Making good food as our medicine is often a big hit when it comes out of our kitchen.  Years of playing and experimenting in the kitchen make it all happen. We took up our best knives and chopped, stirred, consulted knowledge, experience, and the intuitive forces present and came up with this simple yet potent, satisfying soup for deep winter support. after many requests, we thought we'd give it a proper write-up. Enjoy from our kitchen to yours. 

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb - 3/4 lb chopped fresh shiitakes - or reconstitute 1/4 lb dried
1 large chopped onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
2-3 garlic cloves chopped
3-4 yellow potatoes chopped
3-4 garlic scapes (we had frozen garlic scapes - optional when ya have)
1 TB fresh thyme leaf or more if you like - plus extra for serving
1/8 -1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper or to your liking
2 TB dried nettles
3 TB of oil or butter to your liking
2 TB arrowroot or tapioca powder (for your rouge)
8 cups bone or veg broth 
6-8oz. 1/2 & 1/2 cream or coconut milk if dairy free needed
 
A handful of chopped scallions, squeezes of fresh lime juice, sprinkles of fresh cracked pepper and thyme leaves for serving

DIRECTIONS:
- sauté the shiitakes for 5 minutes in oil or butter until a bit of browning happens
- add onion, ginger, garlic, thyme, nettles, and pepper; saute a few more minutes
- add potatoes and continue to stir adding more oil or butter if needed
- add arrowroot or tapioca powder and cook a few more minutes stirring constantly to make a light brown rouge
- add  bone or veggie stock you love, bring to simmer for 10 or so minutes just until the potatoes are done, turn off the heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes for flavors to infuse
- stir in 8oz of 1/2 n 1/2 cream (or heavy cream), or coconut milk for non-dairy options; adjust salt and pepper to your taste. 

​Serve with more fresh thyme, fresh squeezed lime, and sliced green onion. A good load of bread or cornbread goes great with this. Enjoy!

​In our home 1 bowl equals a 'therapeutic dose' of medicine.
Have 2-3 bowls per day for active cold & flu symptoms! Perfectly fine for daily health care intermittent use by having random bowls throughout your life (giggling with toes wiggling because it's that delicious to me). Enjoy and may you stay strong through these darker months where all is brought to the table for review. Keep shittakes around always. Have soup ready. Thank you shittakes and all for your deep care of us here. xo-Jen 

Making your home apothecary your primary health care is not that hard. Consulting the plants first is a safe, effective, and potent part of healing that requires a little bit of learning since our near relatives may not have been given these skills to pass along to us. We do it anyway under these circumstances. May we meet in class one day... Blessings Always, Jen

I said yes again to it all. It takes time to cultivate a community apothecary but it's happening. There's around 70 medicine plants in house now handcrafted as tinctures and a few more to come (plus much more to come) that I just know demand space on the shelves here. Seedling leaves unfurling... Thank you for your support. -Jen

Equal light and dark is one of the gifts of the Spring Equinox. Honoring balance is something I'm thinking about by carefully looking at what's needing balancing in my world. Balance is a dynamic state anyway. Even scales wobble or need a hood to reduce the wobble. We don't live there. Maybe nothing does, or maybe we swing through it and sometimes pause a bit and oscillate around it until the full spectrum measures 'balance’? They’re calling for snow for the Spring Equinox. It's not a new thing here for New Yorkers. It makes me turn to the soup pot again with soft, understanding eyes. I'm not sure how to survive without my soup pot. I most likely could, but not well. The markets are rolling in asparagus and watercress and I love them both! Potatoes from the fall are still around and needing to be consumed so the balance of fall and spring, in one pot to feed our bones, is the way of our weekend within this tribe.

Many are still moving the flu around so the bone broths and thyme, with all the luscious green, help boost our resistance while offering flavor and keeping us in flow with Nature. My dearest friend, Caroline, taught me this recipe with watercress we would harvest in the watery areas we knew of. She was one of those people you are blessed to know, who showed me deep sisterhood at a much needed time, dragged me to my first herbal conference, and then pointed the way for me. Life did an about-face and she was suddenly gone in an accident and many lives changed forever by knowing her. She died on Valentine’s Day decades ago now. I always make this soup in honor of our time together as deep sisters, in gratitude for showing me the herbal world before she had to go, and in great anticipation for the blooming of the Magnolias which was her favorite flower that brought her deep peace from chronic pain. She comes forth through these blooms for me and the worlds are more interwoven than we think when I sit with Magnolia and fill my belly with one of my favorite soups from my dear sister, Caroline.
 
