WHOLLY ROOTED
  • Blog
    • Latest Blog Posts
  • Who We Are
    • About Wholly Rooted Farm >
      • WR Environmental Commitment
      • Wholly Rooted 2023 Plans
      • Wholly Rooted Farm Photos
    • About Our Family
    • About Denise Cusack
    • Where We Are Located
    • Our Values
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Permaculture
    • Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
    • Plant Conservation/Botanical Sanctuary
    • Health Justice + Restorative Relationships + Mutual Aid >
      • Grow a Row for HWB
  • Work With Denise
    • Permaculture Design >
      • Foodscaping
    • Have Denise Speak at Your Event/School >
      • Upcoming Presentations
      • Past Webinars, Podcasts & Classes
    • Media
    • Denise Writing >
      • Writing @Medium
    • Denise Art + Design >
      • Artwork
      • Photography
      • Denise Cusack Design
    • Herbal & Aromatherapy Consultations
  • Courses
    • Upcoming Courses
    • What is Sustainable, Regenerative, Permaculture?
  • Resources
    • Free Downloads
    • What I'm Reading
    • Unschooling
  • Contact+

Kitchen: DIY

11/3/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
I'm excited to announce that our first book is live!

After Tend Magazine folded, I realized that I had a large treasure trove of recipes, articles, and photos that I wanted to do something with. I had articles which had not been published (written for future issues). I had articles which had been on the Tend blog and were now gone. And articles which had been published just once over the years, only in Tend. I have been wanting to start publishing on iBooks and other online vendors so I thought all of these articles and recipes would be great to use as a motivating force to learn a new application and design for iBooks. And of course a great way to learn about all of the processes to publish and launch books! I have been working on iBooks Author for months now, tweaking and working and changing and getting familiar with it all. I broke all of these recipes and articles into 3 books, and I will be publishing one at a time over the next few weeks, with a full length (all new) book coming out after the first of the year! Excitement! 
So ---- today is the day for our launch of Kitchen: DIY! This is a FREE 30-page book with some of our favorite kitchen DIY projects. Brice (my husband) and I have written many articles on home projects and this is a compilation of some of our favorites we wrote together. We are always asked about our hydroponics system and we go through how to choose and setup a system that is right for you. Another favorite is how to roast your own coffee - in a roaster or even on your grill or over a campfire (plus...recipes). How to sprout and which seeds are the best to start with. How to get started growing mushrooms - what are the different types of starter setups from tabletop to logs - and what types of mushrooms can you grow (plus...recipes). Brice also has a great article about grilling with hardwood charcoal and not the little chemical bomb briquettes. Of course this is filled with photos and recipes and detailed information with resources! Happy DIY'ing.
Picture


​Kitchen: DIY
 is now available (FREE!) on iBooks on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Mac. If you like Kitchen: DIY, please leave a review and some stars on the iBooks store! :) ​
Picture


>>If you are on a non-Apple device, you can download a PDF version here!
​

Picture
​



Be sure to keep an eye out here - I will be launching another ebook The Gluten and Dairy Free Pantry: Recipes and Fresh Ideas for Your Whole Foods Kitchen in the next few weeks!

2 Comments

Fresh Strawberry Sorbet.

6/30/2016

0 Comments

 
Strawberry Sorbet @ WhollyRooted.com
 I love strawberry season. It lasts only a few short weeks, but it sure is good while it lasts. We are not growing strawberries this year  - well, we are, but they are not big enough to fruit this year - but they can be found all around here. Strawberries are at local farmer's markets, roadside stands, u-picks, and in CSA's. We have picked up strawberries every time we see them, knowing that in a week or two they will be gone. I love making some jam and drying some for granola, but really, sorbet is a must. It is the perfect thing on a hot day.

