Let me say right up front all the steps in this recipe put me off for days but once I dove in the hands-on time is minimal. Having said that, I vote for doubling the amounts and gifting yourself with four jars of this jeweled delight rather than two.

So grab yourself some yummy organic citrus. The recipe calls for Meyer lemon and Grapefruit which is scrumptious but blood orange would also be lovely.

Adapted from Aran Goyoaga. Expect to produce between 2-3 8 ounce jars. My batch made two full jars and a custard cup full so we could test right away.

Ingredients

• 3 medium (225 g) Meyer lemons, washed and ends trimmed 
• 1 (550 g) large red grapefruit, washed 
• 2 cups (400 g) sugar 
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 

Directions

The Lemons: Line one small bowl with cheesecloth to collect the seeds and have another bowl handy for juices.  On the cutting board prepare lemons by cutting in half lengthwise, and then once again.  Then cut each quarter into fine strips.  All seeds should go into the cheesecloth lined bowl, juices from the cutting board to the other bowl and lemon strips into a medium stainless steel saucepan. 

The Grapefruit: Use a vegetable peeler removing thin strips of the grapefruit skin. Cut each strip into pieces that are about 3/4” to 1” long and thinly slice into 1/8-inch strips and add to lemons in the cooking pot. 

With your knife, remove all of the pith off the grapefruit and discard it. Cut segments of the flesh into 1/2-inch pieces and place into a separate bowl to squeeze available juice adding to the collected lemon juice. You will need about ½ cup total.  Set the cut grapefruit pieces aside.

The Cheesecloth Packet: Add the grapefruit seeds and core to the cheesecloth-lined bowl that also has the lemon seeds. Tie the cheesecloth and make a packet to use during the cooking process. 

Cooking Step One

Add enough cold water into the pot to just cover the lemon and grapefruit peels and bring to a boil over high heat for 5 minutes. Drain with a sieve and return into the pot. Add 1 quart (900 g) cold water into the pot, the 1/2 cup (115 g) juices, cut-up grapefruit segments, and cheesecloth pouch with the seeds. Bring liquid to a boil over high heat. Immediately, remove from heat, cover pot, and let it sit for 10 to 12 hours, overnight. This process is what extracts the natural pectin from the seeds. 

Cooking Step Two

Put two to three saucers or small plates for testing the consistency into the freezer now. Remove the lid from the saucepan, place over medium heat and bring the liquid to a boil over medium heat. Add sugar and salt, cooking and stirring occasionally, until the temperature reaches 218F to 220F.  This can take between 30- 50 minutes so be patient. Watch for the marmelade to darken in color, thicken and the bubbles to decrease in size. This can happen suddenly so keep close watch.

To test the consistency, remove a plate from the freezer and pour a small sample of marmalade onto it. Swirl it around. If it’s where you want it, stop there. If you feel like it’s still too loose for you, continue cooking and testing. 

When you have reached the desired set point, remove the pot from heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then using tongs, carefully remove the cheesecloth packet from marmalade squeezing to release extra pectin. Give the marmalade one gentle stir to distribute the fruit throughout. Pour into sterilized jars. Tap the jars lightly on your surface to release any air bubbles. Let the marmalade cool completely then, secure with lids and refrigerate. 

The marmalade will last in the refrigerator at least 4 weeks. I plan to repeat this same process with 4-5 blood oranges, about 1.5-2 lbs (750-900 grams) of whole fruit.

Listen in and discover what Oat extract can offer you and your family now. Enjoy this sweet mix of Gemmotherapy Materia Medica and an Asian Medicine lens as Maegan and Lauren explore the potential of Oat Gemmotherapy Extract.

Discover more about Lauren and Maegan’s work here:

Lauren Hubele

Maegan Lemp

Learn more about Gemmotherapy here.

Find Gemmotherapy extracts here.

New to Gemmotherapy? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to get you started.

Homeopath and pet expert Susie Killian pairs up with Lauren to share the very latest information on Gemmo extracts for your furry friends.  Learn to harmonize your pet’s nervous system, support healthy elimination, and address chronic symptoms naturally with Gemmo plant bud extracts. Your pets will thank you. In this episode learn the basic guidelines for dosing your pets and the first two extracts you might consider to harmonize your pet’s Central Nervous System.

In this episode we begin to discuss the Autonomic Nervous System Extracts for your pets, beginning with Fig.

Learn more about Gemmotherapy here.

Find Gemmotherapy extracts here.

New to Gemmotherapy? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to get you started.

