New England Clam Chowder

In between these early summer days of sultry weather, we've had a couple of days of damp and cool, when the idea of hamburgers and potato salad just didn't seem to hit the spot. 

I rummaged about in the pantry and saw I had three cans of minced clams, had some heavy cream in the fridge that needed to be used, and knew what we'd be having for dinner.

This clam chowder is very good; it's not the best (if you've ever had fresh from the Atlantic Ocean clams made into chowder from Legal Seafoods in Boston, you'll know what I mean by best), but it's the best I've ever made at home.  This chowder had a wonderful velvety mouth feel and the clam flavor came through nicely.  Even Ole Sweetie-Pi, who rarely goes for a second helping on anything with milk in it, ate two servings, and put dibs on the leftovers.

There's controversy about bacon versus salt pork, and I use bacon.  Rarely do I have salt pork in the house unless I'm making baked beans.  If you have salt pork, but all means go ahead and use it; just render the fat as you would with the bacon.  Some folks go so far as to finely dice the salt pork and sprinkle it on the chowder  as a garnish, but I'm not one of them; I've got to have some limits, smiles, on the amount of fat I consume.

And take a look at the last ingredient at the ingredient list. Are you as surprised as I was?  I hesitated using the sugar as it's not an ingredient I envision with clam chowder, so I opted to use just a good pinch, and the addition seemed to work just fine.

New England Clam Chowder

3 6.5-ounce cans minced or whole clams, reserve liquid **
3 slices bacon
4 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup heavy cream (light cream will work too)

3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
good pinch of sugar

Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.  Add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon, rendering the fat.  Remove the bacon and save the drippings.  Add the diced potatoes and onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or so, or until the onions look translucent. 

Add the clam juice, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Stir in the claims, 2 cups of milk and the cream. 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the flour and stir well.  Stir mixture into the chowder. Cook chowder until thick and bubbly.

Add Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of sugar. Stir, and taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper if desired. 

Supposed to serve 4, (probably dainty eaters)  but more likely 2 or 3 really hungry people.

**My notes:  The original recipe called for 2 cans of clams, which isn't nearly enough.  Even with three 6.5-ounce cans of clams, I felt as if I could have used another can, and then I probably wouldn't have had to add any water at all.

Four cups of potatoes, is that really enough?  Depends how thick and chunky you like your clam chowder.  Next time, I'll probably add another potato or two. 

Same goes with the thickener.  I've had chowder so thick you could stand your spoon up in it and at the other end of the spectrum, where it was just a milk broth.  This chowder is a medium consistency, very good.  If you like it thicker, add more flour and milk after you see how it cooks up.

Parsnip, Apple and Thyme Soup

 

When I was youngster, creamed corn was about the only vegetable I'd ever eat.  I never grew tired of it  and when entreated to try something new, I would practically convulse at the thought. And heaven knows I'd never eat parsnips or even try them. Never. Parsnips were something that my grandmother ate (she also ate tripe and pickled pig's feet, so, in my mind, she was not exactly a reliable taste tester).

Time passed, I've made a conscious effort to "grow up" my taste buds and  I have learned to appreciate the cruciferous vegetables, greens, gourds, root vegetables, but parsnips escaped me until much later.  And now?  Well, I've acquired a taste for them, and quite frankly they'll never be a favorite, but they are so good for you that I keep trying them.  If you've never tried them, they look a lot like carrots in shape, though they're creamy white.  To me they taste somewhere between a carrot and a turnip--they have a natural sweetness like a carrot but have a more assertive flavor akin to a turnip.  

One of my favorite blogs is The English Kitchen.  Marie is a transplanted Canadian now residing in England, and she is discovering English cooking and sharing her delicious results and discoveries.  Her blog is beautifully photographed and written; everything she prepares looks delicious.  And it was there that I found this recipe for parsnip, apple and thyme soup.  I hope you take some time to peruse her blog and maybe even try this soup. It reminds me of the soups I've tried from Campbell's Select soups.

Parsnip, Apple and Thyme Soup

(from The English Kitchen)

1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon medium curry powder
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
3 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
1 large cooking apple, peeled and chopped (I used 3 small Granny Smiths)
5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
extra virgin olive, croutons and some fresh thyme leaves as garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and curry powder. Cook and stir over medium low heat until the onion softens.