Making an unheated dairy-free sorbet is really the best way to get the full amazing strawberry flavor. I know many recipes call for syrups with water, but really, who wants watered down strawberries. I want it to taste like an explosion of strawberries in my mouth. I don't like using white sugar and my body doesn't like me using white sugar, so I have experimented to get a scoopable sorbet using a natural sugar. This recipe uses raw honey and a wee bit of limoncello to keep it from freezing too solid (I love our homemade limoncello!!!!). This remains scoopable and a vivid red with the full pow of fresh strawberries. This *only* uses 3 Tbsp of limoncello per full quart of sorbet, but if you wish to have no liqueur in this, you can use 2 tsp of vanilla instead of one (vanilla extract also uses alcohol, which is what helps keep the sorbet from freezing into solid ice chunks) - but it WILL still be hard to scoop since you won't have the same recipe ratio and nobody wants several tablespoons of vanilla extract in their sorbet to compensate. Don't add *extra* limoncello though, as too much alcohol will make it more of a slushie. This recipe really is a great balance of flavor and freeze consistency and sweetness.
Strawberry Sorbet @ WhollyRooted.com
Strawberry Sorbet @ WhollyRooted.com

Strawberry Sorbet

Print |

{wholly rooted}

This is an unheated strawberry sorbet that packs so much intense strawberry flavor you will want more!

{ingredients}

  • 1qt fresh strawberries, tops trimmed

  • Juice of 1 lime

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • 3 Tbsp limoncello (or other fruit liqueur)

  • pinch sea salt

Blend the strawberries & lime juice on high in a blender until smooth.

Run through a fine mesh strainer to remove all strawberry seeds.

Put the strained liquid back into the blender and add the limoncello, vanilla, and pinch of sea salt and blend on low.

Drizzle the 1/2 cup of honey through the top hole of the blender while it is running, to thoroughly blend in the honey.

Once all ingredients are in the blender, return to medium and let blend another 10-15 seconds.

Taste the mix, and add additional honey if needed. Most ripe strawberries are pretty sweet, but if yours are not quite at peak ripeness you may want to add a little bit more honey to taste.

If your lime/strawberries/limoncello have all come from the refrigerator, this will be chilled enough to pour directly into an ice cream maker. If not, chill the liquid in the fridge for an hour or so, and whisk well before pouring into an ice cream maker.

Let this run through the cycle per the directions for your ice cream maker.

Spoon into a freezer safe container, and let freeze for an hour or so before serving.

Published June 27, 2016
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Strawberry Sorbet @ WhollyRooted.com

​Strawberry season doesn't last very long, and while we *could* buy strawberries from the grocery store all year 'round, we all know nothing tastes as good as locally grown strawberries in season. This recipe really takes advantage of the natural sweetness and amazing flavor or summertime fruit. I think I have a sorbet recipe for just about every single berry all summer long, but strawberries are the first berries after a long winter and spring, and the taste is just...summer. I sometimes try to tuck a quart of it down at the bottom of the chest freezer so we can find in the fall and get all excited that we still have strawberry sorbet in October - but it never lasts that long. That is partly because I just have horrible secret agent stealth skills, and partly because it is so good and who wants to save some for later when you can have it now, when it is hothothot outside. We had strawberries in our CSA yesterday, and picked up a few extra quarts, so I am going to go make some more sorbet!

