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{(not-the-first) homemade maryland crab soup}

i am undoubtedly a marylander in this one particular way… i could unabashedly eat crabs almost every day!

{also, i’m a poet and didn’t know it}

okay, maybe not every day, but like… all the time.

if you know you know… in that, maryland is known for their blue crabs… caught fresh off the chesapeake bay and steamed in savory spices like old bay or JO and a bit of local beer… served piping hot with corn, potatoes, and sometimes hush puppies.

but also, recreated in a simple vegetable soup… which freezes comfortably and easily.

so, that’s what i did last summer… bought a bunch of steamed maryland blue crabs… hand-picked them all… saved (most) of the meat… added it to my homemade soup recipe… and froze it…

and NOW! i get to enjoy it in the colder months… share it with friends and family… and reap the benefits of my patience, self-control, and overall appreciation for homemade preserved food…

i sometimes also make a cream-of-crab soup/dip and i’ll mix the two… this picture/recipe below is classic maryland crab soup with a tomato base. my favourite preference for sure.

audrey michelle’s homemade maryland blue crab soup :

28 oz. crushed tomatoes of choice
32 oz. chicken and/or veggie/seafood stock
1 can light beer (yuengling is my choice)
carrot
celery
onion
garlic
corn
potatoes
cabbage
green beans
tomatoes
fresh lemon
OLD BAY!!!
S&P to taste
1 pound crab meat (or as much as you want!)

typically, i build my soup in “layers” – starting with sautéing the mirepoix mix in a little olive oil and/or butter… splashing some white wine in the pan, then adding the broth… next, the canned tomatoes (or blending a little of both and then adding to the pot)… then, depending on if you are using fresh or canned veggies – add those in layers also… if fresh – start with potatoes and a little crab meat… then add in green beans, cabbage, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and lastly tomatoes… add old bay to your preferred taste, S&P, and finish with more crab meat. i like to layer in my crab meat for flavour but also because the meat will break down and “shred” as it’s cooked… therefore, the final step for me is to add in crab meat at the very end while it’s cooling (whether or not i’m freezing or serving immediately) and then i also serve it with a fresh jumbo chunk on top and a sprinkle of fresh parsley, squeeze of lemon, and more old bay.

this is hands-down my favourite soup of all time. have you ever had it?!

NOM NOM !!!

Tags: comfort food, cooking, easy, eating, favourites, food, food and foto, food blogger, food blogs, food photographer, food photography, food stories, foodnfoto, foodography, healthy cooking, home cook, homemade, local, local cooking, maryland, maryland crab soup, photography, recipes, simple, soup

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Categories blogging, eat the rainbow, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, healthy eating, maryland, recipes, the food, the foodie

{inspired by : stracciatella}

1 Oct

this simplistically yummy soup was inspired by the same instagram account i mentioned in a previous post {see recipe here} which i stumbled onto one night while scrolling and searching for recipe inspiration. i had never heard of this dish, but then i did some research and found out that it is derived from roman culture and the word stracciatella actually translates to “little rags” – which i think is both adorable and poignant. it was created to use up kitchen scraps… as {in my humble opinion} some of the best meals always are!

this soup is so simple and easy to make. the chicken stock is the most time-consuming part of this recipe. sure, you can buy it… but homemade is best! in my kitchen, i tend to make chicken stock about once a week. i use it for everything and i sip on the bone broth a lot during cold winter months and/or freeze or can it for future use. and now that we are officially in the autumn season, and the weather is cooling down, i am truly enjoying this soup even more. although, i tend to enjoy soup year round.

as you know, we appreciate simplicity around here at food and foto. quality in = quality out. simple, healthy, clean ingredients lay the foundation and make for the most enjoyable meals.

this is one of my new favourite soups! so soothing, so comforting, so simple, and so delicious.