Stir in the parsnips, apple and thyme sprig. Cook and stir to coat in the oil and spice. (You may need to add a bit more oil). Add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the apple and parsnip is quite soft.

Puree until smooth with a stick blender or in a blender in small batches, taking care to cover the blender so you don't get burned. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Return to the pot and stir in the cream and heat through.

Serve hot, ladled into heated bowls. Top each serving with a drizzle of olive oil, some croutons and some thyme leaves.

Cream of Lentil Soup

Rachel of Rachel vs. "The Kitchen"  recently celebrated her one year blogoversary and held a terrific giveaway. She gave away a fabulous Taste of Home Prize Winning Recipes magazine, which has a collection of 200 delicious, family tested and family approved  recipes.  And I won!   If you have visited with Rachel yet, I hope that you do.  She's down to earth, an absolute delight, and her recipes always leave me saying, "I have to make this!"

Let me assure you, the minute I received this magazine, I sat down and read it from cover to cover;  I think I've read it every single night since it arrived in my mailbox.  There are so many tempting recipes in there that I didn't know which to choose first; I had a dozen bookmarked. Then I remembered my New Year's food resolution:  to try new-to-me foods, to break out of my staid food habits, to try the "exotic."  What better way to celebrate a thoughtful gift.

Was I one of the last people on this planet to try lentils?    I don't know why it took me so long to try them, but I was reluctant.  And curry?  Well, I used to love curry then it fell out of favor with me, but slowly I've been reacquainting myself with its warm flavor and aroma.  Soooo....

When I saw this Cream of Lentil Soup, I knew I had to at least give it a try. Lots of fresh vegetables.  And cream.

Are all lentils created equally?  I do not know.  I had a package of red lentils; I had a package of brown lentils.  I went with the red because I liked the color.  I didn't know what to expect.  The recipe does not specify.

First of all, I was surprised to see that they cooked down, absorbing most of the cooking liquid, and became quite soft, as in a pea soup.  I think I was expecting something more like a bean or barley, where they'd hold their shape  They definitely have a bean-like or pea-like flavor, quite pleasant actually, which is a good thing since this soup is a a lentil soup after all. 

What made the soup for me, though, was the curry.  Wow!  I am definitely back in love with curry.  For me this soup has just the perfect amount, spicy, aromatic, warm but not overpowering.  I would definitely make this soup again, but it would have to be just for me.  Ole Sweetie-Pi tried a spoonful of it, cocked his head to one side, looked thoughtful, and then said, "I almost like this."  And then he went and made himself a sandwich.  Oh, well.

Let me give you the recipe as written and then I'll follow with my own changes.

Cream of Lentil Soup

6 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove **
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, combine broth, lentils, bay leaf and clove.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until lentils are tender.

Meanwhile, in a Dutch-oven, saute onion and celery in butter until crisp-tender.  Add the carrots, salt, sugar, curry powder and pepper.  Saute two to three minutes longer or until vegetables are tender.  Add garlic; cook one minute longer. 

Drain lentils. ***  Discard bay leaf and clove.  Add to vegetable mixture.  Stir in the spinach, cream, lemon juice and parsley.  Cook over low heat until heated through and spinach is wilted. 

**I don't keep whole cloves in the spice rack, so I just added a pinch of ground cloves.

***I'm not sure why the lentils are drained. If it's to remove the bay leaf , I just fished about in the soup til I found the bay leaf and removed it.  I was not about to drain the lentils and then do what with the broth?  Toss it?  I don't think so!  I paid good money for that broth and it's staying in the soup.  Plus, the lentils absorbed most of the liquid anyway, and I don't think the soup would have had enough liquid with just the cream.  As it was, I probably could have used more broth, and the next time I make this soup, I'll keep that in mind. 

Rachel, thank you so much for hosting your giveaway and for drawing my name!  Happy blogoversary to you, my friend.  I look forward to savoring many more of your delicious posts.