0 Comments

Preserve: Fresh & Frozen Herb Paste

6/28/2016

2 Comments

 
Fresh Herb Paste @ WhollyRooted.com
Once the gardens start producing, it can be a challenge to keep up. My dehydrator is going pretty much full-time, drying herbs, flowers, and veggies for use all winter long. Some herbs, such as basil, don't dry very well, so I make plenty of pesto to freeze. While I love pesto, I don't want my basil options to be so fixed all winter, so freezing more simple combinations means that I not only have plenty of pesto, but also have plenty of options for soup, stew, stir fry, rice and more, all fall/winter/spring. Freezing basil to preserve for winter is easy. I like to make herb pastes, which keep their fresh vibrant flavors and aromas and are super quick and easy to prepare. My husband thinks I missed an opportunity to name this recipe "Frozen Basil Bunnies" - but it isn't just basil that this works for, it is great for any fresh herbs. Although I agree that Fresh Herb Paste isn't *quite* as memorable as Frozen Basil Bunnies. Say that fast 10 times. 
Fresh Herb Paste @ WhollyRooted.com
Basil is my first frozen paste because it is the herb that needs freezing the most, and I grow a LOT of it. It is so simple. Take 4 cups of freshly picked, packed basil leaves. Put them in the food processor with about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and about 1/2 tsp of fresh sea salt. I don't want to add too much salt so I have room for seasoning in recipes, but a little helps keep the vivid color and flavor. Whiz the basil/olive oil/salt in the food processor until fully blended. You may need to scrape the bowl down with a spatula in the middle of it to get all of the leaves. Depending on your type of basil and how packed it is when measuring, it will need as little as 1/4 cup of olive oil. The measurement is flexible just like the recipe. Add just enough oil to get it to fully whiz in the food processor! If you want fresh paste, voila, you are done. Put it into a canning jar in your fridge and use over the next week or so. You can also freeze it for longer storage.  The recipe is per 4 cups of herbs because that fits into a food processor, but it whizzes down into a smaller amount, so you can keep going in batches to make as much as you like. I did 5 batches of basil paste and still have more left. Lots. O. Basil. 
Fresh Herb Paste @ WhollyRooted.com
To freeze, take your paste and spoon it into ice cube trays or silicon molds and put into the freezer until frozen solid, and then pop the cubes into a freezer baggie until you need them. I like freezing in about 1/4 cup quantities as that makes it easier to only defrost what you need, rather than thawing out an entire jar. I like silicon molds because I can do bigger than an ice cube amounts. Mine are all in bunny shapes because while I have personally selected all of my herbs-only molds for my lotion bars and body bars, all of our food use silicon molds have been selected by my 11 year old, who only buys cute animal shapes. ;) So we have a whole bunch of basil bunnies in the freezer. 
Picture
For silicon molds, just spoon the herb paste into your molds and smooth flat. I place a layer of plastic wrap over it until frozen just to keep my freezer clean. The silicon mold is flexible, so I take the filled molds and set it on a cutting board or tray and put the whole tray into my chest freezer until frozen and then pop them out and store in a freezer bag. This is super quick & easy to make, and a great way to quickly reduce any surge in herbs. Herbs not only make everything taste fantastic, but they also retain their nutritional value when frozen, so you can enjoy all of their benefits well into winter!

Fresh Herb Paste

Print |

{wholly rooted}

Freezing is a quick and easy way to preserve herbs for winter!

{ingredients}

  • 4 cups packed herbs

  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Measure 4 cups of packed fresh herbs (remove stems).

Place your herbs into a food processor.

Add 1/2 tsp. of salt.

Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the top.

Pulse the food processor until herbs are finely minced, adding a little more olive oil if needed. You may need to scrape down the food processor to get all leaves fully incorporated.

Fresh Paste: Spoon the mix from the food processor into a clean jar and store in the fridge. Use in dressing, over veggies, or in soup/stew/stir fry.

Preserve: Spoon the mix into ice cube trays or silicon molds. Place in the freezer until solid, and then pop out of the molds and store in a freezer bag. Use as needed.

Basil is a great herb to freeze as it does not dry well, but you can also make your own herb combinations! Try other herbs such as thyme, rosemary, sage, or parsley.

Published June 27, 2016
Fresh Herb Paste @ WhollyRooted.com
You can do this with mixed herbs as well, of course. I made several batches that included parsley, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, and cilantro. It is the same recipe, just vary your herbs based on your supply! Try different combos - just be sure to label! 

I love growing a lot of herbs, and I love preserving them too. Since our growing season in Wisconsin is fairly short, finding many different ways to preserve things so we feel like we have a wonderful variety the rest of the year is key. 

