All Vitis species are completely edible, varying in size, flavor, and seediness. But even the smallest and seediest are excellent for juice, jelly, wine, etc. just no good for fresh eating. With wild grapes the challenge is finding a productive vine as most just put out a whole lot of vegetative growth and very little fruit. Larger, tastier wild grapes of the species you commonly have in Virginia are certainly out there, it is just a matter of locating them at the right time. You should get a good book on wild edibles and learn their characteristics along with those of the toxic look-alikes if you're anticipating foraging...

I see no one has addressed your question, and it is an important one. The vegetables you use in your soup can't be raw, in the main because all the soup ingredients need to be hot when they are placed in the jars. The safe processing times are calibrated based upon boiling contents. However, you don't need to overcook them either. Boil everything 5 minutes before jarring up and that's sufficient. I think you may be surprised at how well the vegetables hold up. The texture of the chicken will probably be more of an issue. Also, if you think of it, with uncooked vegetables, especially chunks of potato, you risk some absorbtion of the liquid during processing. It wouldn't be fun to pull your jars out of the pressure canner and see they're only 2/3 full of a dense sludge-like mixture. So be sure the mixture has been boiled 5 minutes and then aim for 1/2 solid contents and 1/2 liquid for appropriate density. You should be able to eyeball a half-jar and still come reasonably close to equally distributed contents. If you have a leftover jar of plain or thin stock, that's not a bad thing because it can be used lots of ways. You do have another option, and that's to can plain chicken and broth in one batch and mixed vegetables in another batch. Combine one jar of each for soup. This gives you maximum versatility and you may find this brings you closer to the flavor and texture you prefer. Carol

I cut up the veggies and put the onions ( I use onion) in a heavy pan I use my 8 qt Le Cruset and brown in 1/2 a stick of butter.....when all moisture has evaporated. add 1/4 cup of of flour and cook 1 minute...add 2 cups of chicken broth and cook, sturring to remove lumps until flour thickens a bit. Add your steamed or roasted veggies, and 2 cups of milk....simmer ( do NOT boil!) gently for about 20 minutes and gently stir in 2 cups of grated sharp chedder...2 tsps worchestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp Coleman's dry mustard ( or 2 tsps prepared grey poupon mustard) and stir and heat gently until smooth. Check for salt...I don't think it will need any but you may. Linda C

