My Faster Clam Chowder

My Faster Clam Chowder

As shared by Once Upon a Plate by Mari

www.onceuponaplate1.com

I rarely measure when I'm making soups, stews or chowders but I've given the basic measurements and directions below. As always, feel free to adjust to your own taste!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup cubed salt pork,

OR 6 to 8 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut cross-wise into 1/4" wide strips

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

4 ribs celery, small to medium dice

You may want to add a finely diced carrot, I usually don't

1 to 2 cloves chopped garlic (optional)

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon or more fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1 to 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cans (6 ounce can) chopped clams, with their juices

2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced, about 1/2" dice. (May use waxy potatoes if you prefer)

10 ounces clam juice (can use chicken stock)

3 cups half-and-half (can use whole milk)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt (more or less, to your taste)

A few dashes hot sauce (optional)

Salt and pepper

Chopped parsley leaves, or fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

Method:

Slowly cook salt pork or bacon in a large stockpot until fat is rendered (don't overcook); remove salt pork or bacon from pan and reserve.

Melt butter in the bacon fat in the stockpot. Add onions, celery, and garlic to the pot; cook on medium-high heat until the vegetables are transparent. Add flour, stir and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add diced potatoes, clam juice and milk, bay leaf and thyme; bring to a boil. Simmer and stir for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in clams to heat through. (At this point you can add in the cooked pork or bacon, if desired.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and hot sauce if using.

Please Note: (If you like a thicker chowder you may thicken this with a bit of Beurre Manie*)

*Softened butter mixed with an equal amount of all purpose flour until completely smooth. Stir a bit into gently

simmering chowder until thickened. Begin with a small amount (a teaspoon or two), simmer and check consistency. Add a bit more if chowder is not thick enough.

Remove from heat, find and discard bay leaf. Allow chowder to cool just slightly. Serve, garnished with chopped parsley.

I don't add the fresh, minced parsley to the chowder while it's cooking because it loses it's bright green color. Instead I serve it on top, or in a small serving dish with a spoon and let each person add, and stir in their own. And I pass the peppermill at the table ~ some people I know like lots of freshly ground black pepper in their chowder. Others like a couple of shakes of hot sauce, or a pat of butter to float on top so I offer those, too.

Hope you enjoy it!

Roasted Carrot Soup with Fresh Ginger

As shared by Once Upon a Plate by Mari

www.onceuponaplate1.com

4 to 6 servings  (I like to serve smaller portions of this soup)  Use vegetable broth to make Vegetarian-friendly. For appetizer: Serve in tiny cups/shot glasses.

This soup reheats well, may be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 to 4 days, you may need to add additional liquid while reheating if soup is too thick.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoon olive oil, divided use
1 cup diced onions
Up to 1/4 cup peeled, minced ginger (according to your preference, the more you add the spicier soup will be)
1 to 2 cloves minced garlic
1 pound carrots, peeled,cut into large chunks 
4 to 6 cups chicken stock/broth* (may need more: see note at end of recipe)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 bay leaf

Optional add-ins, to be added after pureeing soup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

To make it more spicy: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (or more if you dare) Harissa from the tube

Suggested garnishes to add to soup when serving:
1 Tablespoon of sour cream
Chopped chives

Grated orange zest

roasted shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitos)

1/2 teaspoon of butter for each serving

toasted chopped nuts of your choice

buttery croutons

a tiny sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon

Method:

Center rack in oven, preheat to 400ºF

Place peeled carrot chunks on a rimmed baking sheet that is large enough to hold carrots in one layer without crowding. Drizzle 1 Tablespoon olive oil over carrots and toss until they are coated in oil. Place baking sheet in oven and roast until tender, rearranging and rolling the carrots over once or twice during baking so they do not burn, its okay if they char slightly on edges. Timing will vary due to the diameter age, and size of carrot chunks ~ mine usually take between 12 and 20 minutes (pierce with tip of knife to test for doneness.)

Warm large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil and the 2 Tablespoons butter to pan, when butter melts add onions to the pot. Gently cook until onions are limp, slightly translucent (not crisp or browned), about 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for 30 seconds. Place all of the roasted carrots in the pot and add 4 cups of the chicken broth/stock*, salt pepper and bay leaf and bring to a boil. When contents of pot reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered for 20 minutes or so.

Remove the bay leaf from the pot and either puree the soup in a blender (working in batches if necessary), or using an immersion blender, puree the soup directly in the pot. (consider adding a little honey to soup when pureeing if your carrots are not sweet.) If using the heavy cream or orange zest, stir in when you are finished blending. Adjust the seasonings.  To serve, add your choice of garnishes, serve hot.

*Start out with 4 cups of stock/broth; may need  more as soup simmers, and while blending to make the consistency you like.)  Can make vegetarian friendly by subbing Vegetable stock/broth for the Chicken stock/broth.

Enjoy!