In deep honor of these days, may you enjoy welcoming Spring and our swing through 'balance' in your way. xo- Jen

Interested in deepening your relationship with the plants as medicine keepers? Full descriptions are available in the links below. Thank you for sharing. xo-Jen

Are you stocking your pantry with medicinal mushroom yet? Packed sinuses and congested lungs always open to such medicines as this. Thinning secretions so they can run out along passageways that are less inflammed is the name of the game here. You can literally live on this broth for days with herbal teas and honey-lemon water and get through the roughest of flus in less time if you choose to stay in bed too. This is simple and tasty and satisfies all eating styles (omit the butter for vegan diets). Most health food and specialty grocery stores stock these items. The Reishi and Astragalus are easily sourced on-line if need be to get your pantry stocked well for flu season. I shave my whole Reishi mushrooms with a wood rasp which sounds like work but not really. Reishi mushrooms weigh nearly the same fresh as dried and are quite solid as they carry very little water in their cells. Health-wise they are worth the little extra effort. Rasps are found in hardware stores, are inexpensive, and mine lives with my knives. Otherwise buy it already shaved. I plan ahead and stock up by buying enough for a pot 1-2x/months through peak flu season.

​Astragalus Root – Astragalus membranaceus -  Astragalus Root slices are a regular item in my pantry for more than 20 years now which was when I first learned of this anciently rooted plant that has walked with us humans for a long time. Related to our common vetch plants that grow easily here, Astragalus has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. It is a powerful adaptogenic herb and supports deeply restorative and surface immune responses. Astragalus has gained popularity recently as research has emerged about the "possibility that it can protect DNA and increase longevity". Such a broad, safe statement for what time has already taught us about this one, right? I was taught that it needs to be cooked to get the full benefit so I encourage this way instead of pills. Each slice can be cooked for up to six hours before all medicine is released.

​Shiitake Mushrooms- Lentinula edodes - Shiitake’s flavor is 4 to 10 times more intense than that of ordinary button mushroom. Ordinary button mushrooms actually should be eaten in low to moderate amounts due their toxicity. Not shiitakes though! It is a fleshy fungi and is rich in nutrients. It contains proteins (18%), potassium, niacin, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins. Another ancient medicine brought in on a food level to enhance and organize immunity, this thins secretions so they can move and opens respiratory passage ways by reducing inflammation. Did you know that Shiitake is said to love music?  Yes, classical and rock and roll. It also likes company and flashlights. At least that's what some farmers report who grow Shiitakes on a daily basis. They assert that when you grow Shiitakes on an isolated log, it does not produce as much as when the log is in a cluster of logs. Word has it that it also produces generously when the people attending to it emit positive energy. If there are some clumsy people near it or arguments or fighting going on, Shiitake tends to be defiant and wilts. We drum and play music for our medicine plants here as well and this is an ancient practice too that even some modern grape producers for jelly making won’t talk about but actually do.
 
Reishi Mushrooms - Ganoderma lucidum - Regular consumption of Reishi, and there are a few different species that all have medicinal value, can enhance our body's immune system and improve blood circulation, thus improving any health condition. Reishi is also anciently rooted in use with humans and is recommended as an adaptogen, immune modulator, and a general tonic. Reishi is also used to help treat anxiety, high blood pressure, hepatitis, bronchitis, insomnia, and asthma. I love the immune enhancing and organizing characteristics of Reishi. The immune system has great power but can get dis-organized and over or under reactive even to the point of being life threatening, such as anaphylaxis (over reactive), and sepsis (under reactive). To this extreme, one usually needs modern medicine interventions to live through the ordeal. Coming down the intensity spectrum a bit, we can still see immune system disorganization and over or under responsiveness that is not life threatening but definitely not life enhancing either. There are a beautiful number of plants, and mushrooms, that carry this beautiful way of shoring up the immune system and reminding it that it can get organized and fight the good fight for re-establishing the boundaries necessary with the microbial world in our inner world. Indeed, boundary maintenance is one of the biggest jobs our immune system has. Reishi can help.

