On the days when the weather is too bad to be outdoors, cook up a pot of soup or one of chowders and serve it with cornbread. Good!
Soups can be as simple as cooking bacon or smoked sausage, pouring off the fat, sauteeing finely chopped onion in the pot and then adding a can of seasoned tomatoes and milk or cream for a cream soup or water for a plain soup. I always add a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of sugar to this to cut he acidity of the tomatoes.
Or it could be an all afternoon cooking marathon. Use whatever meat you like and add as many vegetables as you want. A little pasta is always good and helps to "thicken the broth". A little oatmeal does the same thing and with the health benefits from it, it goes into a lot of things I cook.
A good, quick chowder is made with ham chopped up and sauteed with onions until they are tender. Add canned (or fresh broth, whatever flavor you like) thickened with a little flour. Then add canned corn, 1 each creamed and whole kernel is good, and when all that has boiled, add the milk or cream. Of course, salt and pepper is added to taste to all of the soups.
Sorry . . . I don't do measurements - and never do things exactly the same twice. Maybe you will get an idea from this if you don't cook this way, too. This is also good to take along camping and can certainly be done ahead of time. If you don't like cornbread, a good french bread heated with butter is yummy as well as saltines.
Granny J... This is a recipe I dreamed up years ago when living in Massachusetts; fun to make and satisfying.
Clamdigger's Corn Chowder
2 med. onions, cut up
1/2 lb. bacon, diced small and fried til done but not crisp, drained
1 can creamed corn
1 can kernel corn, drained
1 12-oz can evaporated milk
2 cups whole or 2% milk
2 cans chopped clams, drained
Melt a chunk of butter and saute the onions til limp and translucent but not browned.
Put everything else in the pot and slowly bring to a simmer on LOW heat... do NOT boil.
Season with salt and pepper. You can add leftover boiled potatoes if you have some around, cut-up rather small.
If you have been out digging clams, of course you can use freshly steamed ones.... in this case, use the juice too. I don't like the juice from the canned ones,
My family loves the creamed chowders, here are a couple of my recipes:
New England Clam Chowder:
2/3 C Butter, melted
1/3 C Margarine, melted
1 C All-purpose flour
1/2 C Bacon ends and pieces
2½ C Onion, diced in-1/2 inch square
2½ C Celery, diced-1/2 inch square
4 C Clam juice
1½ C Potatoes, diced-1/2 inch square
3 cans baby clams (10 oz.)
1½ C Hot milk
2½ C Hot heavy cream
In a small saucepan melt butter and margarine over low heat. While stirring constantly, incorporate flour into oil mixture, making a roux. Cook for 4 minutes on medium heat; do not let roux brown. Remove from heat.
In soup pot, over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly browned. Add onion and celery and cook slowly until they are soft, but not brown. Add clam juice and bring to a boil.
(optional: garnish with parsley & shredded cheese)
Using a whisk, slowly stir in the roux by adding small amounts of roux to the boiling soup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to make sure the liquid has no flour lumps; boil for 10 minutes.
In a microwaveable container cover diced potatoes with water and place in a microwave oven on high for 4 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Strain off liquid. Add potatoes to soup.
Add clams, milk and cream. Heat gently, but do not boil. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
NOTE: If a thicker chowder is desired, add 1/4 cup more flour.
Serves 16 (1 cup servings) Serve with crusty rolls.
Crockpot Corn & Potato Chowder:
6 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled
4 med. potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 c. minced onions
1 (16 oz.) can cream corn
1 cup diced cooked ham
2 cans (13 3/4 oz.) chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
Place all ingredients except milk in a Crock Pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Add milk and cook covered for another 30 to 45 minutes. (Optional garnish with parsley & shredded cheese) Serve with toast or crusty buns.
Makes 2 quarts.
Sylvia
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... in this case, use the juice too. I don't like the juice from the canned ones,