Hearty Tomato Soup

Ole Sweetie-Pi and I were out to dinner one night a couple of weeks ago, and the restaurant was offering a cookbook published by one of our local organizations, The Connecticut Valley Home Care/Hospice.  Now, I don't know about you, but I find it hard to resist  tried and true family recipes and an opportunity to support a local organization that does such fine work.  As soon as we arrived home, I immediately sat down down and read it from cover to cover, selecting those recipes that had the most appeal, as well as recipes from the names of those local excellent cooks whose names I recognized.

This recipe was submitted by Bea Carleton, a name I've known a very long time.  Bea was a friend and former workmate of my sainted grandmother, and a woman who was very well known for her excellent recipes.  I have other recipes from Bea via my grandmother's handwritten cards when they used to swap recipes at work.  True to Bea's reputation, this recipe is a keeper.  Both Sweetie-Pi and I loved this simple and hearty tomato soup that starts with the well-loved tomato soup in the familiar red and gold cans.

As good as this was the first day, it was even better reheated the second day.  It makes a good amount of soup, enough for 6 people, I think, perhaps more if you're serving sandwiches on the side.

Hearty Tomato Soup

(Bea Carleton in Recipes and Remembrances, Connecticut Valley Home Care/ Hospice)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 10-3/4 ounce cans condensed tomato soup
1 1/4 cup milk
2 16-ounce cans whole tomatoes, undrained

Cook and stir onion in butter in a three-quart sauce pan until the onion is transparent, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from heat.

Stir in cream cheese, paprika, basil and garlic powder.

Gradually stir in soup and milk.  Beat with hand beater (or immersion blender) until smooth.

Break up the tomatoes with a fork and stir into soup.

Heat over medium heat without boiling,  stirring frequently, until hot.

Egg Drop Soup

Ordinarily I work my 40 hours from my home office, but occasionally have to attend a mandatory meeting at the facility that issues my paycheck, grins. So, it happened this past Wednesday, I had to schlep through snow and ice, and ended up being an hour late due to multiple car accidents that were scattered along the interstate.  Even in the beautiful Twin State Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire we haven't learned that the posted speed limits are for that one perfect day in July when the roads are bone dry,  the sun is out and is in perfect alignment with the rest of the cosmos, and you are the only vehicle in miles and the deer and the moose are in some  distant hidden green pasture or bog (As an aside, even though there is much criticism  and derision of the driving habits of our "flatlander" brethren,  I did not see one out-of-state vehicle off the road).

Anyway, as I was running breathlessly down the hallowed halls  trying to find an obscure conference room, I ran in a dear co-worker Betty D.  Betty is blond, lithe, ethereal , a delight to the eyes and to the heart.  As she is often wont to do, she sprinted along with me and  asked me how my blog was going and what was new . In between gasps of air, I mentioned I had made an egg drop soup but wasn't going to post it, as it was very simple and quick, good, but not restaurant quality. It is one, however,  that I would certainly make again, as both Ole Sweetie-Pi and I ate big bowls of it.

"Oh, I would love that," she exclaimed.  "This would be perfect for me right now."  I gave her a hug. My friend is recovering from an extended illness and is slowly regaining her appetite.  Yes, of course, I would happy share.

This is my first try at egg drop soup. The recipe not very specific as to quantities so I guessed.  I think I added too much spinach (I used spinach from a frozen package, took out a hunk, defrosted in the microwave), and perhaps three stems of scallions (also known as green onions, depending on where you live).  I could have added more chicken broth to (obviously) make it more brothy and less spinach-y, but we like spinach, so it was fine with us.

In the time it takes to open up a couple of cans of broth, add fresh or defrosted spinach, chop up a couple of scallions, stir in some beaten egg, you have a delicious, nurturing, nourishing soup.

Egg Drop Soup

5 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup julienned fresh spinach (or a small bit of frozen spinach, defrosted)
2-3 scallions (green onions) sliced

In a large saucepan, bring the broth and sugar to a boil over medium heat and then reduce the heat to low.

With a whisk or chopsticks, stir the broth in one direction only (you are trying to make the desired egg threads) and add the egg in a steady stream.

Remove from the heat and add the spinach and  scallions.

Serves 4

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

I had been reading on your blogs about Greek yogurt, and when I finally saw organic Greek yogurt at my little city's grocery store this past spring, I was inspired and encouraged to try it.

I was going through the checkout, and a portly gentleman of early middle years was eying the foods  as I placed them on the  conveyor belt.

