There’s a winter storm bearing down on the Finger Lakes region. It’s already snowing out in the Buffalo area so we Finger Lakes dwellers know that in the next six to twelve hours, the storm will probably hit here. There’s no panic at our house as I pull out my recipe book of favorite crockpot soups and check the panty and refrigerator to see if I have the necessary ingredients. What’s on my mind is cabbage soup and so I need to get some fresh ground beef and a head of cabbage from Morgan’s Grocery Store in Penn Yan. I like doing business there. They sell you just the amount that you want. No prepackaged meats here.
Here’s what you will need to make this delicious soup:
– One 5 quart crock pot/slow cooker
– ½ head of chopped up cabbage
– 2 stalks of cut-up celery
– 1 large cut-up onion
– 2 beef bouillon cubes
– 1 and ½ lbs. ground beef
– 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
– ¼ cup of ketchup
– 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
– 1 tsp. of salt
– 1 tsp. of fresh ground pepper
Start by browning the meat in a covered saucepan. While the meat is on the stove, add all of the ingredients to the crockpot. Then add the browned meat, and fill the crockpot to the top with water. Turn on the pot to medium temperature and let it cook all night long, stirring it before you go to bed. We usually allow it to continue to cook until about noon the next day or when all of the vegetables are soft.
Penn Yan is a village blended of old and new. There’s places like Morgan’s Grocery, the Finger Lakes Railroad whose spur runs just behind Morgan’s, and the grain storage next to Morgan’s. The downtown is a picture out of the past with lots of small shops, restaurants, and churches. Don’t be frightened if you see some horse and buggies parked along Main Street as the Old Order Mennonites come into town to do business along with us car driving folks. And up on the hill there is an airport in case you need to get some place in a hurry. But why hurry just because a winter storm is coming?