Looking for other ways to preserve your herbs? Try my veggie bouillon recipe - I love making a lot of this in the summer to use all winter long. SUCH an amazing flavor!
Picture
2 Comments

Basil-Lime Pesto (DF)

6/15/2016

0 Comments

 
Vegan Basil-Lime Pesto @ WhollyRooted.com

I love the beginning of CSA season. Spring arrives late in Wisconsin and it takes until June for the vegetables to really start rolling in, and it coincides with my burst of rapidly growing herbs which I planted a few weeks ago. Pesto is a favorite way to combine different flavors and use the herbs in abundance with all of the fresh vegetables. The key for me of course is the combining of different flavors. I like pesto, but we have a dairy allergy in the house AND I don't like drowning myself in mono-flavors. I love making different types of pesto so that there is fantastic variety not only for immediate consumption, but also enough to freeze/preserve for winter. This pesto is a favorite. I grow many types of basil, and no matter what type I have on hand, it works.

This recipe is dairy free and combines fresh zesty flavors such as lime, ginger and garlic. I am also using cashews instead of pine nuts. Not only are they easier to find, but they are nutritious and I always have some on hand (I'm addicted to date/cashew truffles and cashew cream). You will be amazed at the flavor and want to make extra to freeze for winter!
Vegan Basil-Lime Pesto @ WhollyRooted.com
Vegan Basil-Lime Pesto @ WhollyRooted.com

Basil-Lime Pesto

Print |

{wholly rooted}

There is nothing better than the taste of freshly homemade pesto with crudités, on grilled veggies, or over pasta. This version is vegan, and combines the amazing flavors of basil, lime, garlic, and ginger. The ground flax and hemp seeds make a great texture subsitute for the cheese -it is so good! GF/DF

{ingredients}

  • 4 cups slightly packed basil leaves

  • 1 cup raw cashews

  • 1 Tbsp grated garlic

  • 1 Tbsp grated ginger

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 3 Tbsp ground flaxmeal

  • 1 Tbsp hemp seeds

  • Juice of 1 small/medium lime (use only 1/2 lime if your lime is huge)

  • 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil

First, using a food processor, pulse your raw cashews with the flax meal and hemp seeds until finely ground.

Take the ground mixture out of the food processor and put it in a bowl for now.

Next, pulse the basil, salt, garlic, and ginger until finely chopped. You may need to scrape down the sides with a spatula once to be sure you get it all.

Add back the ground nut/flax/hemp mixture and pulse while adding the freshly squeezed lime juice.

Finally, turn the food processor on and slowly drizzle the olive oil in the top, until you reach a creamy spoonable pesto consistency.

Pulse in some freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be sure to use an airtight container and put a layer of olive oil or plastic wrap on the surface to keep the basil from darkening if you are storing it in the fridge for later.

You can also freeze this in small freezer-safe containers or in cubes (freeze in ice cube trays and when frozen empty into freezer bags). Whenever you want some pesto simply pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw on your counter before using.

This is delicious as a dip for crutités, as a spread on a sandwich, tossed with freshly grilled veggies, spread over corn on the cob, or of course, over pasta (try it with rice noodles! yum!).

Published June 15, 2016
Vegan Basil-Lime Pesto @ WhollyRooted.com

I made a single batch of this today, which will likely only last me a few days. So I am sure I will make some more as my genovese, persian, blue spice, thai, lemon, lime, lettuce leaf, and emily basils grow, grow, grow!

​
bonus: This recipe is delicious and easy to prepare, but also packed full of good vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fiber, and protein. Yum+. 

Cashews
Garlic & Ginger
Basil
Lime


0 Comments

Spring Onion Quick Pickle.

