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slow simmer soup on a wood-burning stove by debbie farrell We moved into our 100 year old colonial house with two small children and one small wallet. Claiming to be practical and natural, we installed a wood burning stove in the dining room. I learned how to adjust the stove so it would burn slowly all through the night. I also learned that a pot of water, simmering with cloves and cinnamon made the house smell wonderful One night I roasted a chicken, and steamed carrots and turnips for dinner. My daughter pushed the veggies away, pointed at my pot of simmering cinnamon, and declared "throw it in the pot." I looked at the pot. I wondered...I would try something. I put a fresh pot of water on the stove, and threw in our leftovers - chicken and vegetables. I added a leek, some celery, a few herbs and went to bed.In the morning we woke to the smell of chicken soup. I let it cook until the afternoon, then I strained the stock and returned it to the woodstove with fresh vegetables and fresh chicken pieces. That night the kids ate turnips. 'Throw it in the pot,' became a family joke and we still say that we're 'throwing' when we try something new. Full credit goes to my daughter and, just this once, I'm happy that she refused to eat her vegetables. slow-simmer chicken & vegetable soup back to 'food is art'   back to debbie's 'mother' page top of page   contact us membership agreement ©Debbie Farrell 2001