Potato Hashbrown Soup ~

Oh boy, another hard to resist item for me -- potatoes.  This is another food item we just don't have in the house often...like bacon.  Oh look - they are both here in attendance.  :)  

~FLD's after school snack, very filling ~

I was talking about soups with FLD (Former Little Dude) last week when I made chicken soup.  I bought a bag of *REALLY* cheap potatoes in a moment of "These are cheap - we are poor" mode the same week.  Dysfunctional offerings to the public - genetically modified potatoes.  They will be the last in this home, I hope.  Back to my main thought...I mentioned potato soup to FLD because he loves potatoes.  He likes to try things, has an open mind when it comes to food...so I said I would make potato soup.  He was happy to hear that it also had bacon.  Insert male grunting happy for meat sounds here.  14 years old = often hungry.

Potato Soup ~

6 slices thick cut bacon, trimmed of excess fat, sliced in 3/4" pieces
1/2 white onion, diced
4-6 medium red russet potatoes, large cubes, cooked.  Leave on skins.  Drain and set aside
2 medium red russet potatoes, peeled, diced.
5 c. chicken stock.
3/4 c. half and half.
2 tsp. pureed chipotle in adobo sauce
1 T. freshly chopped Mexican oregano
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

• Note that this recipe has cooked potatoes.  If you have not done this, now is the time, use salted water.
• In a stock pot heated over medium, brown bacon until it is crisp and has released all it's fat.
• Remove bacon and all but 2 T. fat.  Reserve fat if you feel you might use a tad more in the recipe.
• Saute diced potatoes in the bacon fat over medium-low heat until half cooked, some browning is good.  Remember to salt and pepper the potatoes as you start.  Remove when half cooked and reserve.  These do not get added until after the other boiled cubed potatoes have been pureed.
• If you feel you need a tad more grease use either the reserved bacon fat or a touch of olive oil.  In this, saute the onions until brown.
• Add the cooked cubed potatoes, not the sauteed diced potatoes, 3 - 4 cups of the stock and the oregano to the onions.  Let warm through.
• Remove the potatoes and stock to puree in a blender, in batches.  Watch the overspill, leave the lid ajar with a towel covering or it will spray out.  Never blend hot liquids in a closed atmosphere.
• Add the puree back to the stock pot.  Add the remaining chicken stock, the half and half, the chipotle puree and the reserved sauteed diced potatoes.  Let come to a gentle simmer until the diced sauteed potatoes are cooked through, but still fairly firm to the bite.
• At this point, since salting the hashbrowns and the onions, there should not be too much need for more salt, only minor adjustments.  I tend to like a peppery potato soup, so I added more freshly ground pepper.  The chipotle puree ads depth to taste.  Add water if you want it thinner.

Happy Fall day!  Eskimo kisses ~ ~ ~

This is linked to the happy sharing day of Foodie Friday. 

Oh boy, oh boy!!

 ~

Clam chowder, honey!!!  *sighing* with recent memories of warm, light, creamy spoonfuls of a delicious nature.  (I'll never be a writer.)

Former Little Dude, now a teenager, said that my chowder is lighter, taste more like clams, less creamy than Mo's.   I sure do like that he talks about these things that he notices.  He likes both, but prefers a lighter version.  So do I.  I like brothy.  Maybe this is clam soup.

Pretty rounds

Clam soup ~

5-6 slices of thinly sliced proscuitto
1-2 T. olive oil
One large-ish yellow onion, diced
5-8 yukon gold potatoes, washed, skin left on, chopped into 1 1/2" chunks
Two pints clam juice
1 lb. frozen baby clams in juice, or clams of choice.  Reserve the juice if thawed.
4 T. cornstarch
1/2 - 3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper

• Heat a stockpot to medium heat, add olive oil and proscuitto.  Cook to not quite crisp.
• Add onions, toss of kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, saute to soft.
• Add the two pints clam juice, heat to simmer.  Add potatoes.
• When potatoes are shy of being done, place a cup of the clam juice (from the frozen clams) into a bowl with the cornstarch.  Whisk thoroughly and pour into the stockpot, cook for five minutes.
• Add the clams, cream and heat through.  
• Taste for seasoning.  

With rosemary-walnut bread

New Year's Eve ~

                                                               Out

                                                               Of a great need

                                                              We are all holding hands and climbing.

                                                              Not loving is a letting go.

                                                              Listen,

                                                             The terrain around here

                                                              Is far too dangerous

                                                              For that.

                                                             

                                                              ~ Hafiz

                                                            

  

    

Let's offer flowers, pour a cup of libation,  

split open the skies and start anew on creation.

~Hafiz

 Blessings to all ~ walk with love into the New Year ~

Simply pictures ~

 One kind word can warm three winter months --

Japanese proverb

Chicken corn chowder ~

~ Mmmm, onions ~

Rough estimates - soup makers understand this.   Additional salt with each added ingredient when sauteing, building layers.  Account for the salt that is in any favorite stock.   There can be a feeling of contentment at what the stockpot will produce before the process is even started...simply with the feeling of knowing it's time to make soup....starting slow...taking time, as I imagine soup lovers do when they enter the kitchen to make such comfort ~~ as I wish for lovers, too.    


Chicken corn chowder ~

Four chicken thighs
Two cobs of corn, kernels removed (of course frozen is fine)
One yellow onion, diced
Three cloves of garlic, minced
Four yukon gold potatoes, large dice
Roasted red peppers, diced, maybe less than 1/4 c.
Chicken stock - 2 quarts - more if you like
Small can of chopped green chilis, drained
Thyme
Touch of cream if desired

• In a stockpot....
• Saute (salt and pepper) chicken thighs in olive oil until done.  Remove, set aside.  Shred when cool.
• Add onion, saute until there is some brown color (add a touch more olive oil if you need it)
• Add garlic and corn, saute until soft  
• Add chicken stock, and potatoes.  Cook until potatoes are almost done.
• Return chicken to the pot.
• Add green chiles and red peppers.
• Add your desired cream, or half and half.  Go light at first.
• Adjust seasoning, more fresh pepper here is good.