Contact Susie Killian susiekillian17@gmail.com

If it seems I’m a bit stuck on comforting bowls of goodness you are 100% right and I don’t hear any complaints.  Are you going to argue with a heaping dose of nurturing these days?  I’m not and anyway there are certainly worse vices than obsessively cooking soup, at least in my opinion. Inspired by Alexis Gauthier’s 

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 2 large onions, peeled and very finely chopped
• 1 inch of turmeric root freshly grated or ½ tea dried tumeric
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
• 2 veggie broth cubes
• 1 bag of baby spinach washed and trimmed
• 1 large potato Yukon Gold or Red Skinned, cubed
• 1 Medium Sweet potato, cubed
• 2 x 400g tin cooked chickpeas, drain one can and preserve the water of the other
• 2 handfuls or ¾ cup of raisins 
• 1 big pinch saffron threads
• Salt and Pepper
• A handful of slivered almonds
• A handful of coconut chips
• 1 big handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
• Prepared steamed rice ( optional)

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan, then add the onions, and cook over low heat very slowly to create a caramelized effect. Add saffron to a small amount of hot water in a small dish or glass, set aside to bloom. Add all of the remaining spices to onions, warming them gently for another 5-10 minutes. 

Pour coconut milk, broth cubes, and a can of chickpeas into the mixture and simmer gently for 20 minutes. In the meantime steam potato pieces until just fork tender and add along with the spinach, raisins, and saffron.  Let it sit over very low heat or cover with a lid and turn off the heat for a moment.

In a cast iron skillet toast almond and coconut chips, being quite careful not to burn.  Finely chop cilantro.  These will be your stew toppings. 

Dish stew up, add a scoop of rice and  top with coconut, almonds and fresh cilantro.  

Enjoy!

If finding balance and even your footing in these early days of 2022 is your struggle you are not alone. Pull up a chair and listen to this intimate, unscripted conversation between Japanese Acupuncturist Maegan Lemp and Gemmotherapist, Lauren Hubele.  In this short but powerful conversation Lauren and Maegan share what they have learned just two weeks into the new year about holding space for others.

Discover more about Lauren and Maegan’s work here:

Lauren Hubele

Maegan Lemp

Learn more about Gemmotherapy here

Find Gemmotherapy extracts here.

New to Gemmotherapy? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to get you started.

Here’s a link to find Phytembryotheapy by Drs. Ledoux and Guenoit

This nourishing noodle soup is my equivalent of love in a bowl.  Why not gift it to yourself and someone you love this week. Don’t be put off by the 2  ingredient lists, it goes together in a snap AND you’ll end up with extra curry paste to make it again or gift to a friend.

Thanks to Hetty McKinnon for the recipe that inspired the version below.  

Curry Paste

• 4 medium garlic cloves, roughly chopped or if you aren’t a fan replace with a red onion
• 5 medium shallots, roughly sliced
• 1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger roughly chopped
• 1 (2-inch) piece of fresh turmeric grated or 2 tea of ground tumeric
• 1-3 serrano chiles depending on desired heat, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 2 tea fresh lime juice
• 2 tea ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 cup good-quality coconut oil

Place all but the coconut oil in a small food chopper/processor and pulse until items are well chopped and combined.  Add coconut oil and process it again until a paste forms. 

Whip this up first, setting aside ½ cup to be used immediately and place the rest in a air tight glass jar in your fridge to use within the next ten days.

Noodles

Uncooked noodles- I’ve used pad thai rice noodles and buckwheat noodles, both are delicious. 

For rice noodles, place the desired amount in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until tender, drain and rinse and drain again.  

For buckwheat noodles,  prepare according to package directions.

Set aside until soup is ready to serve.

Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups vegetable broth- I made mine from Rapunzel Veggie Broth Cubes
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can organic coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1  bunch Swiss Chard, Broccoli rabe, or kale.  Stems removed and chopped, greens roughly torn.

Toppings

• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, quartered

Add olive oil to a heavy deep pan, and warm over medium heat.  I like using my enameled dutch oven. Increase heat a smidge and add stems from the greens and sliced mushrooms searing until barely fork tender. Add the 1/2 cup of the curry paste on reserve, reduce heat to low, stirring constantly, until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes.  Stir in vegetable stock and coconut milk. Let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes. Throw in the chopped greens, cover with lid and remove from heat.  When leaves have wilted assemble soup.

Divide noodles among serving bowls, ladle over soup, top with chopped scallions and cilantro leaves. Serve with lime wedges.