For week #4 of the 2011-2012 Dark Days Eat Local Challenge, I made turkey bone vegetable soup.

Over the past year, I’ve learned about the nutritional value of bone broths, with their chondroitin, glucosamine, and collagen. So I made a stock from the remains of my Thanksgiving turkey. The stock can be used for a soup base, for braising vegetables, or just about any other recipe that would be happy with a poultry-based stock.

I put the bones in my big stock pot, filled the water to the rivets and added salt and two tablespoons of vinegar. They say to let the bones simmer for up to 72 hours. This time, I made it to 46. I strained out the bones and skimmed off the fat and was left with a luxurious stock.

I cut up some fresh vegetables and simmered them in the stock until they were fork tender to make the soup.

You just can’t beat the flavor from a home made bone broth. Seriously.

Sources

• turkey from Quattro Game Farm
• carrots and celeriac from Riverbank Farm
• parsnips from Migliorelli Farm
• onions from Holbrook Farm
• potatoes from Sport Hill Farm
• spinach from Fort Hill Farm
• garlic, parsley from my own garden
• vinegar, salt: not local

Note: These challenge posts will be recapped with the other Mid-Atlantic region participants every two weeks, over at Not Dabbling In Normal by Emily of Tanglewood Farm.