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the carrot, celery, leek, and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leeks have softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant which only takes a minute.

2. Add the mushrooms, bay leaf, and peppercorns and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms start to release some moisture, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the low and simmer with the lid on the pot until the vegetables are completely soft and the stock has a pronounced mushroom flavor, about two hours.

 4. Remove from the heat and add your parsley and thyme. Cover and allow to cool to warm for an hour or so. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a large heatproof container or saucepan; discard the contents of the strainer. Stir in the salt or tamari and taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. If not using immediately, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.

I absolutely love how this ancient way is enjoying a resurgence in popularity as we see antibiotics fall short of our unrealistic expectations and misuse. Our desire to heal and be well is amplified now with a desire for a deeper connection to the Earth as we find our way in these modern times. It was common place in my home as a child for the soup pot to come out at the first sight of a watery-eyed, sniffling, sneezing family member immersed in struggle with a virus or bacteria. I grew up raising chickens for eggs and then the roosters and hens became soup... we bypassed meat production for many reasons and one was it was easy to get kindly raised meat in the 60s and 70s. We partnered with local farmers for many of our food needs. With the vast changes in food production we are seeing the results in our health and thankfully many are recognizing the need to get back to some time-tested ways of growing food that our bodies have evolved from, know well and prefer. Our cells know the value of bone broths for healing even if you have never eaten it before in this life. It's true but me knowing and you knowing are two different things. So try and see. Chefs have made stocks and broths for the cost and flavor components and I do wish they would post in their menus a description of the stocks and broths they make and promote it more as the immune booster it is as well. Lengthen of cooking determines whether you have a stock or bone broth. Stocks cook in hours and broths are cooked for days. 

A little perspective on the microbial world is offered here. I often hear people cursing bacteria or viruses for their awful lot in life. I also hear hatred of the deer for carrying Lyme disease as I live in the northeastern US where Lyme is a common tick born illness.  For the record, scientists are now learning that Lyme is carried more by mice and Lyme infections increase when the populations of fox drop. Yes, the natural predator of mice are fox, to name only one. So, can you see how hating deer is not helping the situation. When studying Microbiology I was amazed at the beauty of the microbial world when we played with stains so we would give them contrast to the background and actually be able to see them under the microscope. Having a detached understanding that all things want to live filled me with a curiosity to learn not only about the microbes but about my body and how it defends itself with boundary work on a daily basis. Do I love the flu virus when I get sick. No. Do I hate my 5 year old child for sneezing into my mouth when he is sick. No. What I can do is respect that the flu virus has a place here and a will to live and a role to play in a larger plan that I may not fully understand. I treat it like an unwanted house guest and remain cordial, eat and sleep well (even a liquid fast if fever is present) use herbal remedies, reduce seeing ones I love so I don't pass the unwanted house guest to them, see a medical professional if I have exhausted all of my great skills for caring for the ill and am getting worse, and finally, clean often once they leave. Trusting your body and your choices comes first to hating a microbe. This just may be part of the good medicine needed to overcome some health crises. Just a thought.... and here are a few microbe pics I love. 

So, what is a microbe? "Microbe" is such a vast term and refers to organisms that may or may not be living.... scientists are still debating this one back and forth for viruses thwart definition by not being able to reproduce themselves. I say they are living and always have believed this. Did you know that microbes can gene splice antibiotic resistance and share with non-like species of microbes? That would be somewhat like you sharing your genes with a frog that wanted to walked on two legs! Exaggeration? Maybe not. These living creatures are masterful at adaptation which certainly is partly due to having such a short life span. Still fascinating. 

So when it comes to the microbial world it's all about boundaries. We quite simply need to make a boundary with the invading microbe. Slow cooked bone broths are a powerful part of this skill set in my experience. They provide high quality nutrient rich fluid you can drink copious amounts of that is easy for your body to use without spending large amounts of energy digesting like it has to with solid food.  Remember, we are just a large host for a much smaller world that has changed the course of our larger world and sometimes radically so. Thank you AIDS for introducing the idea of genetic modification in a short time frame in humans.  Yes, our genes are much more adaptable than we thought and science is also starting to study this now with the effects of trauma. You are genetically altered between birth and death. I often stifled a laugh as I was taught in college biology about how humans are at the top of the food chain. Maybe we will modify this one day? For now, let's boost up your boundaries with the microbial world by learning to make simple slow cooked bone broths. 

