Stocking up: A simple way to use scraps

I call it free food. My children used to laugh at me as I would dish it up with glee and remind them that the evening's meal was free. Now they are young adults who know how to pinch a penny. When they make it for themselves, they remember: This almost-no-cost meal is a winner.

That's what I call the process of making soup from scraps. Leftover chicken or turkey carcass? In the soup pot. Ham bone? In the soup pot. Nothing goes to waste when a stockpot is on the back burner.

I start by making the base for the soup with leftover bones, having removed any meat scraps that I want to use in the final soup. Simmering the meat too long will make it tough. I add coarsely cut vegetables to the water (carrots, onions and celery — celery leaves are particularly flavorful), along with peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves, all of which will be discarded once the stock has simmered. Save the carcasses from the $5 roasted chickens from the supermarket and really get your money's worth by using them as the base for soup.

I simmer the stock for an hour and a half, less if I'm short of time, more if I happen to forget about it. When my children were of school age, I often had stock simmering on the stove during winter evenings while they did their homework at the kitchen table, me doing my mealtime prep for the next evening while they studied.

Once the stock is done, it's strained and cooled in the refrigerator. I prefer to finish the soup the next day when, after the liquid chills, any fat rises to the surface to be easily discarded. But the soup could be completed immediately after it's strained, if that works better for the cook.

The next step — which for me is the next day — is to saute a new batch of celery, carrots and onions before adding it to the stock. These will be part of the finished soup, so they should be cut all the same size.

Then I let whimsy take over. If it's chicken stock, I decide on the starch, if any, to add with any cut-up chicken: noodles (homemade or packaged), dumplings or spaetzle, rice or wild rice. Or perhaps I'll use the stock for an entirely different soup, such as cream of celery.

If it's ham stock, I choose between split peas or beans (Great Northern or pintos) with added ham. Maybe I'll add a potato to any of these choices, or maybe not. What ends up in the pot depends on what's in my pantry or refrigerator, hence the sense of "free" food. Even if I buy fresh vegetables or a bag of split peas or noodles, the cost is minimal, a filling meal for what amounts to pocket change.

Thirty minutes later, my "free" meal is on the table: hot and fragrant, a simple dinner in a bowl.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

Serves 8

Note: Dry split peas come in either yellow or green. The yellow are milder in flavor and are sometimes hard to find. Either works well. Check through the split peas and rinse them before adding to the soup. When you're dicing the vegetables for the soup (which is different from when you are cutting them up for the stock), make sure that all the vegetables are cut in the same size. My personal preference is for them to be diced very small, but if you like larger chunks in your soup, by all means cut them that way. The larger the pieces of vegetable are, the longer it will take for them to soften. If you prefer more or fewer vegetables in the soup, add them accordingly.

For stock:

Water

Ham bone

3 carrots, cut in chunks

3 or 4 ribs of celery, with leaves, cut in several pieces

1 large onion, cut in quarters

1 to 2 teaspoons peppercorns

2 bay leaves

For soup:

3 carrots, diced (or more)

1 large onion, diced (or more)

4 ribs of celery, diced (or more)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 (16 oz.) bag split peas (see Note), picked over and rinsed

2 cup chopped ham

Fill a large pot with 20 cups water and add the ham bone, carrot chunks, celery and onion. Add the peppercorns and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to make the water simmer.

Cook for at least an hour and up to 2 hours, watching the level of water, adding more water if the level drops too much. (The liquid will reduce by about half if you simmer it for 2 hours.)

Remove the soup pot from the heat and carefully strain the solid ingredients, discarding them. Refrigerate stock (I always put a potholder under the bowl when I put the hot liquid into the cold refrigerator to protect the shelf).

The next day (or once the stock is cool), lift off the fat that has solidified on top of the soup and discard it. Begin to warm the stock over medium heat.

Meanwhile, saute the diced carrots, onion and celery in oil for 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the cooked vegetables to the stock, along with the split peas, and bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the soup for about 30 minutes, or until the peas are soft.

Add the ham in the last 10 minutes or so.

If you prefer the soup pureed, use a blender to puree a few cups at a time. If you would like a little texture to the soup, skip that step.

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP

Makes about 8 cups

Note: Here's another option for your homemade chicken broth. Or use canned broth for a quick and luxurious soup. From "Come One, Come All/ Easy Entertaining With Seasonal Menus," by Lee Svitak Dean.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 package (1 large bunch) celery, trimmed of leaves, peeled and coarsely cut (reserve celery leaves for garnish)

2 medium onions, chopped (about 11/2 cup)

2 small potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 11/2 cup)

6 cups chicken broth

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

1/2 cup cream

Sour cream, for garnish

Celery leaves or minced parsley, dill or fresh chives, for garnish

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat oil and cook celery and onions for about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Add broth and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Set aside to cool slightly before pureeing.

In a blender, puree the vegetables and broth and return to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made in advance to this point.)

To serve, add cream and heat through. Garnish with a dab of sour cream or sprinkle with celery leaves or herbs.

BOUNDARY WATERS WILD RICE SOUP

Serves 6

Note: To toast almonds, spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven until almonds are lightly browned and fragrant, about 7 to 10 minutes. From "The Marshall Field's Cookbook."

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup diced yellow onion

1 small leek, halved lengthwise, rinsed well, and thinly sliced

11/2 cup sliced button mushrooms

3/4 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup flour

6 cups chicken broth

11/2 cup cooked wild rice

1/2 roasted chicken, skin and bones removed and meat chopped (1 to 11/2 cup)

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons dry sherry

2 teaspoons salt

11/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves

2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add leek, mushrooms and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add flour and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute. Whisk in chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add wild rice, chicken, cream, sherry, salt, pepper, parsley and thyme and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Ladle into bowls, garnish with almonds and serve hot.

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