3/30/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture

​I like quick pickles. I don't have a ton of time to make dozens of jars of the same thing endlessly, and quite honestly I get bored with flavors and really like mixing it up, using what is fresh on hand, and having small batches of a variety of quick pickles to liven up meals, crudités, salads, and of course for snacks. At any given moment year-round I have a few jars of something in my fridge. Right now I have pickled cucumbers and garlic in a slightly sweet brine, and pickled daikon which are amazingly peppery and crunchy. Spring onions are one of the first things in spring that we can find here in Wisconsin, and I like pickling them so that I can spread them out throughout the summer. I like the small green brilliance of their flavor in a pickle and they work on salads, burgers, or with a plate of hummus and tomatoes. 

Picture

Spring Onion Quick Pickle

Print |

{wholly rooted}

Quick pickles are a delicious way to use the bounty of the season to create a variety of flavours and textures. This recipe uses one of the gardens earliest arrivals – spring onions, or scallions.

{ingredients}

  • 1.5 cup mild pickling vinegar of choice (white, rice, or champagne vinegar all are fine)

  • 2.5 cups water

  • 1/3 cup cane or turbinado sugar

  • 1.5 Tbsp sea salt

  • 20-30 green spring onions, trimmed

  • 1/2 tsp peppercorn

  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

  • 1 tsp dill seeds

  • 1/2 tsp coriander

  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped

Heat water/vinegar/sugar/salt/garlic in a pot until dissolved. Let cool to room temp.

Be sure to peel any wilted outer bits off of your onions. You want nice firm, crunchy pieces.

Trim some of the green off of your spring onions to fit vertically into a 1 quart canning jar.

Using a clean/sterile quart jar;

-Add dry spices to the jar

-Add the trimmed onions vertically to the jar until packed tightly

-Pour cooled liquid over the top to cover

-Screw on vinegar safe lid (no metal!)

Let sit in fridge for 2-3 days before eating!

These onions become crisp and crunchy with a twangy pickle flavor. They are delicious in any slaw or salad, atop a burger, or just as a crisp snack.

Published March 29, 2016
Or try this: Add some additional zesty flavor by reducing the white vinegar in the recipe above to 1 cup and add 1/2 cup umeboshi plum vinegar. 

Picture
Another bonus of having a fresh pickling brine is when all of your salad greens start coming in full blast you not only have some pickled scallions to put on your salad, but you have a tasty brine to use for salad dressings. Simply mix a little pickle brine with extra virgin olive oil, s&p, and a tiny bit of grainy mustard. Stir and boom. Delicious dressing. 

I know most of us have the image of a farm woman in her hot kitchen with 422 pounds of one kind of cucumber frantically pickling and canning until 3AM. But these days we can get such a wide variety of seeds and can easily grow such a diversity of herbs, fruit, and vegetables, that we don't need to mono-pickle. Small batch pickling is a quick, easy, and delicious way to preserve the extras, the favorites, and the flavors of the season!

Spring comes so slowly after a long winter, but jumping back into the garden and kitchen to start preserving again feels good. After a long winter it feels pretty much like a big TA-DAAAAA! 

2 Comments

Poached Mandarins

12/10/2015

0 Comments

 
poached mandarins whollyrooted.com

Most of us are not lucky enough to live where citrus grows locally.  And while eating close to the source is ideal, in this day and age not everything we consume will be from the corner farm.  Salt, pepper, olive oil, coffee, tea…we can make conscious decisions to support fair trade and organic for as much as we can, while still working towards finding local for those things which are available. So for me, citrus is a part of our winter and holiday experience, no matter our climate. I love that sharp blast of citrus as my fingers break the peel on these dark, gloomy days of winter. 

​Citrus in winter is like the sun - fleeting, delicious, and memorable. One way to balance our distance with citrus is to use everything. Waste nothing. When we find it in season in the winter, use it all, enjoy it all. We use the peels and candy them, make garland, and dry for tea blends. 

