 This butternut squash soup recipe is the only one you'll ever need. You can easily substitute pumpkin or acorn squash for the butternut and the sweet potato adds a little flavor boost. Don't let the fact that this recipe is vegan deter you; it's seriously delicious. Or just swap half and half cream for the coconut milk if you really can't get on board.
Ingredients 2 Tablespoons olive oil salt and pepper 2 Butternut squash, sliced and seeds removed* 1 sweet potato, halved lengthwise 1 white onion, halved 6 cloves garlic, peeled 2 cups coconut milk 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 Tablespoons curry powder 1 teaspoon thyme, dried 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder vegetable stock for thinning the soup of needed Directions Heat oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sliced squash, sweet potato and onion on the sheet. Roast for 25 minutes. Open the oven and add the garlic cloves to the sheet. Roast for 10 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Once cool to the touch, scoop the flesh from the squash and sweet potato. Discard the skins and place the flesh into a blender. Add the roasted garlic, onion and coconut milk and purée until smooth. Pour the soup base into a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the maple syrup and seasonings and bring to a simmer. Heat thoroughly for 10 minutes and thin with vegetable stock if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve. *The seeds can be saved and served as a garnish for the soup. Simply remove any pulp, rinse with water and toss to coat with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast while the squash and sweet potato cook for 8-10 minutes.  This is the recipe I use every year. You can add cinnamon or anise if desired! 🍎🍏
INGREDIENTS 8 pounds of apples, peeled and cored 1 cup water 1/2 tablespoon bottled lemon juice per pint jar DIRECTIONS Prepare a water bath canner on the stove and bring to a boil. Sanitize and warm pint-sized mason jars. Roughly dice apples and place in a large stockpot. Add the water and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until apples are soft (about 7-10 minutes). Mash the soft apples with a potato masher. Add more water if desired for a thinner applesauce. You can also puree with an immersion blender for a smoother consistency. Allow to simmer 5 minutes more. Add lemon juice to each jar. Funnel the hot applesauce into warmed jars, leaving 1/2” headspace. Wipe the jar rims clean, and seal the jars finger tight. Place the filled jars into the boiling water bath canner. Process for 20 minutes until jars are sealed. Remove the jars from heat and place on a towel on the countertop. Allow to fully cool before storing. Press each lid to make sure it does not fluctuate and a good seal has been achieved. Consume within one year. A few years back we had a drought here in central New Jersey. While I have rain barrels, this made me realize I'd like to have another source of water to rely on for crops, if needed. Thereafter, I started researching and build three ponds here on the farm. Two are retention ponds, one is a catchment pond. Learn the difference, how I use these ponds, how I installed them, and how I keep the water algae and mosquito free without pumps.  I hate buying vegetable broth or stock. I find most store-bought versions contain bell peppers which, to me, overpowers the taste of my recipes. I end up with bell pepper-flavored soups, etc. and I can't stand it! Not to mention they're often loaded with unnecessary ingredients or preservatives. And cost more than they should. Making my own vegetable broth is super easy and I use onion, carrot, and celery straight from my garden as the trinity of flavors. This trinity is referred to as "Mirepoix" in French cooking; the aromatic blend created when combining these three vegetables.
I prefer to make bulk batches of beans and vegetable stock all at once. With the equipment and ingredients already at hand, I figure it's wise to just make it all in the same session rather than bit by bit. This is a bulk recipe for large stock pots. You can use multiple pots to accommodate the recipe or cut in half if needed. The skin of the onion and garlic are left on as they contain many minerals and nutrients beneficial to human health. They also serve as a coloring agent. INGREDIENTS 10 gallon stock pot filled 3/4 of the way full with water (roughly 7.5 gallons) 2 onions, quartered, skin on (may also use 2 cups chopped shallots or leeks) 1 bunch celery leaves, coarsely chopped 4-5 carrots, washed and halved 6 cloves of garlic, pressed, paper on salt and pepper DIRECTIONS Combine the water and remaining ingredients into the stock pot. Season with salt and pepper generously. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes. While cooking, and once the vegetables are softened, occasionally mash the contents of the pot with a potato masher. This releases more flavor from the vegetables into the stock. While broth is simmering, sterilize and warm pint-sized canning jars. This recipe yields roughly 25 pints of stock. This may be a good time to prep your pressure canner according to canner directions. Once the stock has finished simmering, remove from heat and ladle spoonfuls of stock through a mesh sieve or strainer into the canning jars. Leave 1/2" of headspace in each jar. Wipe the rim of every jar before adding new lids and bands. The bands should be finger tight. Place the jars of stock into the pressure canner. The processing time is 20 minutes at 10 pounds of pressure. Adjust to accommodate your altitude according to canner instructions. Because my canner only fits 16 pints at a time, I pressure canned my 25 jars in separate batches. Once the pressure canning process is completed, jars should be allowed to cool and set on a towel-lined countertop for 24 hours. Ensure all jars are well sealed before storing in a cool, dry location. This stock should be consumed within one year. Yields: Roughly 25 pints of stock This is a pressure canning recipe, not to be substituted with water canning or processing.  This easy 2-ingredient glaze is way better than store bought. I use it on paninis, mozzarella, caprese salads, pizzas, and even on grilled peaches for a summer dessert. Best of all, we are lucky enough to use our own farm fresh raw honey.
