Snowstorm Chicken and Brown Rice Soup

3 carrots – oblique sliced

2-4 stalks celery chop-sliced

2 big elephant garlic cloves

-or- a whole bulb of regular garlic

1 lg. yellow onion – chopped

¾c uncooked brown rice
2T butter + 2T red or white wine vinegar

Saute' and stir all the above until the onions are translucent. Add 6 cups of water, 1T ground rosemary and 3 bay leaves. Simmer, covered, a half hour, then turn off heat.

1½# boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 lemon – juice and zest

2-3T powdered (MSG-free) soup base

Meanwhile, thaw chicken if frozen, taking off any visible fat. Simmer in enough water to cover for a half hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Cool, then pull apart and cut into bite-size pieces. Add chicken, lemon and soup base to the vegetables in the pot. Simmer all together another half hour. Check flavors, making any necessary changes and serve. Makes enough for four hungry people with some leftover. :-) . . .Lin