No point in pretending I didn't know he was standing there so I acknowledged him with a smile.

"I see you bought Greek yogurt," he said. " How do you like it?"

"This is my first purchase, but I like yogurt, so I'm sure I'll like this."  

"See you bought Oikos. I've tried the others, but theirs is the best.  My refrigerator is stacked with it.  Look, see, I bought even more today.   I don't want to run out."

He had indeed bought maybe a dozen single-serve containers, making a pyramid with them.  I smiled politely, feeling a little possessive of my Greek yogurt.  "I used to eat mostly cold cereal and canned soup; you certainly are making much better choices than I did."

He slightly shook his head disapprovingly and tut-tutted me.  "Well, it's never to late to start," he admonished. 

Then my youngest niece, Laura, graduated from UNH (University of New Hampshire), double major with a GPA that even now makes her Dad swell with pride.  The keynote speaker was Gary Hirshberg, CEO (he calls himself CE-Yo, grins) of Stonyfield Farm, the producers of Oikos Greek Yogurt. He is down to earth,  committed, takes pride in his company and product, is progressive,  and supportive of those students who are interested in agriculture, is a  friend to the Earth.  His parting message to the graduating class, "Do good work."   Aaah, a businessman whose philosophy reflects my own and who walks the talk.  Now I am impressed with the man as well as the product.

As it happens, a representative of Stonyfield Farms contacted me and offered to send me  some coupons to try their product and to mention them on my blog. I generally have their yogurt in my refrigerator so did not need the added incentive of coupons to give them a nod on my blog.  Their generous offer, however, did pique my curiosity about recipes they had on their site and that's when I found their Apple Butternut Squash Soup.  

I've discovered that I love pureed vegetable soups (Ole Sweetie-Pi still thinks he'd prefer to forgo the pleasure).  I grew up on chowders and stews, with lots of chunky goodness in thickened gravies and broths.  I still enjoy them.  However, there's something velvety, satisfying, genteel,  about pureed vegetable soups. Perhaps it's because there is one dominant ingredient and the rest are back notes, perhaps it's because I make use of vegetables are customarily only served as a side dish at my table.  Perhaps it's just because I feel righteous and healthier.  Perhaps it's simply because they are darned good.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup
(from Stonyfield Farm)


1 medium-size butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
3 medium apples, peeled,  cored and chopped coarsley
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/4 cups Oikos Organic Plain Greek Yogurt, divided

In a large pot, combine all ingredients except the yogurt.. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes.

Let cool, then put in blender and pulse until smooth. (Or use an immersion blender or food processor.)

Add 1 cup of yogurt and pulse to combine.

Return soup to large pot and reheat slowly being careful not to boil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with remaining yogurt.

My Notes:   I'm not sure how big a "medium" squash is, but I bought the smallest one I could  find and used three McIntosh apples. The flavor of the squash shines through; the apples add a nice touch of sweetness.  I think the next time I make this, I'll use an additional apple, and perhaps one that is sweeter, such as Red Delicious.  The addition of the yogurt adds a delicious creaminess and mouth feel, but I found the yogurt to be particularly tangy, so I might cut back on that a bit.  And definitely use fresh herbs if you can. The soup was excellent reheated the next day, and if possible, even better.  I'm already looking forward to another bowl of this!

Ginger Carrot Soup

I'm an unabashed sweets lover but I've had enough sugary things for a while. Now all things savory and healthier are calling me and I'm wanting to serve those foods that have more nutrition.

When I told Ole Sweetie-Pi we were having ginger carrot soup he nearly had apoplexy.  That piece of information prompted him to lift the lid of the soup pot, stir the ingredients around into a whirling vortex, taste a sample, grimace in pain, and then go hide in the living room. Honestly, he can be so dramatic.  It didn't stop him from eating a whole bowl of it though when I served it to him, grins.

This ginger carrot soup is subtly warm from the fresh ginger and pepper, with a pleasing sweetness from the fresh carrots and orange juice. The onions, I think, help to balance out the spice and the sweet.  This pureed into a nice thick soup, though to be honest, I only used one box of  vegetable stock, which was less than the five cups called for.  I wasn't about to open up a second box just a cup of stock. I could have made up the difference with water, I suppose, but I found the thickness of the soup to be pleasing and just went with it. 