8-12 oz chicken stock
1-2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup parmigiana reggiana
1/4-1/2 cup fresh spinach
S&P to taste
parsley, optional

a crumbled up parmigiano reggiano swirl via stovetop sauté pan – also optional. {but adds some great flavour and crunch!}

method :

heat stock on medium to high and wilt in spinach. drop in the egg{s}. stir in grated cheese and season as desired.

#sipsip #nomnom

Tags: comfort food, food, food photography, food stories, foodandfoto, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, from scratch, healthy, healthy cooking, homemade, in the kitchen, photography, simple, simple cooking, soup, stracciatella

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Categories blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, recipes, the food, the foodie

{homemade chow chow}

14 Sep

i had never heard of chow chow until i lived in the south a few years back. y’all know i’m a big fan of sauerkraut… and this has similar ingredients, but with a different taste and process. chow chow is not fermented, although i’m certain you could change the ingredients and i bet a ferment would also taste amazing!

what i enjoy about making stuff like this is you don’t have to be so specific. you can play around with different measurements and/or sizes of veggies, combinations of veggies, etc. being in the kitchen is all about exploring, and i love to “play” with my food… and that is something i will never stop doing! 😀

some recipes that i explored suggested adding green tomatoes and/or spices or hot peppers… but this is what i came up with :

simple ingredients :

cabbage
onion
green pepper
red/yellow pepper

simple brine :

1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 cup water

start by heating brine ingredients in a sauce pan on low-medium heat until salt and sugar dissolve, then allow to cool to room temperature.

if you find that you have extra brine, you can always save it for something else like pickles or whatever other veggie you may want to use.

meanwhile, finely chop up all of the veggies…

pour {slightly cooled} brine mixture over the ingredients…

take some pictures, if you fancy…

then, add lid and store in the refrigerator for about a week. you can also use this same recipe and then pressure can or water-bath can and store in the pantry.

i made it both ways and both were delicious! i have one more jar left in the pantry, and i have been using the jar in the fridge for all kinds of fun stuff! it is SO GOOD with sausage or on a pork roll/bun… it adds the perfect balance of sweet to the savory. and it’s also good as a little snack or adding it to a charcuterie board or on a cracker, etc.

one thing I do like about the “canning” method is that the texture is a little softer. heat-processing this does break down the veggies a bit more and although i like it both ways, i do prefer the canning method. the nice thing is, canning is always an option even if i start with the fridge method.

do you like and/or make chow chow?! please share your comments and/or recipes below!

Tags: chow chow, cooking, DIY, eat the rainbow, farm to table, food blogger, food blogs, food photography, food stories, foodandfoto, foodnfoto, foodography, fotography, healthy cooking, healthy eating, homemade, organic, organic cooking, southern cooking

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Categories blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food blog, food blogger, food photography, food stories, healthy eating, organic, recipes, the food

{sunday (funday) snacks}

18 Jul

speaking of eating seasonally and such…

on sundays lately, i’ve been curating a platter fully of yummy and healthy snacks to eat in leiu of lunch or dinner. i’ll have it out while i am cooking or relaxing or whatever else and just kind of graze on the snacks… basically all day.

here are a couple of pics of how i spent my last 2 sundays :

chianti-wine aged salami, garlic-herb wafer crackers, fresh avocado, fresh pineapple, locally-grown cherries, blueberries, & peaches, super thin pretzels, roasted mixed nuts, truffle parmesan crisps, dehydrated apples, apricots, dates, various chocolate, and a homemade kombucha spritzer mocktail

homemade tuna salad, organic mini toasts, garlic-herb salami, smoked oysters, mixed nuts, homemade pickles, fermented radishes, locally-grown broccoli & cauliflower, fresh avocado, dates, apricots, locally-grown blackberries & peaches, and a ginger tonic mocktail

Tags: 100 mile diet, DIY, eating, flat lay, food, food is love, food stories, foodandfoto, foodie, foodnfoto, foodography, fun, locally grown, organic, photography, platters, relaxing, seasonal eating, seasonal food, seasons, snacks, snax, summer foods, summertime, sunday funday, sunday snacks