1.__________________________________________________________ Asparagus and Leek Soup Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Asparagus and Leek Soup over low heat, saute: 2 finely chopped leeks in a little butter or olive oil then add: 2# chopped asparagus, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 2 C chicken broth, 1 C water when the veggies are very tender, puree them in a blender. return this to the stock pot and if you like it, stir in 1/2 C of sour cream. slowly reheat and add a little salt and pepper to taste. 2._________________________________________________________ Chilled Soup of Mixed Peas Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Chilled Soup of Mixed Peas # snap peas, blanched and julienned, ¼ C butter, 2 minced shallots, 2# shelled peas, 2 C chicken stock, 2 C half and half, ½ C sour cream, lemon juice, salt & pepper, basil Melt butter in a saucepanadd shallots and sauté for a minute or two. Add peas. Reduce heat to low and cook about 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Blend in a blender until smooth and chill thoroughly. Whisk together the half and half and sour cream and pour this into the soup. Season with a squirt or two of lemon juice, salt and pepper and add a little shredded or dried basil. Garnish with the pea pods and serve. Notes: the above is fairly thick and creamy. You can substitute no fat half and half (which is pretty high in sugars) and no-fat sour cream. The flavor is still quite good but it is a little thinner, both in consistency, as well as flavor 3.__________________________________________________________ Mom's Parsley Soup Posted by: san_ (My Page) on Wed, Nov 20, 02 at 18:21 Mom's Parsley Soup Combine and simmer for about 30 minutes: 4 C diced potatoes (3 chefs or 5 or 6 regular ones), 1 C diced onions, 1/4 C butter, 1/4 tsp curry powder, 1 T worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ C water, After cooling the above mixture a little, pour it into an osterizer, adding about 1/2 C of milk and blend until it's VERY smooth. heat in a small saucepan: 2 ½ C chopped parsley, 3 C chicken stock, (the parsely and stock can be put through an osterizer or blended with a "power stick" but i prefer to leave it with a little texture) stir the parsley/stock into the potato/stock, and season with salt and pepper. check to see if it needs thinning with a little more milk. at this point, you can chill it or reheat just to the boiling point for serving. this will serve 8 easily. 4._________________________________________________________ Wild Mushroom Soup Posted by: MQmoi (My Page) on Tue, Nov 26, 02 at 18:15 As promised, here's the Wild Mushroom Soup recipe that got raves at the Autumnfest meal. It is from The Trellis Cookbook. I made it using Chanterelle mushrooms. If you read the Chef's notes, you will get other ideas, e.g., I made part of the soup ahead of time. Wild Mushroom Soup Serves 8 1 pound shiitake mushrooms or other available fresh wild mushrooms, 6 cups chicken stock, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon water, 2 stalks celery, chopped, 1 medium onion, chopped, 1 medium carrot, chopped, 1 medium leek, white part only, chopped, 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed, Salt and pepper to season, 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon clarified butter, 2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, 1 cup heavy cream Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Slice enough mushroom caps to make 3 cups. Reserve. Place the remaining caps and stems in a 2 1/2-quart saucepan with the chicken stock. Bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. While the stock is simmering, heat the vegetable oil and water in a 5-quart saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped celery, onion, carrot, and leek, along with the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until the onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chicken and mushroom stock to the sauteed vegetables. Bring to a simmer. In a 2 1/2-quart saucepan, melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour, to make a roux, and cook until the roux bubbles, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent browning and scorching. Strain 4 cups simmering stock into the roux. Whisk vigorously until smooth, then add to the large pot with the remaining stock and vegetables. Whisk until well combined. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. (Pass the soup through a strainer if a smoother texture is desired.) Heat the clarified butter in a large non-stick saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the reserved 3 cups sliced mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the cream. As soon as this mixture is hot (do not boil), add to the pureed soup. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. (This soup may be held hot in a double boiler for up to two hours.) The Chef's Touch Because of their wide availability on a year-round basis, shiitake mushrooms have become the fresh wild mushroom of choice at The Trellis. Many other varieties of fresh wild mushrooms are also available seasonally. Some of our favorites include: oyster tree, black trumpet, white trumpet, chicken-of-the-woods, morel, porcini, and chanterelle. When fresh varieties are not available, do not hesitate to use the dried variety, especially for a soup or stew. For this recipe, rehydrate 4 ounces dried wild mushrooms in 2 quarts warm water for one hour; drain well before using. If for some reason wild mushrooms, fresh or dried, are not available, an acceptable soup can be prepared by using 1 pound cultivated white mushrooms. If the soup is not to be served within two hours, omit adding the sliced mushrooms, tomatoes, and cream. Cool the soup properly (see page 315), then cover and refrigerate for up to three days. When reheating the soup, bring to a simmer before adding the separately heated garnish of mushrooms, tomatoes, and cream. 5.__________________________________________________________ No Peek Stew Posted by: Ann_T (My Page) on Thu, Nov 28, 02 at 19:26 Joanne, I have never made this nor do I know who posted it first. It has been posted numerous times though. This particular version of it I copied from another website. See link below. If someone would like to take credit for it, please be my guest. LOL. Ann. No Peek Stew 2 lbs. stew meat, 1 (2.5 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained, 1 pkg. dry onion soup mix, 1 (10 3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, 1 cup ginger ale, Throw all ingredients into a pot with a tight-fitting lid and bake at 350 degrees F. for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Do not peek. Yield: 6 servings. 6._________________________________________________________ OLd Fashioned cream of tomato soup Posted by: Linda_inTennessee (My Page) on Thu, Apr 3, 03 at 21:42 OLd Fashioned cream of tomato soup serves 10 1 stick of butter, 1/2 cup flour, 4 cups milk, 2 1/2 lbs canned diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups tomato juice, 1 1/2 cups prepared bloody mary mix, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsp pepper, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups heavy cream make a roux in a large pot using butter and flour, careful not to brown. add remaining ingredients , simmer 15 minutes. garnish each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a touch of dill 7.__________________________________________________________ WINTER VEGETABLE STEW Posted by: Teri2 on Thu, Aug 28, 03 at 15:55 This is always a hit and it's just about my favorite winter dish. It never fails to amaze people who think they don't like brussel sprouts, including me! Use the tender, young sprouts of fall and they'll just soak up the yummy liquid and taste soooo good. WINTER VEGETABLE STEW 5 T. butter, 2 med leeks, sliced thinly, 1/2 lb. boiling onions, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 t. thyme, 1 bay leaf, rosemary to taste, 1/2 lb. mushrooms, whole or halved to bite size, 1 med. turnip, 1/2 in. dice (this is essential for flavor), 1 1/4 c. dry white wine, 1 1/2 T. soy sauce, 1/2 lb. Russet potatoes, 1/2 in. dice, 1/4 lb. small brussel sprouts, 1 c. hot vegetable stock (Knorr cubes work well), 1 T. wine vinegar, 1 1/2 T. molasses, 1 1/2 t. paprika, dash of Tabasco, salt and pepper to taste Use a large, heavy pot. Saute leeks, onion, garlic and herbs in 3 T butter until leeks turn golden. Add mushrooms, turnips, wine and soy sauce. Stir and lower heat. Prepare potatoes and sprouts. Add to stew. Stir again and cover. In a small saucepan, melt 2 T butter and stir in flour. Cook the roux for a few minutes. Add hot vegetable stock and whisk to thicken. Add vinegar,molasses, paprika and Tabasco. Add to stew. Simmer stew about 1 hour. Season to taste (if at all). Serves 4-5. Teri