Yum. I love the fall! Here in the Bay Area, the fall is a very abundant time. We have all our beautiful greens, winter squashes and beautiful fruits like persimmons, pomegranates, figs and grapes. We are so blessed to live a place like this. And among all this deliciousness, comes the colder weather, which makes it a great time to make soups and stews to deeply nourish the body.
One key ingredient for winter health in my kitchen is long-cooked bone broth. It serves as the base for soups and stews. I can cook grains and braise greens in it. It can be the base for sauces and gravies. It can be the liquid in pot pies. Bone broth is rich in minerals that build bone, and adds a nutritional boost to anything you cook with it. It also has the benefit of containing gelatin, which can be very healing to the gut. My son always thinks he is getting away with something when I serve him white basmati rice, but I get the last laugh because I cook it with broth! Vegetarians will prefer a vegetable stock, which can also be rich in minerals.
Many of us are concerned about supporting our immune systems as winter approaches. By adding a few herbs to your broth, you can turn it into an immune tonic. You can add shiitake mushrooms, astragalus, jujube dates and goji berries to your stock. All of these herbs can enhance the flavor of your broth while at the same time enhancing its benefits. Astragalus, jujube dates and goji berries are all available in the store right now, and shiitakes are coming soon! Kombu seaweed also adds some extra minerals to your broth, and is available in the store.
There are many very official ways to make the different kinds of bone stock. Myself, I take more of a cheaters approach. When I buy meat, I try to buy it on the bone. Once I have cooked and eaten it, I save the bones in the freezer in a 1-gallon resealable bag until it is full. Then I make my broth with the whole bag of mixed up bones. I usually have more chicken bones than anything else, but I especially like the stock with a couple of beef ribs and some lamb bones. Here is how I do it:
If you don’t have a freezer full of bones, you can buy a whole chicken, or some legs and thighs.
1. Put Bones in your biggest pot.
2. Add some veggies. I like to use onions, carrots and celery.
3. Add mushrooms and herbs if desired. 2-3 pieces of astragalus root, a dozen whole shiitake mushrooms, a couple of jujube dates and a dozen goji berries—or any of the above.
4. Cover it all with cold water until the pot is almost full.
5. Add 2 T apple cider or red wine vinegar to the water, and let it sit there, cold, for 30-60 minutes. This helps draw the minerals out of the bones.
6. Cover and Bring it to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to simmer, and let it simmer for a LONG TIME: 7-24 hours.
8. When the broth is cooled enough, out the bones and veggies and compost them.
9. Save the broth in the fridge and/or freezer.
What you can do with this amazing elixir:
· Make soups
· Make stews
· Braise vegetables or meats
· Drink it straight or with just some salt
· Add it to sauces
· Make reductions
Hardly anyone leaves my office without hearing about the wonders of bone stock. It is wonderful for children who might resist eating vegetables, it is wonderful when you are sick and it makes everything you make all the more delicious. Now that’s the kind of nutritional powerhouse I can get excited about!
What do I do if the bone broth doesn’t solve my issues with my gut, my immunity and my child the picky eater?
If you are experiencing persistent problems with your gut or digestion including frequent diarrhea, gas and bloating, if you feel like you catch every illness that comes by, and if you have a child who is a very picky eater (picky eating can sometimes be a symptom of food allergies & also can lead to nutritional imbalances) you can benefit from a professional nutritional evaluation and recommendations that are tailored to your unique biology.
I have found that many people, before they become clients, don’t understand how effectively holistic nutrition can solve persistent problems. This is one reason that I offer a free half-hour consultation to anyone new to my practice. So please come in and talk with me! There is nothing that makes me happier than a client who feels better! Call 415-259-4471 24 hours a day to schedule your free half-hour appointment.
Emily Bender is a board-certified nutritionist and the author of the food and nutrition section of the internationally-acclaimed best seller Our Bodies, Ourselves, published by Simon and Schuster. Her practice, "Nutrition for the Whole Family," focuses on an ecological approach to wellness. In addition to her work with individual clients, she is on the faculty of Hawthorn University where she trains other nutritionists to use to powerful tools of whole foods nutrition. To find out more about her or to schedule an appointment, go to her website: www.nutritionforthewholefamily.com.
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