This recipe is simple to make, but quite a show stopper dessert. It is made in a spiced, fragrant syrup, but it isn't overly sweet. It is nice because it can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a day or so before serving, so it is perfect for the holiday table. 
poached mandarins whollyrooted.com

Poached Mandarins

Print |

{wholly rooted}

Poached mandarins have a delicate flavour and add a great flair to the end of a holiday meal. This is simple to make, and tastes great. And don't forget to save the rind to make candied or dried citrus peel.

{ingredients}

  • 4 mandarins, cuties, or tangelos

  • 1 1/4 cups water

  • 3/4 cup turbinado sugar or honey

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 10 whole cloves

  • 6 green cardamom pods

  • 1 star anise

  • 1 tsp rose or orange blossom water

  • 1 tsp vanilla

  • 2-3 slices of fresh ginger

First prep your citrus; gently cut off the ends, peel the citrus whole, and remove any extra pith.

Put your syrup ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Place your peeled whole tangelos/mandarins in the syrup and let simmer 5 more minutes. If they are not submerged because of the pot size, just turn fruit over frequently during the 5 minute simmer.

Take pot off heat and let cool, turning your fruit in the syrup as needed while it cools.

You can gently spoon your fruit into a large canning jar and pour all of the syrup and spices right over the top and store in your refrigerator until use. Or, you can serve immediately when still warm.

Eat the citrus in a dessert cup with some of the strained syrup drizzled over the top and a dollop of whipped cream or with some vanilla ice cream.

It is easy to keep this dairy-free by using coconut milk whipped cream/ice cream.

If you have extra syrup left use it drizzled over pound cake, on pancakes, or over any dessert.

Published December 7, 2015

​ Citrus is a winter treat, to be enjoyed on these dark winter days.  We boost our mood as well as our vitamins (A, B-6, C, folate), fiber, and minerals (potassium, calcium, iron).  By using the whole fruit, we don’t waste a thing, and get the most from these sunny, fragrant orbs. Yum.
0 Comments

make your own veggie stock from kitchen scraps.

7/28/2015

0 Comments

 
Make Veggie Stock From Kitchen Scraps. whollyrooted.com

This is the time of year when we all have a lot of veggie scraps. Peels, ends, stems, and stalks. Before you compost those perfectly fresh scraps, think about making fresh veggie stock. It is a great way to use all of the healthy fresh ends and peels and pieces. The stock can then be used for making everything from soups and stews to casseroles or even used as the pasta/rice/grains water. By using scaps, you are saving a lot of usable food from the garbage bin or compost pile and turning it into liquid nutrients for the whole family.

The easiest way to make fresh vegetable stock is to save all of your kitchen scraps as you meal prep throughout the week and store them in a jar or bag in the fridge until you are ready to use (or the freezer if not using within a few days). I tend to prep all of our CSA box on Wednesdays along with community garden picks from Tuesday, so that everything is ready to use for the rest of the week.  I can easily fill a whole pot with stems, peels, and ends every Wednesday from June to November. 

Veggies that are good for stock making include onion ends, scallion bits, carrot skins and tops, celery bottoms, beet greens, pea pods, swiss chard stalks, green bean tips, zucchini peels and ends, and all stems from herbs like parsley, thyme, sage, savory, rosemary, or basil. Skip the stronger cruciferous veggies, as they can add an unpleasant aroma to stock (cabbage,  broccoli, cauliflower,  brussel sprouts). I use kale stems just fine though. The key is to use fresh scraps - nothing bad or moldy - your stock will taste like what you put in it. 

Make Veggie Stock From Kitchen Scraps. whollyrooted.com

So fill a 3-4 quart stockpot with your leftover veggies and herbs. Add a bay leaf or two, a few peppercorns, a teaspoon or so of pickling spices (coriander, cumin, dill, clove), and 2-3 cloves of garlic. I also like a little dried chili pepper.

If you have a lot of only one type of veggie, add a carrot, a stalk or two of celery, and an onion. 
 
Fill with enough water to cover the veggies/herbs (don't worry if you have a few stalks sticking out, it will cook down). 

