Almost a free soup

After a three-year hiatus from our way-too-abundant crop, we are allowing zucchini to re-enter our kitchen again. Two big specimens of the summer squash that everyone seems to love to hate were gifted to us last Saturday near the end of the farmers market. Each one was approximately a foot long, and probably four or five inches in diameter. I resolved to turn them into a summer soup.

I found an easy recipe on the Internet and set to work. Because I had two jars of reserved soaking liquid from rehydrating dried mushrooms in the refrigerator, I decided to use a vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. I added a cup or two of water to the mushroom broth, and tossed in a diced potato, a couple of carrots, some garlic, and a handful of herbs. I was thrilled to note that making this broth cost me no money whatsoever because everything I used came from either stockpiles in the refrigerator, our storage bins of last year's crops in the garage, or fresh from the garden. The broth was a great way especially to make use of the carrots and potatoes which are nearing the end of their storage life after feeding us for nearly a year because the slow one-hour simmer of vegetables in water has a way of bringing out the delicate flavors of even the driest of vegetables and blending them quite tastefully into an integrated whole. I made the broth yesterday, and let it sit overnight. After straining the vegetable remains from the liquid, the soup was virtually ready to go.

The recipe called for about one and a half pounds of chopped zucchini. I didn't measure how much zucchini I put in; I simply cut my squashes into eight strips and then chopped the strips into bite-sized pieces. The recipe also called for fresh tarragon. Although I have tarragon growing in my garden, I decided to use a different mixture instead. This mixture consisted of cilantro, arugula, sage, thyme and oregano and was a result of a rapid-fire "haircut" that I gave to these herbs the day before to prevent them from going to seed. The snipped up leaves blended together emitted pleasant savory fragrance that I thought would complement the bland zucchini, as well.

This particular recipe was ridiculously easy: Combine the broth, zucchini and herbs in a pot; bring to a boil and simmer for seven to ten minutes. Afterwards, you're supposed to puree the mixture in a blender or food processor and then while re-heating it stir in grated sharp cheddar cheese. I simmered the mixture, and turned off the heat. On a whim, I spooned out a bit of the unpureed soup into the bowl, and realize that even without the additional steps, it tasted quite good. So good that I even added a small spoonful of the broth to a couple teaspoons of miso paste for a dressing to toss on the greens we were having as a side dish.

Because we already had dinner going strong for tonight -- a steak, potatoes, beets, peas, garlic, and greens all from the garden -- I let the soup cool on the stove before pureeing it. It turned out to be a lovely crisp green shade. I put it in the refrigerator, and will reheat it tomorrow with the requisite cheese. After, of course, sampling it clean.

I decided to write about this soup because my husband Jim and I have embarked on a project to encourage more people who live on very very tight budgets and/or receive food aid in some form or fashion to consider adding fresh, local produce available at farmers markets to their grocery lists. One of our goals behind this project is about combating the perception that farmers markets are upscale, boutique-like venues that sell exotic and different produce that's too expensive and too intimidating for the general consumer. In other words, you cannot shop at farmers markets unless you are rich. Jim and I know quite well that what is true is virtually the opposite. While people of all income levels shop at farmers markets, such markets can be a source of much abundance for those on penny pinching budgets. We learned this ourselves about seven years ago when we were receiving food aid for a brief period of time. The local office of the state's Department of Social and Health Services along with some friends encouraged us to try co-ops and farmers markets because EBT cards were accepted and encouraged at both locales. We discovered during those few months of hardship a range of shopping and eating tactics that stay with us today.

In writing about Zucchini Soup, I am reminded of the ways in which vegetables that overrun gardens like zucchini often can go to waste if one does not know what to do with them. I thought that the ease of this particular soup would create a meal that was virtually free.

As it turns out, I am both right and wrong. I spent perhaps $1 to prepare this soup, including the cost of sharp cheddar cheese, which I buy about once every two weeks in a two-pound block for about $10.50. But the reason I could prepare such a soup so frugally also had to do with the fact that most of the ingredients exist in my backyard farm/garden. To have bought everything that the soup (as I made it) entailed probably would have pushed the price of the dish up to about $7 or $8. That's still a pretty good deal, but it is not free. That creates an interesting dilemma in our food supply systems that I will try and work through in future posts.