Chowder Weather

Hi everyone! Time for a recipe of sorts....Soup!

The other morning the temperature was 11 degrees! With a twenty MPH wind and wind chills  around the zero mark. Brrr!

Now I like cold brisk weather just as much as the next guy, but it's a bit of a shock when the day before was a balmy 62*. Anyway, I quickly got out [again] my best fluffy flannel sheets and did the bed up all all yummy and cozy....

And I planned to make soup. Corn Chowder, to be exact. It's a full meal, maybe with some crusty bread and a green salad?...and toasty warm/good on a frigid day.

I decided to try a new version! From artist Susan Branch's lovely blog. here
I figured if it was yummy on The Vineyard in December it would be perfect for January at The Beach.

Hmmm....probably I didn't follow the directions quite right. Way too much onion, way too much milk and cream, even diluted by me with chicken broth. The carrots didn't cook at all in the simmering time I allotted them either.

 The red pepper flakes were a mistake, too. Fire extinguisher, anyone?

Looks really pretty though!

Again, I am pretty sure it was my fault, but that batch went in the bin, sad to say. And since I wasn't in the mood anymore I faked it! A can of Olde  Cape Cod corn chowder, skim milk, chicken broth, a bag of frozen corn, some carrots (cooked this time), a microwave-boiled potato, diced. Not bad. Not great. Probably would have been better if I'd not run out of bacon.

Next time I'll use my mom's recipe...

Dillingham Chowder

large bag of frozen corn niblets
2 C. leftover mashed potatoes
2 carrots, diced, pre-cooked, in microwave
Fat free half and half cream or any milk, as long as it's milk, not soy stuff
Chicken broth
a bunch of green onions, including green tops, minced.
6 pieces of bacon, cooked, crumbled [optional]

.in your biggest le Creuset pot ( or any heavy pot), saute the green onions in  at least 1 T. of butter, until softened. [Butter. Not olive oil. Please.]

.Add the mashed potatoes, thin to 'chowder consistancy' with 1-2 cups of fat-free half and half and/ or fat-free milk. Equal amount of chicken broth. [use whatever you have around, okay?]

.Stir gently til smooth, add the carrots and the frozen corn, salt* and black pepper to taste. Simmer carefully on medium, maybe half an hour. Don't let it scorch.

Serve with optional crumbled bacon on top. [*if you plan to add bacon, go easy on the salt when you season it earlier]. Again, nice with a crispy romaine salad and crusty bread.

[You can also somehow add clams, maybe a drained can or two? to make New England clam chowder, but I don't eat seafood and I am not totally sure about that part. Just in case you feel adventurous...lol.)

Enjoy!

love

       lizzy

gone to the beach