INGREDIENTS 2 tablespoons honey 1 cup balsamic vinegar DIRECTIONS Combine the honey and the vinegar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer and continue simmering for 12-15 minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, stir the glaze. If a thicker reduction is desired, bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes more. Once fully cooled, store the balsamic reduction in an airtight bottle or jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  Calendula is well known within the homesteading community for its medicinal properties. While beautiful and certainly a staple for many home apothecaries, this plant pulls its weight in the garden too. It's not traditionally considered a permaculture powerhouse, however, calendula definitely has much to offer.
Varieties shown: Ivory Princess, Bronzed Beauty, Sunset Buff
 I grow perennial plants here on the permaculture farm for many reasons. They absorb more carbon from the atmosphere than annuals, they have extensive root systems that enrich soil, benefit microbes, and prevent erosion. Perennials require less labor by way of planting each spring and come back with bigger and better harvests after planting. They create amazing homes for birds, insects, and other local wildlife which are all important to the homestead ecosystem. So many perennials perform these tasks plus offer edible harvests and medicinal uses.
Elderberry and aronia berries are such perennials that we grow here at Axe & Root. Elderberry has been well studied, and provides the immune system with support during cold and flu season when taken as a syrup; specifically with regard to viruses. While it does not prevent infection, it has been shown to reduce severity and duration of a virus. You can find one such study here. Aronia berries are full of polyphenols and antioxidants. They have been found to support the body's immune system, reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, surpass other common berries in terms of Vitamin C and antioxidant levels. You can find a general study overview here. In this recipe, our own homestead honey is added as a thickening agent and as a sweetener. Most folks know that honey, especially when raw and organic, is an amazing antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral ingredient. Elderberry syrup is easy to prepare and a common cold and flu household remedy. But when combined with aronia berries, a more potent and impactful syrup can be created. Here's the recipe I've created based on research and taste testing for my own home apothecary. INGREDIENTS 3 cups filtered water 2/3 cup dried elderberries 1/3 cup dried aronia berries 1 cinnamon stick 1 cup raw organic honey DIRECTIONS Combine water, elderberries, aronia berries, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Allow to simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes or until the syrup has reduced by half. Remove the syrup from heat and allow to cool fully. Strain the liquid into a large container and discard the solids into the compost heap. Add the raw honey to the syrup mixture and whisk well to combine. Divide the syrup into airtight storage jars. Store in the refrigerator for three to four weeks. DOSAGE For Prevention Adults: 1 tablespoon once daily / Children over the age of 2: 1 teaspoon once daily During a virus Adults 1 tablespoon every 12 hours / Children over the age of 2: 1 teaspoon 2x daily Note: Please talk to your doctor if you are pregnant or nursing before taking elderberry syrup, or if you are taking any medications, or have any health concerns. Please do not feed syrup to children under the age of two years old.  The very first thing I learned to can was homemade apple sauce. But I had my sights set on making all of our tomato products from homegrown tomatoes. I just needed to get more comfortable with a water bath canner first and get my fear of botulism out of the way. After canning more apples that I could count that fall, I started loads of tomato plants from seed the following spring. That summer I canned tomato sauce for the first time and haven't looked back since. The fear of food poisoning by way of poorly processed tomato sauce is real. But with the right acidity by way of BOTTLED lemon juice (fresh lemon juice is too variable), a safe acidity for canning is achieved. Combine that with cooking your stored sauce for 20-25 minutes after opening and using in recipes, and you'll be sure to kill any little botulism spores that may be lingering in your tomato product. Obviously, any cans of sauce that may become unsealed, appear bubbly on the shelf, or that smell like feet upon opening should be discarded ASAP. This tutorial shows I make my sauce EVERY SINGLE TIME. You can use as many tomatoes as you like. Two 9x13" casserole dishes of cut and prepped tomatoes usually makes about 8 pints of sauce. Be sure to adjust processing times if required based on your altitude.