Most of us have a desire to be well and the choices you make can exert some pressure on the outcome of how well you are. 

This recipe is over 25 years old and continues to amaze me! It was formulated for my family quite intuitively in a time of need as I was figuring out how to be a new mother to sons born 13 months apart and we were all falling apart with many recurrent illnesses. The teachings given to me then were lacking basic skills on caring for the ill. I deeply wanted to learn though and that was the beginning.... I adopted pretty strict sleep habits, looked at food choices, quality and timing of eating, introduced some basic herbal skills and remedies and boosted the chicken stocks my family taught me to make when someone got sick into much richer bone broths. Now I call it Deep Immune Broth because it made such a noticeable difference that even our pediatrician asked “What are you doing different? They are noticeably healthier.” She didn’t like the truth but that was in the early 90’s. Maybe there are more doctors now who actually know these changes have the power to improve immune function? I hope so.  This broth has nourished nursing new babies through their mama’s milk, those close to death and all in between. It can also be put through feeding tubes quite well even with pureed vegetables added in the end. It has even been given to a friend’s dog, near death from a car accident.  She used a turkey baster to feed him and it was all her dog took in for weeks until he was strong enough to start eating on his own back to a full recovery. It is highly recommended for compromised immune systems such as in those people with low immune function due to treatments or debilitating disease, those with recurrent colds/flus and infections, Lyme disease, and many chronic conditions. This broth aids in restoring vitality, particularly during and after any debilitating illness, hospital stay or invasive medical or surgical procedures. Birthed during a time when I was in great need while caring for my babies, I hope that this can help you or a loved one in a time of great need.

INGREDIENTS:
6 dried or 12 fresh Shiitake mushrooms; stem included
4 small or 2 large dried Astragalus Root* slices

2 TLB. Olive oil, coconut oil or animal fat if desired

6 cloves fresh Garlic unpeeled and chopped
1 inch piece fresh Ginger root sliced thin, unpeeled
1-2 of each Carrot, Onion, & Celery unpeeled and rough chopped (yes, add the skins of all vegetables)

4 TBS. fresh or 2 TBS. dried chopped Burdock Root*
3-4 inch piece of kelp or other seaweed*

Animal bones - organic, free range, hormone free – do the best you can and mix larger bones with smaller jointed bones for a thick gelatinous stock when cooled - I use 1 chicken carcass for this recipe.

2 TBS. apple cider vinegar - this helps pull minerals quickly from the bones.

* found in local health food stores - choose non-sprayed 

DIRECTIONS:
-Add olive oil/fat to a stock pot and sauté Mushrooms, Ginger, Garlic, Burdock Root, Astragalus root, Seaweed, Onion, Celery and Carrot for 5 minutes stirring often to brown a bit. You can by pass this and just add all to the pot with the water. I do like the saute step for it deepens the flavor for me. 

-Add the animal bones and vinegar. If you have a small fryer (5-6lbs chicken) - add it whole, simmer 30 minutes and then removed the meat and add the bone back in. The meat can be used later or for other meals.

-Add the water to cover

-Slowly bring to a gentle boil and simmer ( for a stock - for anywhere from 1-3 hours covered-remove from heat and allow to “steep” covered for 20-30 minutes more.) For bone broth, I use a crock pot and cook on low all day and/or night (1-3 days). Make it easy so you do it. 

I will start to ladel off cups full after a few hours if I need it immediately. Just replace the water if you are working towards a broth. 

-When you are satisfied with the cooking time, strain your broth into another pot. Check your bones here for you should be able to pinch them and they break up with your fingers... that means you have extracted most of the nutrients. Some ancient teaching refer to grinding these to a paste to eaten as well. 

- Ladle a mug full for taste testing and mix 1 tsp miso paste or just a splash of tamari and taste. This is how we often drink it for hours, by the mugful before it becomes a pot soup.

-Therapeutic does: Drink warm 1 cup 3-4x/day. 

-This broth may be used to cook grains and vegetables or added to or used as a soup stock. It freezes well too so make a vat of it for now and later use.