Soup Season, anyone got any upcoming soup plans?

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that sounds really tasty Aunt Bea - and super easy!

Larry - you're a pro! How did you bring the bread back to life from the freezer?
 
Larry - you're a pro! How did you bring the bread back to life from the freezer?
Honestly, I had poor expectations . I bought it at a bakery over the summer. I ate one slice cause I was curious to see what it tasted like. Because I need to reduce my carb intake, I tossed it in the freezer ( in the same bag I bought it in, which was a plastic bag closed with a twist tie). I allow myself 1 ( or 2) cheat meals a week where Ill have pasta, bread, rice .... Having made soup, and knowing it would go great with bread, the light bulb went off that I still had that bread in the freezer. My thoughts were it would not defrost well, so Id have to toast slices in the oven. I took it out of the freezer, left it in the bag, and put it outside for the sun to defrost it for a few hours. When I went to slice it up with intentions of toasting it, I took a bite of the first slice and it was surprisingly fresh. Both the taste and consistency were right on. I didn't need to do anything other than defrost and eat. Not even freezer burnt.

Many times with frozen bread I'll wrap it up in foil, and put it in the oven at a low temperature which usually works well.
 
Im surprised it worked the first time lol. I left enough time to toast it tup when I started preparing for dinner. When I finally got to the bread, it was ready to go, so we ate 15 - 20 minutes earlier than expected. One thing I failed to mention. When I put it outside to defrost, I did put it on top of one of our heat mats for the outdoor cats. Maybe that was the trick.
 
Bread freezes fairly well, as long as there is fat added to it - the same thing that helps bread keep well for a few days. I usually add about 1/4 mc oil to recipes with 6-7 c of flour, or 1½-2 tb per loaf. Breads like French breads and ciabattas, made with no added oils, dry out quickly, and will freeze temporarily, but not for long. A good way to freeze those is wrapped in foil, then heat it in the foil, if using it as a dinner bread again. I just freeze all those loaf breads I make extras of in the plastic bags I put them in - years ago, I bought a box of 1,000 bags for large loaves (or 2 small loaves), for less than $10, at a restaurant supply store! I'll probably never run out, though I've used them for a few other things, too.

BTW, I took out that second sourdough rye loaf to thaw this morning! I finished that first one already, with the help of a friend last night.
 
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Just finished making potato soup tonight...I love it when spiced with caraway and lots of bacon. I usually top it with cheddar.

Then I had some home made Sourdough bread.

This past weekend I went the Appalachian Mountains for some apple orchards...and baked up some Topaz apples instead of granny Smith or Rome....much better flavor and texture.

I feel like I'm guilty of avarice....it all was just awesome.
 
I made Italian bean soup last Sunday. I call it Italian because my mother made it. I was not big on any soup back then. But today I take it to a new level and it is better than great.
The addition of the ham hocks and vegetables really takes it over the top. I must say its one of our favorite soups.
I freeze bread all the time. I have bread in the freezer right now. If put away right after purchase and wrapped well (I use the bag it came in and put that into a freezer bag). Once hard its very easy to squeeze out out any remaining air.
It is always just as good as the first day. I'm a believer.
 
I made Italian bean soup last Sunday. I call it Italian because my mother made it. I was not big on any soup back then. But today I take it to a new level and it is better than great.
The addition of the ham hocks and vegetables really takes it over the top. I must say its one of our favorite soups.
I freeze bread all the time. I have bread in the freezer right now. If put away right after purchase and wrapped well (I use the bag it came in and put that into a freezer bag). Once hard its very easy to squeeze out out any remaining air.
It is always just as good as the first day. I'm a believer.
I feel every bit of what you are saying. Once I started my professional training as a very young man I learned about all that I was missing out on with soups and stews with seasonings, flavor and etc.
My son? No such thing...he got in a eating contest with his step-great grandfather over a pot of potato soup...each one trying to out eat the other one. 7 bowls each....nuts stuff eh?

But the bread?
I just scored a 50# (22.6 kg) bag of 14%protein high gluten bread flour from a local restaurant supply house for under $30 us. It's been running around a $1/lb....and my sourdough starter is raring to go. I make a 9 lb batch of dough at a time....bake and proof it in two batches. (Good sourdough takes 8 hours to proof)
Then freeze it and slice it up one loaf at a time. Of course I don't stick to just one pound loaves....I usually do 20oz or better.
Still fairly awesome when thawed...nothing beats oven hot...but hey...I gotta live outside the kitchen too.
 
There is a large pot of chili on the stove now. Going against Texas "law" I add red beans to our chili. We have had chili at cookoffs that would burn your palate, others with large chewy chunks of meat, and some that I took a look at and said "No, thank you."
Some of the best chili I've ever had was turkey and black bean chili. The lady who made it was run out of the state (just kidding!).
 
There is a large pot of chili on the stove now. Going against Texas "law" I add red beans to our chili. We have had chili at cookoffs that would burn your palate, others with large chewy chunks of meat, and some that I took a look at and said "No, thank you."
Some of the best chili I've ever had was turkey and black bean chili. The lady who made it was run out of the state (just kidding!).
Ha...made me laugh.
But I've been known to make a venison and black bean chili that seems to bring people out of the woodwork with a bowl in hand wanting a little.

Trouble is affording the venison ($16+/lb) if you purchase it farm raised...it's much easier to afford if you know some hunters.
 
My last chili I made was with venison. I know a father and son team that offer me a lot of venison every season! I use more venison than beef these days - with those prices, I can't remember the last time I bought beef.
 
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Lunch today, I made a batch of Split Pea with Ham Hocks a few days ago (soups/stews taste better once the sit for a coupla days, right?). It tasted so much better having used Ham Hock broth! All cooked in the Instant Pot®
I even liked that the Carrots were quite tender, normally I don't like soft Carrots.
Even DH liked it and here I thought it would be "too creamy" for him ... we each had a sandwich on the side, Ham & Swiss for DH and Turkey breast for moi :yum:
edit - how stinkin' good does that look?
 
I made a pot of split pea and froze it in quarts for future dinners . I love split pea. My wife mom used to dice up pieces of Jarlsberg cheese and toss it in as it was served so they softened but didn melt. Its one of those things you think wouldn't work, but it did. I often toss in some precooked barley and fried up onions into my bowl, then label the soup in. My grandmother would put matzoh balls in it (which also, surprisingly worked too )
 
I went to this funky restaurant yesterday and was served a delicious tomato bisque. I'm on a mission to make one soon.
 
- Potato soup : This is a recipe I kinda adapted from Ratners Restaurant in NYC back in the day. They also used to sell their soups in the frozen section too. My wife being vegan, I have to eliminate the cream (which makes a huge difference), but the soup still comes out pretty good. Adding fresh dill at the gives it a nice fresh touch.
My wife been asking me to make potato soup for a while. Can you share your version, please
 
Made a mushroom barley soup using my dried mushrooms. Have no idea how I calculated the quantities of dried for fresh.... took 1 hour to figure it out so think I got it right but have no idea how I got there.
Also spent 2.5 hours looking for the elusive little leftover package of barley. count running up and down the stairs looking for my stuff when I couldn't find DIL's stuff... a soup that should have taken 15 min. to prep and maybe 1 hour or more to simmer... so far it has been 4 hours. Waiting for the barley to finish, maybe another 40 min or so.
 

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