I would and will definitely make this again. I'm pretty sure after eating all those carrots I'll be able to read in the dark without a flashlight.  Ole Sweetie-Pi said he could pass on eating this again, but I don't know.  I think he's still recovering from the shock.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Earthbound Farm Organic

2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

1 piece (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 cups peeled, sliced carrots

5 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Sour cream, as garnish

In a large sauce pan over medium heat, heat the oil.  Add the ginger and the onion and cook until the onion is translucent. 

Add the carrots, vegetable stock, and orange juice and bring to a boil.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, allowing the soup to simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender or allow the soup to cool slightly and puree in batches in a blender. 

Return the soup to the pot and add the seasonings:   the pinch of nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.  To serve, add a small dollop of sour cream on top.

For more information about making this soup ahead or serving it cold, click on the link I provided under the recipe name.

Mahogany Beef Stew and Never Fail Biscuits

Doggone it's been cold here.  We probably don't have as much snow on the ground as some of our southern and western cousins do, but we sure have plenty of the low double and single digit temperatures.  Once we get chilled, the cold goes to the bone, and it seems to take forever to thaw out.  (Have you ever noticed that in some places folks use the colloquialism  unthawed, such as unthaw the meat, when they really mean thaw? I digress but felt a need to point it out, grins.)

It's a good day to turn the oven to bake something hot...

and set a pot on the stove to simmer something long and slow and comforting...

It was just one of those days when no one minded the kitchen being heated up.

For a short while during the Depression years, my grandfather cut wood for a living and, in conjunction,  my grandmother ran a small boardinghouse of sorts where the workmen could stay and she'd feed them. She provided very simple fare she told me, but her baking powder biscuits were a staple, and her biscuits were her pride and joy.  To this day I don' t know of anyone who can make them higher or fluffier or more golden.  I can still see her knobby knuckles, splayed fingertips, the heavily veined hands, working the flour and lard together until "it felt just right."  Brows furrowed, no measuring, just working quickly.

I did not inherit the baking powder biscuit gene.  I have to give my beloved, sainted grandmother credit; she did try to teach me.  I made rocks, hockey pucks, door stops, cannon ballast, but not biscuits.  I gave up. years passed.  And then I saw this recipe on Allrecipes.  And you know what?  They're just as advertised.  They are no fail!  I've made them a dozen times at least since discovering them and every time they have risen beautifully, are tender and flaky, and taste (not quite like Gram's, must be the lard!) good.

Cold weather inspires heartier meals.  I like cooking with wine; it makes the recipe seem so much more elegant, but I mostly cook with white wine, sherry, the occasional Merlot, and of course champagne in my mimosas.   As I'm not a huge beef eater and as Ole Sweetie-Pi isn't much for gussied up food, red wine stays on the shelf until it becomes vinegar.  So, when I found this recipe for Mahogany Beef Stew with Red Wine and Hoisin Sauce on Epicurious I didn't have the recommended Cabernet Sauvignon  and had to substitute Merlot.  I think the Cabernet might have been a better choice, as this stew was a bit too sweet for my tastes, but Ole Sweetie-Pi gave it a big thumbs up.  This stew has a decidedly different, but delicious, flavor because of the hoisin sauce ~ sweet, rich, hearty, winy.  It's not the beef stew I grew up with, but one that I would make again.

Cream of Chicken Soup and 30-Minute Rolls

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love the earthy smells and aromas seeing and the abundance of harvests dot our countryside with stands and farmers' markets. It seems everywhere we go we see signs for bags of apples, freshly picked corn and pumpkins. Farmers markets are selling jams and pies and homemade fudge, and bundled cornstalks and grapevines to decorate our doorways.

I even saw one local enterprising farmer selling hay and bagged manure for $3.00 a bag.

The green meadow across the road from me is golden and the uncut hay sways in the breezes. In my own yard, my lavender phlox perfumes the air, and the last of my rose buds their valiant final flush before the killing frost.

As the night air and harvest moon usher in the waxing summer sun, there is a new coolness, welcomed but nonetheless foreboding of more frigid weather in the short months ahead. (The cats do not want to even stick their little noses outside; they are content open up one eye, give one long lazy stretch in acknowledgment of our presence, and then curl up again into the late morning.) My attention is on soups and breads to warm our stomachs and our hearts. The heat from the oven warms the kitchen, and its warmth draws us in, inviting us to linger.

