SAVOUR THE FLAVOUR

I was listening tonight to the news and a side story was how much waste there was after the holidays especially with food.  I probably am one of those people who let the food sit too long in the fridge after a big dinner or a party and end up chucking it into the garbage.  So I did a little research and this is what I found that I am going to use myself: 

First I am going to buy a couple of 50 cent ice cube trays.  I learnt that this humble little kitchen item could save time and money and we could save the flavour for other things.  We can save pesto whether it is bought or homemade or tomato sauces, chicken broth and even fresh herbs if we chop them and add a tiny bit of water.  When they are frozen, we can transfer them to freezer bags for other uses like to put in soups or stews or other recipes or even make baby food if you have a baby.  It is also a good way for portion control.  Once we can establish whether the ice cube tray hold 2 or 3 tablespoons we can transfer the cubes to our recipes.  For example, if we needed a half cup of chicken soup for a recipe we could see if we needed 3 or 4 ice cubes.

So that was my first look into not wasting food.  Next I always wondered how to make Turkey Soup.  It didn't really appeal to me but I went online and sourced several recipes.  My favourite is Emeril Lagasse's recipe from the year 2,000 called "Turkey and Vegetable Soup".  It looks pretty easy and I am going to try it tomorrow morning. I just happen to have all the fixins so to speak.  I always seem to have more than enough onions, carrots, potatoes and leftover parsley because it always comes in a big bunch.

So here it is
TURKEY AND VEGETABLE SOUP
Ingredients
1 leftover whole roasted turkey carcass
2 medium onions, cored, peeled and chopped (I would probably leave them whole)
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (I would probably peel but not chop these)
2 bay leaves
salt
Freshly ground pepper
Water, to cover
Any leftover turkey meat, diced

all the cooked stuff below not in italics, I would add after the stock is finished.
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2 cups cooked diced potatoes, rice or pasta
2 cups cooked sweet peas
2 cups cooked carrots, diced
2 cups of another other cooked vegetables
2 cloves garlic, chopped  ... I would add whole ones to the stock above
1 cup cooked macaroni
1 cup chopped green onions, green part only
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil 
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves...  I would add the whole bunch to the initial stock
Loaf of crusty bread 

Okay so I like the ingredients but the methods are too labour intensive. I like Ina Garten's idea of throwing it all in the pot.  It works.  I have done it before with chicken soup.

Gina's Directions
Place the turkey carcass in a large stockpot.  Add the onions, carrots and celery. Add bay leaves, salt and pepper, garlic cloves and a bunch of parsley and  cover the turkey with 3 quarts of water.  Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Don't forget to skim the foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for a couple of hours.
Remove stock from heat save the turkey meat and carrots and discard carcass and the rest of the vegetables.  If you want you can add new carrots and celery after as well as the pasta, rice or potatoes at the end.  The key is the stock.  Once that tastes good you can freeze it or serve it adding whatever you want.

Ladle the soup into each serving bowl and serve with the crusty bread or whatever floats your boat.