The other day my daughter came over to help me put the yard to bed. She mentioned before she arrived that she was going to bring some things to make a “mineral broth.” I have made soup stock, and bone broth, but I had never heard of mineral broth, so I was eager to see what she was up to. By the time she had unpacked all of the bags and boxes, my kitchen looked more like the farmers market than the farmers market. Everything was scrubbed and chopped into large pieces and set into a 12 quart pot to simmer, while we headed outside. I cracked the kitchen window slightly and spent the next several hours being seduced by the amazing smell that wafted out across the yard. She added a red beet to the already dense and spicy concoction – and the smell of allspice, garlic, clove, onion, beet, carrots, parsley, yams, kombu, potato, black pepper, bay and leeks, teased at our senses as we took down spent flowers and cut back an overgrown hedge.

I can’t say for sure if it really is magic, but by the time we finally came in to taste it, I was definitely under it’s spell. It was so nicely balanced, vaguely sweet and stocky with a perfect mix of spices and a hint of green. The yams and potato lent a familiar comforting air. I think I’m about ten years younger for having inhaled the invigorating aroma, and with a weeks worth of vegetables in a pot, I’m guessing a good bit healthier for drinking it too. I enjoyed sipping it the rest of the day. Sorry to say it’s almost gone now, but if you want to make some earthy magic of your own, here is a great Fall recipe for Magic Mineral Broth ala Rebecca Katz.

http://rebeccakatz.com/soups-broths/magic-mineral-broth/