A Cold Winter Night in Vermont

and a recipe for my Hamburger Soup

Dusk fell as snow lay thickly on the ground and a biting wind howled and hammered about knocking on the old windows in the manner of a cold and weary traveler seeking shelter from the storm. A faint scrapping sound could be heard through the wind and snow as Graham did his best to keep a path open to the barn and woodshed. The animals were snug and warm, their beds laid thickly with hay, their feeders full of grain and water. Inside the inn, the tree still remained, graceful and beautiful as ever, though Christmas had passed. The window candles were lit, and a great fire burned in the fireplace. Two old and comfortable rocking chairs, draped with woolen blankets, were tucked close to the fire. A basket of wool and a stack of books and a pipe nearby. The kitchen cook stove, fed heavily with wood, glowed red and filled the room with the comforting scent of simmering soup and warm yeast rolls. When Graham returned, he and Sarah would enjoy their dinner by the fire. Later, as the cold winter night passed and the snow piled high, they would spend the evening in comfortable companionship. Sarah knitting or perhaps stitching, and Graham reading, pipe tucked into the corner of his mouth. The joys of home ~ even on a cold Winter night.

~Hamburger Soup~

Ingredients

2/3 TBL Olive Oil

2 TBL Butter

1 yellow onion finely diced

3 carrots peeled and sliced thinly

2 ribs celery sliced thinly

2 lbs. ground beef

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

3 TBL. Worchester Sauce

3 TBL. Tomato paste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Kosher Salt

2 tsp minced garlic

6 cups chicken stock (or broth), warmed through

1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes

Small piece of Parmesan rind (optional but wonderful)

1 cup Orecchiette Pasta

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Heat a large enamel coated Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add Olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts, turn the heat up slightly and add the ground beef in small chunks. I do this by taking a small bit of meat, a tsp or so, and slightly squeezing the mixture together between my clean fingers, and then add it to the hot pan. **Adding it into the pan all at once, does not work here… as I have found that the leaner ground beef does not hold together. Large-ish, bite sized pieces, deep brown and crispy on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside is what you are going for here. Remove the meat to a plate, drizzle with the Worchester sauce, cover with a bit of foil and set aside in a warm place.

Turn the heat down to medium, remove all but 3 TBL of the oil/butter/fat mixture, and add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 2-3 minutes. If the vegetables look too dry, drizzle in more Olive oil, then cover the mixture and “sweat” the vegetable for 7 minutes. Remove the cover and stir the mixture. Make a well in the center of the pan, using a wooden spoon, then add the tomato paste to this well. Heat the paste, pressing with the wooden spoon as it heats, letting the oils warm and the sugars begin to caramelize (do not skip this step as it makes a world of difference in the richness of the soup). After a minute or two, stir the tomato paste and vegetables together and sauté for another minute or two. Add the herbs, garlic, cooked burger, parmesan rind and diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Slowly add the warmed chicken broth, season with a little more salt and pepper (if you think it needs it, I always find it does) and simmer on low for one hour (or longer if you like). When you are almost ready to eat, bring the soup to a boil, add the pasta and cook for two minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the pasta is aldente’. Ladle into big bowl alongside a warm yeast roll, or crusty bread and enjoy. Recipe and story by me…Doreen Frost

Goode morning friends. We wake to pink skies and winter storm watches here in Vermont this morning with possibly 6-10” of snow on the way…YAY! The birds are extra busy visiting the feeders and the woodstove is keeping me busy, as it likes to throw fits when a big front moves in. It has been puffing smoke all morning which lets me know something is definitely coming our way. I have a pot of water boiling on top, drops escape and hit the hot stove, creating dancing water and all manner of sizzling and hissing. The water adds moisture to the air and helps the stove control itself…oh the craziness of heating with wood. It is wonderful but it does have its quirks :).

I have orders to get out the door (my planned vacation has now disappeared ..as it usually does) and then I am off to pick up my little man from Kindergarten. :)

WHAT DOES YOUR WEEKEND HOLD? What is everyone working on creatively???

Enjoy the day my friends. Doreen