Bring just to a gentle simmer on medium (not a hard boil), reduce heat, and simmer on low for 1-2 hours.

Strain all of the stock to remove vegetables, herbs, and spices. 

 Pour the liquid into sterilized canning jars or freezer jars. Let them cool to room temperature first, and then freeze immediately or store in the fridge if you will be using within a week or two. 

Makes approximately 2 quarts/2 litres.

Make Veggie Stock From Kitchen Scraps. whollyrooted.com


Of course you can save chicken bones and make chicken stock too. I find that with all of the garden and CSA bounty my husband and I eat a lot of vegan meals in the summer. The boys have a lot of poultry since there are mammal meat and dairy allergies in the house, but there is only so much bird a girl can take (and I love summer bounty!). So for me, having fresh vegetable stock which can be used for cooking anything and everything is so convenient and really adds great flavor to everything. This veggie stock + the vegetable bouillon I make is a great base staple for just about any recipe. 

So don't toss the scraps! Make veggie stock!
0 Comments

homemade bouillon from the garden

7/21/2015

2 Comments

 
whollyrooted.com homemade bouillon from the garden

Long ago I found a recipe for bouillon in the River Cottage Preserves Handbook. A lightbulb went off, and I have been making my own version of veggie bouillon ever since. By blending all of the freshest herbs and vegetables in peak summer and preserving them with salt, you save that crisp fresh flavor which is fantastic in winter when making soups and stews.

When you think of bouillon you probably imagine a hard dry cube - but this is more of a thick paste. You use it like you use a cube though, by stirring a spoonful into your recipe when making soups, broth, stews, or even pasta. This is very salty as bouillon should be, and the salt is what preserves the green vibrant flavors – a little goes a long way. 

I call my version garden bouillon because I use many things found in my garden. I like to make several batches over the summer so that I have enough to last all winter. Keep a jar in the fridge for using now, and freeze the rest. This has a high level of salt so it will never freeze quite solid, so you can still spoon out some even fresh from the freezer. I like to freeze in 1 cup jars so that I can pull one out at a time throughout the year. 

A food processor is the best tool for the job.

whollyrooted.com make homemade bouillon from the garden
whollyrooted.com homemade garden bouillon from the garden

Homemade Garden Bouillon

Print |

{wholly rooted}

The nice thing about homemade bouillon is that you use what YOU have in your garden. Just think about what flavors go well together. I love adding extras like kale, purslane, nasturtiums (leaves, flowers, capers), coriander heads going to seed, celery root, leeks, and anything else in season at the time that adds a nice punch of flavor plus lots of great vitamins and minerals. I always start with the base aromatics of onion, garlic, carrot, and celery, and then add additional flavors from there. So make your own combo - the main thing to remember is to have a 4:1 ratio of herb/veggies to salt. So for every 400 grams of herbs/veggies/flowers, use approximately 100 grams of good quality sea salt.

Serving size: 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water.

{ingredients}

  • 150 grams onion, scallion, or leeks

  • 250 grams chopped carrot

  • 100 grams celery (celery tops work great)

  • 2-3 large garlic cloves

  • 25 grams flat leaf parsley

  • 15 grams thyme

  • 100 grams basil

  • 20 grams cilantro

  • 10 grams rosemary

  • 25 grams sage leaves

  • 40 grams purslane

  • 15 grams kale

  • 15 grams nasturtium leaves

  • 10-15 nasturtium capers

  • 5-10 nasturtium flowers

This is approximately 780+/- grams of veg/herb, so I blended in just under 200 grams of good quality celtic sea salt.

To make:

Make sure all of your herbs are clean and dry.

The best way to make this is to blend herbs and vegetables down in the food processor in batches until everything is finely chopped. If you try to do it all at once, you won't get a fine chop.

Once you have everything finely chopped, return it all to the food processor (it should fit now), and add the salt. After you add the salt and start to pulse, it will start drawing out more of the liquid from the herbs, and it will be a thick paste.

