully the joint's not burned down when I finally get home tonight, and making soup is easy. At least I don't need a recipe for that.
1 - lack of parsnips does not equate to more bay leaves. lack of parsnips can equate potato, rutebega, or another root, but not a leaf.
ReplyDelete2 - seriously, recipes for even something as seemingly simple as stock are necessary the first time. otherwise it will take you longer to learn.
3 - seriously, try some kholrabi in it next time. best. ever.
germans are smart and sell a pack for making stock - it has carrot, leek, parsley, kholrabi, and celery... leftovers? uglies? yeah. sometimes they have other stuff like parsnip and something unidentifiable by me.
Oooohhhh, Jenessa. I harbor no illusions that "no parsnip" = "more bay leaves." It's sort of my thing, if you hadn't noticed, to make it up as I go along. :) Come on, you've known me forever; you know this.
ReplyDeletehey - you know, sometimes i wonder
ReplyDelete*laughing* I laughed aloud at your hot chicken water comment - that is exactly what my partner calls it. I always add about a tablespoon of butter and some dill. Go figure. xo
ReplyDeleteMy mom (who has the greenest thumb ever) once told me that mint plants are invasive and somewhat parasitic. They spread quickly and take over other plants. Maybe the mint should have a pot by itself? I've been wanting to start an indoor herb garden, too.
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