The cream of chicken soup was very good. I think the chicken, as cooked according to the recipe, was too dry. It definitely needs less cooking than specified in the directions. The good news is, I absolutely loved the foundation of this soup; this is the soup base I've been looking for to make other chowders such as corn and clam. The onions and potatoes were perfectly flavored by the bacon, the flavors intermingling and blending and fully complimenting each other.

We have certain "go withs" when I make soup; one of them is a nice hot roll. I saw these 30-minute dinner rolls on The Sisters' Cafe, and I could not resist the temptation to have hot dinner rolls without all the rising times. Melanie states in her post that she thought they weren't fluffy enough; I thought the fluff factor was quite satisfactory, grins. (I made two pans of eight rolls, so perhaps mine were a little larger?) Also, even though her recipe didn't specify, I lightly kneaded the dough for several minutes to make a smoother looking dough and added additional flour to roll into balls. I used active yeast for these, and I'm wondering if these might not have been a little better with instant or rapid rise yeast. (They require less rising time than active yeast.) What I did find to be a drawback is the lack of the signature yeasty flavor that is imparted with long risings. I thought these were a tad on the bland side. That would not stop me from making these again, as I think they're terrific in a pinch, though I do have other hot roll recipes that I much greatly prefer when time allows.


Cream of Chicken Soup

3 slices bacon, chopped
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about one breast)
2 tablespoons butter
3 large potatoes, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
2 1/2 cups milk
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
fresh parsley for decoration and color

In a good sized stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, combine the bacon and chicken, and without any added fat, fry for about ten minutes. Stir frequently to ensure that these do not burn or stick to the pan.

Add the butter, potatoes, and onions, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the broth and milk; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30-45 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper. Just before serving add the cream and simmer (do not boil) for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

I was thinking that this needed another spice to really round out the flavor. Thyme maybe?

Flemish Carrot Soup

Spring has flirted with us for a day or two, seducing us with promises of more as we stood outside on the back deck, basking in the first warm rays. And just as suddenly, the wind picked up, the skies were heavy with snow, and my thoughts turned to something warm and satisfying.

We're pretty simple folk here; not a whole lot of gourmet cooking in my kitchen. There are certain foodstuffs that I keep; for vegetables, typically carrots, potatoes, onions, scallions, celery. I brought out several cookbooks, and settled into my Everybody Eats Well in Belgium cookbook by Ruth Van Waerebeek with Maria Robbins. And there I saw it. I was hesitant to try it, as the soups we eat tend to be chunky with vegetables with maybe some pasta thrown in for good measure and this soup was pureed, of all things. Would Sweetie-Pi even try this? he can be so particular.

I shouldn't have worried; after the first mouthful Sweetie-Pi matched me spoonful for spoonful. This soup is sophisticated. It is sublime, velvety, earthy, rich. It's orange, classy in a beautiful bowl. It should be served to only your most discerning friends and family.

Flemish Carrot Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, rinsed well and sliced into thin rings **
1 large onion, sliced
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water**
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1 large baking potato, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 cup milk, plus additional if needed
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
croutons

Melt the butter in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and onions, cook, stirring until wilted, but not browned, about ten minutes

Add the chicken broth, water, carrots, potato, thyme and bay leaf. Cover, simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a little. Discard the bay leaf.

Puree the soup in small batches in a blender or food processor (or use a food emersion blender). Return the soup to the pot and stir in the milk, adding a little more if the soup is too thick for your liking. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Reheat gently and serve sprinkled with minced parsley. Serve the croutons in a bowl at the table.

** The recipe called for leeks, but in the variations section, it was suggested to use a bunch of scallions for the leeks. Scallions I had.

** Also the recipe calls for four cups of water. It is my strong personal opinion that water does not flavor anything. So I increased the chicken broth (I only had canned) to 4 cups and reduced the water to 2 cups.

As an aside, we love Agatha Christie's Belgium detective, Hercule Poirot. You just know that we had to talk in his clipped accent all the while we savored this soup. **sigh** So much for classy and sophisticated.