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Categories audrey michelle, blogging, eat the rainbow, food, food photography, food stories, fun, photography, recipes, the food, the foodie, whatever

{homemade relish with my homegrown cucumbers!}

11 Jul

so, as i mentioned in my last blog – i have harvested well over 200 cucumbers this year from my garden! i wish i would’ve been weighing my harvests, to get more of an idea of yields. however, looking back through the fotos i snapped every time i harvest – it’s safe to say that number is pretty accurate. crazy, right?

anyway, on top of sharing my harvests with neighbors, and consuming a cucumber a day, i also enjoy making pickles and relish with my cucumbers! that’s why i specifically grow the pickling cucumbers. that, and i just think they taste better.

i will share my pickle recipe soon, but for now i want to share this super yummy relish recipe that a good friend of mine passed along to me last year. i love it because it’s very simple and does not have added sugar. the only sweetener is honey and i think it is so well-balanced in flavour. i love add my relish to egg salad or tuna salad. it’s also just good right out of the jar!

homemade pickle relish recipe :

1.5 pounds {pickling} cucumbers, finely diced {mine was homegrown}
1 small onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1.5 cup distilled white vinegar
6 tbsp honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill {mine was homegrown! 🙂}
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp kosher salt {i used himalayan pink salt}
1 tsp celery ceeds
1.5 cornstarch

directions :

in large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch. simmer over medium-high head until vegetables are tender – about 8-10 minutes.
in small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of the cooking liquid until smooth. add to pan and let cook another 3-5 minutes. cool.
use canning method to preserve, or store in airtight container, chilled, up to 1 month. also freezes well.

i made a lot more than what is pictured – this jar i gave to my neighbours. 🙂

i also tasted mine before adding the cornstarch. if i needed to increase any of the ingredients, i did. i think i added a little extra honey and vinegar to mine because i had a little more than 1.5 pounds of cucumbers. the key is to start with small amounts… you can always add more. i love the colour it turns out – that’s largely due to the turmeric.

i hope you enjoy this recipe and please do let me know if you ever try it out!

thanks for reading! 🙂

Tags: audrey michelle, blogging, cooking, DIY, eat the rainbow, eating, food, food blogs, food photography, food stories, foodography, gardening, grow your own, grow your own food, healthy eating, homegrown, in the kitchen, natural, organic, photography, pickles, recipes, relish

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Categories eat the rainbow, food, food photography, food stories, fun, healthy eating, nutrition, photography, recipes, the food, the foodie, the foto

{bell pepper guts}

8 Mar

what is it about the inside of vegetables that i find so INTRIGUING?!!? 😀

Tags: art, audrey michelle, audrey michelle photography, beauty, bell peppers, eat the rainbow, food, food is art, food is cool, food photography, food portraits, food stories, health, healthy eating, in the kitchen, life, nature, photography, vegetables, veggie guts

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Categories art, audrey michelle, beauty, food, food photography, health, nature, photography, portraits, the food, the foodie, the foto

{meatless monday : whole grain couscous with fresno and mini bell peppers}

8 Feb

i haven’t written a meatless monday recipe in a while. i came up with this one by accident.

i love love LOVE fresno peppers. they are so full of flavour and yet mild enough in heat to not overpower most dishes. i also love couscous; it’s simple and easy to make and reheats well, so i will often batch-cook it.

i shared this dish some with a friend this weekend over brunch and she commented on how much she liked it, so i thought i would share the recipe. as i said, i sort of came up with this on accident… but i’m glad i did, as i’ll be sure to make it again in the future!

simple ingredients :

1 cup couscous, 1 cup water
3 fresno peppers, chopped
5-6 mini bell peppers, chopped
olive oil
S&P

this is a very easy recipe to make. simply saute peppers in olive oil until tender then pour in water. bring to a boil and add in couscous. remove from heat, cover and let sit for at least 5 minutes. fluff couscous with a fork and sprinkle in salt and pepper.