A Friday Ember Days in Autumn

Welcome to the second of three Ember Days of Autumn. Ember Days are designed as a reminder to give thanks to the Lord for the rains and sunshine, for the birds in the air and all the beauty of life.

Ember Days are a throwback to a time before the universal revision of the Mass. I’ve never hidden the fact that some of those universal changes do not sit well with me. I grew up in a time when there wasn’t the pressures we have today to conform. My identity was tied directly to my faith. I was a Catholic. It was a fact that anyone could recognize if by nothing else than by my veiled head. If you are a fan of Fish Sandwiches at your local fast food restaurant, you can thank a Catholic for that.

Once upon a time, Ember Days were days of fasting, abstinence and prayer. While I know Vatican II removed the observation of Ember Days from the Church Calendar; I don’t think it was commonly practiced among the faithful for a long time. I remember what it meant to fast as a child, what Lent symbolized, and the long held tradition of abstinence on all Fridays throughout the year. It wasn’t until I found one of my father’s text books from his conversion to Catholicism that I read anything about Ember Days. Today Ember Days are still practiced by Religious Orders, but not by the lay with the exception of some (not all) members of the Latin Rite. So while we don’t fast in our house as a part of Ember Days; we do take the time to acknowledge the day and give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings in our lives.

Since it is a Friday, and penance is still a thing, we do practice abstinence throughout the year. While all Catholics do this during Lent, more and more Roman Catholics are returning to abstinence as a form of penance. If nothing else, think of it as a healthy break once a week from red meats.

Have a blessed and beautiful Friday!

Wild Rice Potato Soup
4 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Baby Carrots
1 lb Baby Red Potatoes
6 cups Chicken Stock, divided
1 cup uncooked Wild Rice Blend
1 cup Pearl Onions
1 Bay Leaf
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
Sourdough for serving
Butter for serving

Peel; and mince garlic. Cut carrots into small rounds. Clean and slice celery. Scrub potatoes. Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces.

In a stock pot add a splash of chicken stock to prevent sticking. Sauté celery and garlic until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add carrots and potatoes with another splash of stock. Cook for about 7 minutes, until just slightly tender.

Add rice, toast for about a minute. Add remaining chicken stock, pear onions, fresh bay leaf and seasonings. Bring soup to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about an hour, until rice and potatoes are tender. As the soup simmers, stir occasionally to prevent scorching.

Remove bay leaf. Stir in the cream, heat through. Ladle soup into warm bowls. Serve with slices of warm sourdough bread and sweet butter as desired.

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Fear not when a man grows rich,
when the wealth of his house becomes great,
For when he dies, he shall take none of it;
his wealth shall not follow him.