Spoon into jars, and keep what you will use in the next month or so in the fridge, store the rest in the freezer. This will make approximately 4 1/2 - 5 cups.

To use, spoon in about 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water, or to taste.

Use in soup, stew, pasta, stock, or anywhere you would use bouillon.

Published July 21, 2015

I will make a few more batches as the summer goes along, using what I have fresh and in season. This is a great way to preserve the fresh, vibrant summer flavors, to use long into the winter!
2 Comments
    whollyrooted.com

    denise cusack

    I am a certified aromatherapist, clinical herbalist, certified permaculture designer (PDC), organic gardener, plant conservationist, photographer, writer, designer, artist, nature lover,  health justice activist, whole foods maker, and mother of two young adults  in south central Wisconsin. 

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture


    ​Categories

    All
    BAKED GOODS
    BEES
    BEVERAGE
    BODY
    BREAKFAST
    CHICKENS
    COMMUNITY GARDEN
    CONDIMENT
    CRAFT
    CSA SHARE
    DAIRY FREE
    DESKTOP CALENDAR
    DESSERT
    DIY
    EBooks
    FAMILY
    FARMETTE
    FRUIT
    GARDEN
    GLUTEN FREE
    HERBAL
    Home
    HYDROPONICS
    KITCHEN DIY
    Life Is Good
    MAIN COURSE
    PANTRY
    PICKLES
    PRESERVE
    RECIPE
    SALAD
    SIDE DISH
    SNACK
    SPICES
    TEND
    This Week In My Kitchen
    VEGAN
    VEGETABLE
    VEGETARIAN


    My recipes at 
    Yummly

    Cook Eat Share

    ©2007-23 Denise Cusack, all photos and text. Feel free to share my posts on FB or Twitter or online media or pin on Pinterest (thank you!), but please keep the links back to my website intact (meaning please do not take or copy my images off of this website and share them unattributed or without linking back here or use them otherwise without permission). Thank you! :)

BLOG/Journal

Work With Denise

​​Permaculture Consultations
​
Have Denise Speak at Your Event
What I Speak About
Webinars, Podcasts, Classes
Denise Writing
Denise Art 
Photography

Who We Are

About Our Family
About Wholly Rooted Farm
About Denise
WR Environmental Review

Resources

Free Downloads
Unschooling
What I am Reading

What We Do

Education
Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
Permaculture
​
Plant Conservation
Mutual Aid/Restorative Practices

Media

Media, Bio, Info
© COPYRIGHT 2014 - 2023
​Wholly Rooted LLC,
​Denise Cusack & Family
Deerfield, Wisconsin


​Contact

All material provided on this website is provided for informational or educational purposes only, and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your healthcare professional or physician. 
  • Blog
    • Latest Blog Posts
  • Who We Are
    • About Wholly Rooted Farm >
      • WR Environmental Commitment
      • Wholly Rooted 2023 Plans
      • Wholly Rooted Farm Photos
    • About Our Family
    • About Denise Cusack
    • Where We Are Located
    • Our Values
  • What We Do
    • Education
    • Permaculture
    • Regenerative Herbalism & Aromatherapy
    • Plant Conservation/Botanical Sanctuary
    • Health Justice + Restorative Relationships + Mutual Aid >
      • Grow a Row for HWB
  • Work With Denise
    • Permaculture Design >
      • Foodscaping
    • Have Denise Speak at Your Event/School >
      • Upcoming Presentations
      • Past Webinars, Podcasts & Classes
    • Media
    • Denise Writing >
      • Writing @Medium
    • Denise Art + Design >
      • Artwork
      • Photography
      • Denise Cusack Design
    • Herbal & Aromatherapy Consultations
  • Courses
    • Upcoming Courses
    • What is Sustainable, Regenerative, Permaculture?
  • Resources
    • Free Downloads
    • What I'm Reading
    • Unschooling
  • Contact+