Split Pea & Bacon Soup from the Pressure Cooker

Split Pea and Bacon Soup
As shared from the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate by Mari
www.onceuponaplate1.com
8 servings

Special equipment, Pressure cooker (stovetop or electric type)

1 pound split peas, rinsed and picked over for any debris/pebbles, etc.
8 cups water or broth/stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 pound thick cut bacon cut into 1/2-inch strips, crosswise
   or 1 pound salt pork, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
   May use a smoked ham hock, or 3/4 to 1-pound ham chunks
1 onion diced
2 large carrots, peeled if desired, diced 
2 or 3 ribs celery, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled or scant 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
A bay leaf, or two
Splash or two of sherry wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional for garnish:
Reserve some of the cooked bacon
Crisp, buttery croutons
A small lump of butter for each serving
Small sprigs of fresh thyme

PRESSURE COOKER METHOD: Before beginning recipe, make sure your pot is large enough, do not fill over 1/2 full, per pressure cookers instructions.

In the pot of the pressure cooker sauté bacon until almost done, slightly crisp but not brittle. Remove bacon from pot, place on a paper towel lined plate, set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat from pot, add onions and sauté until translucent but not browned, add diced carrots and celery, cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. If using a ham bone or chunk ham omit browning and add 1 tablespoon oil to the pressure cooker pot and sauté  the onion, carrots and celery as directed above, then continue with recipe as follows:

Add rinsed and sorted peas, water/stock, thyme, bay leaf to pot.
Bring contents of pot to a boil over medium heat, lock pressure cooker lid in place (if your cooker has a pressure rocker, put it in place.) Bring pressure cooker to full pressure, set timer for 20 minutes. At 20 minutes, remove pot from heat and allow pressure to disperse naturally.  When pressure is released remove lid from pot (tipping lid away from you as you do so.)  If using ham bone, remove ham from bone and shred or chop meat from bone and return to pot.)  Remove bay leaf and discard.  Stir content of pot, add a splash or two of sherry if using. Taste soup for seasonings adding salt and pepper to taste.  To serve garnish as you desire; with reserved bacon, croutons, a pat of butter, thyme springs, freshly ground pepper, etc.

Enjoy!

Chunky Potato and Ham Chowder

Chunky Potato and Ham Chowder
From the kitchen of Once Upon a Plate, by Mari

This is a very forgiving soup in that you can adjust the quantity according to your needs. (Count on one to one and a half medium/large size potatoes per serving.) I always make extra as it reheats very well and seems to improve a day or two after you make it.  Note: It will thicken upon refrigeration, so you'll need to add more chicken stock, water or milk/cream as it reheats.
Ingredients:

2-3 strips bacon (or more, if desired), sliced crosswise into 1/2 to 3/4-inch pieces

chopped yellow (brown) onion

Russet Potatoes (starchy, baking potatoes), peeled & cut into chunks (smaller chunks will cook faster)

chicken stock/broth

bay leaf

milk or cream

diced smoked ham

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Any of the following garnishes:

The reserved bacon

Grated cheese

Sliced scallions or fresh chives

Tabasco® hot sauce

a pat of butter

Method:

-In a large pot or stock pot, slowly cook bacon pieces. Don't over cook bacon; for maximum flavor cook until just partially crisp, remove from pot and set aside for garnish. 

-Drain all but 1 tablespoon bacon fat from pot, add scant 1 tablespoon olive oil to pot, heat over medium flame. 

-Add chopped onions to heated oil/fat, stir occasionally until onions are translucent but not brown. 

-Add bay leaf and peeled, potato chunks to pan, add enough chicken stock to cover potatoes by about 1 inch. 

-Cover pot with lid. Increase heat to medium high, bring chicken stock/broth to  brisk boil, give potatoes a stir, reduce heat to medium.

-Place lid askew (partially cover pot) and cook potatoes until tender.  When potatoes are tender -- remove pot from heat, remove bay leaf from pot and discard.

-With a potato masher roughly crush potatoes with stock until as chunky or as smooth as you like; stir in additional chicken stock and cream to achieve desired soup consistency).  Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. (Potatoes can take quite a bit of salt, so depending upon how salty your broth/stock, or ham is, you'll need to adjust accordingly.)

-Return pot to heat, warm, stirring occasionally until hot, ladle into soup bowls or mugs and garnish as desired.  Enjoy! 

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Cream of Vine Ripened Tomato Soup

• 2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten
• (5 to 6 Servings) 
• 
  
• Adapted and shared by Once Upon a Plate by Mari (www.onceuponaplate1.com)
• 
  
• Ingredients for Soup:
• 
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish (I used 1/8 cup basil leaves, plus 4 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together with butchers' twine.)
• 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (Stock would probably be better, but I used chicken broth from the carton)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste; Ina suggests 2 teaspoons
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• Garnishes:  Ina suggests Croutons (see my notes below)*

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender. Discard thyme stems.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with garnish, see Notes.*

*Notes:  Ina suggests garnishing with croutons and juilenned basil leaves. 

Along with a shower of freshly ground black pepper, I have served this garnished two ways: 

1.) Fresh baby arugula leaves with crispy crumbled bacon. (Top photo)The bite of the arugula adds a nice contrast to the rich soup . . . and the bacon?  Ummm! 



2.) As shown above, with a Crouton (thinly sliced baguette slice, toasted/grilled) spread with spinach-basil pesto (In a food processor whir baby spinach leaves and a few basil leaves with a small clove of garlic and olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste)

I hope you enjoy!

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