To break up the winter doldrums, today I'm going to try a periodic piece about how I think 'grandma' would have found/fixed/made a solution to a basic need during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Today's problem .. oldest son is sick with a sore throat AND an empty pantry. Calling me .. he asked if I had anything to eat that would not hurt his throat when swallowing. He is used to buying canned soups .. which I don't buy. Not having a tremendous amount of time I threw together something nutritious and comforting that my grandma would have made.
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| Gr-gr-grandma Minnie |
1 quart turkey stock (I keep homemade on hand in the refrigerator and freezer .. grandma would have canned it for shelf storage)
1/4 cup each chopped - onion, carrot, celery
salt & pepper to taste
dumpling dough as follows -
one egg, 1/4 cup water, 3/4 cup cake flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp double acting baking powder (organic),
a small pinch of nutmeg, 1/4 tsp dried parsley
To make soup base:
Heat the broth and veggies, salt and pepper to a low simmer.
To make spatzen:
Beat egg in a small mixing bowl with a fork; stir in the water. In a medium size bowl, add the dry ingredients .. then blend with the liquid. Mix well with fork. Dough will be more like a thick batter.
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| spatzen dough |
With stock simmering on low, drop 1/2 teaspoon size amounts of dough a few at a time. They will sink .. then start to float. Keep adding a few more small spoons of the batter .. not so much as to cool the soup .. it needs to be at a constant simmer.
Makes about 2-4 servings
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| turkey with spatzen soup |
This soup took less than twenty minutes .. start to finish and can be easily doubled.
Our great grandparents made most of their meals from scratch. Simple wholesome ingredients were used .. because that's all they had ... hum .. just imagine only having basic whole foods to choose from .. what a concept .. how far we've strayed away from that idea. Let's get back to basics for the sake of our family's health!
Brief History of Home Canning
Health Benefits of Homemade Broth (turkey, chicken, beef, etc.)
If you are interested in starting a 'Grandma's Remedy' page each week and want to link up, leave a comment.