 Many gardeners and growers hear the word "comfrey" and they run the other direction. Not to worry--the comfrey I am recommending and use commonly in my growing spaces is Russian Comfrey, a plant that produces sterile seed. This strain of comfrey does not spread nor become invasive but, rather, grows upright like an ornamental shrub. I use it heavily throughout my farm for its ridiculous amount of value and function. Comfrey is celebrated by permaculture growers around the world because it offers the following: NUTRIENT ACCUMULATION Comfrey has a strong and deep taproot system that mines nutrients from deep within the soil's sublayers. These roots draw those nutrients upwards, into more shallow soil layers, making them accessible for nearby plants. CHOP AND DROP MULCH Comfrey stores much of the nutrients that it mines in its leaves and stems. Combine this with the fact that comfrey can get tall and benefits from pruning. There you have the recipe for a perfect chop and drop plant. Simply cut the foliage back to an inch or so above the soil line and spread the leaves and stems as you would mulching straw over your growing soil. As the leaves decay they add organic matter back into the soil, attracting earthworms and other decomposers, and release their nutrients into the topsoil. MEDICINAL USES
If you practice herbal medicine or keep a home apothecary, there are loads of uses for comfrey. This plant has been used for centuries for inflammation, swelling, and its other many healing properties. POLLINATOR ATTRACTOR Comfrey boasts beautiful little bell-shaped blossoms in a pink-purple hue. These little flowers are hugely attractive and beneficial to honeybees and native pollinators. They also attract beneficial wasps and other predatory insects. Naturally, if planted in your garden, pollinators will be sure to visit food crop blossoms as well, increasing your crop yield. REPELLER Some folks have a difficult time with comfrey when it comes to contact dermatitis. The plants have fine hairs on their leaves and stems which can cause irritation. This is why many deer, rabbits, and other critters find it to be repulsive. When comfrey is interplanted with fruit and vegetable crops, it tends to deter wildlife looking for a snack. BIOMASS Comfrey grows quickly. I'm easily able to cut the plant back for use as a mulch three to four times in one season. The foliage is thick and this rapid production makes comfrey an excellent contributor of biomass (biological matter) to the soil when applied as mulch. FERTILIZER Compost tea is a popular method for fertilizing a garden without synthetic additives. The same approach can be taken with comfrey leaves. Simply chop and macerate comfrey leaves and place in a five-gallon bucket. Fill with unchlorinated water. Allow to steep for several days, until the contents are smelly and sludgy (gross, I know). This concentrate will need to be diluted to 1 part comfrey tea to 10 parts water. Use a watering can or weed sprayer to apply to your soil, stems, and plant leaves. WEED SUPPRESSION Due to the thick and full growth habit of comfrey, weeds are quickly and easily choked out. I use comfrey in my garden, in my tree guilds, and in my food forest growing spaces. Weeds have yet to grow up and through this hardy crop. PROPAGATION Comfrey is in demand as many growers turn to more natural methods of farming. Because comfrey is so vigorous, it can easily regenerate itself from a small root cutting. Simply digging up roots, separating them, and repotting can result in loads of new plants. This creates a steady supply for the homestead with plenty to sell for a profit. COMPOST HEAP ACTIVATION Because comfrey is so nutrient rich and an excellent source of biomass, it can contribute to the compost heap. When comfrey is included in the pile, some folks believe it actually heats up the entire heap faster, making compost more readily available in a shorter amount of time. It also passes all of the nutrients it has absorbed into the pile.  I grow lots of blossoms alongside my food crops. Rather than segregate food and flowers, they’re woven together. I use herbs and flowers often as companions interplanted with my food (you can find many posts in the "permaculture" and "growing" categories based on companion plant benefits and specifics). But in this post, I wanted to talk about my approach or method of gardening which is my "layered permaculture garden method." I call it a layering method because I sow calendula, for example, in the spring alongside veggies. As the first layer of veggies reach maturity, the second layer (the calendula) is still small but supporting the food crops. By the time spring veggies are spent and done, the second layer of flowers reaches full height. The second layer shrouds any gaps from the first layer, protecting the soil. This means I often plant veggies and herbs first and wait a week or two before adding in some flower varieties to fill gaps in the spring. This ensures the growth rate of the flowers doesn’t crowd out and suppress food crops.   As for layering a third and fourth planting, I absolutely do this come mid-summer. When I'm ready to plant for fall harvests in mid-July through August, crops like beets, carrots, fennel, greens, kale, broccoli, and other brassicas are inserted amongst the flowers. The permaculture benefit of planting seedlings this way is huge. Often the scent of many flowering herbs like oregano, lavender, nasturtium, basil, etc., is enough to deter cabbage moths and other pests. Conversely, beneficial insects are attracted to the blooms surrounding the crops, which increases pollination of veggie blossoms. Parasitic wasps are drawn to the garden and prey on any "bad bugs" loitering within. This leaves my new veggies protected while they grow. Cold loving flowers like calendula can be seeded as a fourth layer a few weeks after the third layer is planted.
As for the flowers that I choose, I go for self-seeding annuals for less work, like nigella, borage, chamomile and calendula. I heavily use perennials like lavender, non-invasive tansy, sterile comfrey, verbascum, speedwell, coneflower, foxglove, daisies, yarrow, rudbeckia, anemone, and roses to name a few. The benefits of perennials are many to the overall homestead ecosystem including increased carbon absorption by way of their woody plant tissues, their deep root networks which increase soil fertility, the fact that you don't have to replant them each year, the concept of them coming back and bigger and more full each season, and the many uses most of these perennials provide from edible rose petals to medicinal yarrow. |
Blog content is authored by Angela, founder and steward of The Arcadia Project.
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