Online Resources:

• Healthy Heart Guide

• Healthy Recipes at the Cardiology Associates

• Recipes from the American Heart Association

• Healthy Heart Handbook for Women

• Heart Health projects in Maine

Author Margaret Byrd Adams tells us in her cookbook American Wood Heat Cookery that “whole clans of Scottish Highlanders came to settle in the United States after catastrophic crop failures in 1763.” They brought with them this soup recipe as a tasty and economical way to use their vegetables and livestock. Traditionally made with lamb neck or shoulder (very inexpensive cuts of meat), I’ve adapted this recipe to use dried mushrooms as a base for a flavorful and hearty meat-free meal made from readily accessible ingredients from our Bulk department and seasonal, local produce. The presence of the barley gives it a delicious, silky texture, in addition to being a great source of fiber, protein, niacin, thiamine, selenium, iron, and magnesium.
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Soup is not only a comfort food, it is an economical way to use leftovers from a roasted chicken dinner or a pan of roasted vegetables and get a delicious and nutritious meal. My family will often sit down to a satisfying bowl of steaming soup and a loaf of whole grain bread with a chunk of cheese on the side.

Cooking soup is easy once you understand the basics. Really great information is available through our local library system where you can take out cookbooks or cooking shows. Don’t forget about inter library loans.

My family has enjoyed watching the old Julia Child Cooking shows and I’ve discovered a really good book about making soup. It’s by Barbara Kafka and it is called “Soup, A Way of Life”.

You can also learn about soup making at the Belfast Co-op’s “Eat Healthy on a Budget” class at the UU Church on January 25th from 1-3 pm. At this free class, co-sponsored by the UU Church of Belfast, you will learn about basic soup making while enjoying hot soup and good company.