Hearty Egg Drop Soup

I've been stocking up on eggs lately.  In my area, upstate NY, eggs at Aldi grocery store have been running at $0.79.  I was trying to think of different things to do with eggs for dinner, I think my husband is getting sick of quiche.  Then my grandfather popped into my head.  He loved soup.  After my grandmother passed and he was diagnosed with lung cancer, it was about all he ate.  He spent the summer with us the year before he died and taught me how to make egg drop soup.  Egg drop soup, although super delicious, is not a meal in and of itself.  Time to use my CSA to make a nice hearty egg drop soup.  This recipe is super quick and easy.  Start to finish it only takes about 20 minutes.

Hearty Egg Drop Soup

32oz stock, chicken or vegetable 

32oz water (I refill the stock container with water)

4 leaves Napa cabbage, chopped, about 2 cups

3 spring onions, chopped, about 1/2 cup

3 garlic scapes, chopped, about 1/2 cup

     *minced garlic can be subbed

1/4 soy sauce (I use Kikkomen gluten free)

salt and pepper to taste

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

 2 chicken sausages **optional

 In large pot bring to boil all ingredients except eggs.  Reduce to simmer and simmer about 5 minutes.

 Lightly beat 3 eggs

Slowly pour eggs into pot.

Simmer another 5 minutes.

Eat and enjoy!

This served my husband and I but could probably easily feed 4 people.  

Beets 2 ways: Raw beet salad and Pickle beets

There were crime against vegetables in my home as a kid.  I dont blame my mom, she cooked things the way her mom did.  But canned beet boiled to death?!  No wonder I thought I hated beets.  I have now learned differently.  Beets are wonderful... and fun to play CSI: Kitchen.  This week in my CSA share I received 4 large beautiful beets, garlic and another purple onion (yes!  I know they are really called red onions but they are really purple).  I decided I wanted to try something other then my usual, cook with butter and cinnamon.  I came up with a tangy raw beet salad and a single batch sweet & sour pickled beet.  They were super easy to do at the same time.

I had to take a picture to show perspective of how large these cloves of garlic are.  That is a quarter!

Amounts shown in recipes are for "normal" sized cloves, not these monstrosities.

Tangy Raw Beet Salad
2 md beets, peeled and julienne
1/2 md red/purple onion, cut as desired (Im not a huge onion fan so I diced mine)
4 cloves garlic, minced
Dressing
1 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs vinegar
2 tsp horseradish mustard (if your market doesnt carry this wonderful treat, just use Dijon)
1 Tbs lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

• In a bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients and refrigerate
• Mix together prepared beets, onion and garlic
• Toss with dressing.
• Let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour before serving to let flavors intensify

Sweet and Sour Pickled Beets

2 md beets, peeled and sliced

1/2 md red/purple onion, sliced

2 clove garlic, sliced

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

pickling brine:

1c vinegar

1c water

1/8c salt

1/8c sugar 

• In small pot bring to boil, vinegar, water, salt and sugar.
• Boil until salt and sugar are dissolved. 
• In a quart jar or medium size tupperware container, place beets, onions, garlic, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Pour in enough brine to cover.  Put lid on tightly and shake to mix up.  

*This is for a single batch in the refrigerator.  Let sit 3 or 4 days before eating.

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