Combine all stock ingredients in a large pot, bring to boil, and simmer, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours (or longer). Strain and skim off the fat. If desired, remove all of the bones, reserving any turkey meat. Discard herbs and blend the mixture to use as flavoring in a stew or sauce.

To make your soup, start by Sautéing onion and garlic in oil until soft. Add carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook the vegetables, stirring, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Add flour and while stirring, cook for another minute. Add the stock, herbs, and rice. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for about 1 hour. Add meat and hot pepper sauce, adjust seasonings. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Place squash in a baking dish whole, taking a knife and puncturing it two or three times. Wrap sweet potato in tin foil. Bake both at 350ºF until tender (potato will likely be done in 1 hour, squash may take longer).

When cool, remove flesh from both and mash with a fork. Set aside. Sauté chopped onion and ginger until just translucent and then put this mixture in the soup pot with the mashed squash and chicken broth. Cook roughly an hour. Add more broth, water, or cream if you prefer to get the consistency you wish.

Can be puréed in a food processor or with a stick blender to get a smoother consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with cilantro or sage butter. Serve immediately, but can be stored in refrigerator several days.

Combine beans and water and bring to a boil. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top. Add the celery, kombu, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions, garlic, rosemary, and a pinch of salt. With a wooden spoon, turn the vegetables several times to coat them with oil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook gently for 30 minutes, or until the onions and garlic are meltingly tender.

Remove the celery, kombu, and bay leaf from the beans and discard. Scoop out 1 cup of the bean water. Add the onion mixture to the beans, then deglaze the sauté pan with the bean water. Return this to the soup and continue simmering until the beans are tender and crush easily when pressed against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon, 45 minutes to an hour.

Pass the soup through the fine holes of a food mill, purée with a handheld immersion blender, or purée in a food processor.

Add additional water to thin the soup to desired consistency. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot.

Garnish with chopped parsley, and if desired, crispy pieces of smoked bacon. Serve with croutons, crostini, or slices of baguettes.

1.  Pat cubed meat dry with a paper towel. Lightly season with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour.
2.  In a large skillet, sauté the bacon, until cooked but not too crispy. Remove from pan and drain the strips on a paper towel.
3.  Use the bacon grease, or if you prefer the butter and oil, to brown the meat in the same skillet. Turn once to brown on both sides. Remove the meat from the pan and then add chopped onions and garlic and sauté until translucent.
4.  Next, in a large roasting pan with a lid (or the same skillet plus aluminum foil), add the meat, beer, parsley, vinegar, thyme, and bay leaves to the pot with the onions. Simmer in the oven for three hours or so, stirring occasionally. The thin broth will gradually turn browner and become slightly thick. If using mushrooms, add them at the end when you check for the need for additional salt and pepper. Cook an additional ten minutes.
5.  Serve on a hot platter with the sauce. Liberally sprinkle with additional chopped parsley.
Cheers!

1. With machine running, drop garlic into processor; blend until finely chopped. Add sage, thyme, oil, salt and pepper; process until paste forms.
2. Pat meat dry with paper towels. Rub meat all over with paste. Cover and chill at least three hours.
3. Roast, uncovered in hot oven – for beef, 15 minutes at 400ºF and 30-40 minutes at 350ºF. For tenderloins, I roasted at 450ºF for about 15 minutes – until thermometer reads about 165ºF. Serve over warm polenta.