Clam Chowder for a Snowy Day

As the weather has dramatically changed from a balmy Indian Summer, where the days are still in the mid 70 degrees and the nights dip to a crisp mid 30 degrees, to the normal October/November weather of sub freezing at night, snow and wind during the day......the mind drifts to soups, casseroles and stews.   Long slow cooking that keeps the house warm.  Long slow cooking that is also frugal and filling.

So today...

New England Style Clam Chowder

My soups are almost always in a free form style based on how much I have on hand and how many servings I want to end up with.  Soup, for some reason always ends up making way more than I need.  So instead of describing the recipe in,  about or approximately measures, I'll try to be a bit more precise.

3 small  (6.5 oz)cans of chopped clams (small cans because our store doesn't carry the large restaurant style and you want as many clams as you can in your chowder.  Otherwise, you might as well be making potato soup.)
3 to 4 slices of meaty bacon diced
4 to 6 small potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces (enough to make about 3 ro 4 cups  of diced potatoes.  Dang it! I wasn't going to give 'about' instructions)
1 cup of diced onion
1 stalk of diced celery
1 small carrot cut into small diced pieces (less than 1/2 inch.  You can leave off the carrots if you like or are a die hard traditionalist.  I like them)
Garlic or garlic granules  (Oh heck....about 1/2 tsp)
2 cups of milk (or 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half or better yet whipping cream)
3 tbsp flour 
2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp dried parsley
Pepper
Salt to taste

In a large stock pot saute the bacon until moderately crisp.  With a slotted spoon remove the bacon and leave the drippings in the stock pot.  Put in the onions and celery, salt, pepper and parsley.  Saute until soft and limp.  Add the flour and butter and stir, creating a roux.

Meanwhile drain the clams reserving the juice.  Add more water to equal 3 cups of juice and water.  Slowly stir into the onion, celery mixture.  Add the potatoes and carrots and let the soup simmer on low for about (darn it, I just can't help myself) 20 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are just beginning to be tender.  You don't want to cook them to mush or else you WILL have cream of potato soup with clams in it.

At this point, you can stop and put the soup in the fridge for later or just plow on.   Add the clams and simmer for a few more minutes.  Slowly add the milk and bring to a slow simmer stirring frequently for 10 minutes or just until warm and thickened.

If you feel the soup is too thin, you can take some of the hot liquid and mix with another tbsp of flour and then return to the pot to simmer.  Be careful, you are making soup. NOT wall paper paste.

Serve with fresh rolls, or garlic bread sticks and a crisp green salad.

Cooking for the Depression

Evidently, according to all the talking heads, we are supposed to be in the midst of the next
Great Depression. The brain trusts from the main stream media who are parroting and squaking this mantra are too young to remember any really tough economic times. Their idea of a a disater and economic hardship is when their cell phones don't have full coverage or their plasma HDTV goes on the fritz or ...God forbid...oh the humanity!!!.... they have to use dial up.

Most people who experienced the real Great Depression are either dead or had the good sense to just get on with getting on in life without constant whining. They had poverty, lack of food, lack of jobs, lack of housing. They also made do and gave up what little luxuries that they had.

We are not in a depression. Maybe a mild recession. The last prolonged economic downturn was in the 70's. Having lived through that time myself and having really enjoyed the Jimmy Carter economic plan (not), I think I can make some valid comparisons and offer some helpful cooking tips for surviving this small downturn in the economy.

Hard Times Cookbook, 1970 by Gloria Vollmayer is a funny cookbook based on a crashed stock market theme. "Dedicated to our former stockbroker" ...... Apropos, since I'm a stockbroker. I bought the book when I lived in San Francisco in 1970 for $1.50, now selling for about $12.00 in vintage book stores. Now THERE is inflation.


The Gold Standard
Curried Hard Boiled Eggs

• 8 large eggs, hard boiled
• 2 tbs butter
• 3 tbs flour
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp beau monde seasoning
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/ cup Swiss Cheese shredded
• bacon crumbles

Melt butter over low heat and blend in the flour curry powder and wine. (make a roux basically). Thin the sauce with milk, gradually adding the beau monde, salt and pepper.
Place eggs (sliced in half) in lightly buttered casserole. Cover eggs with curry sauce. Sprink top with crip fired crumbled bacon and some shredded cheese. Bake in 350 oven 20 minutes until bubbling hot.
This casserole is excellent when serven over cooked spinach, aparagus or broccoli.
So, there you have it. Cheap, meatless and nutritious. I must confess, I have no idea what beau monde seasoning is.
In my version of creamed eggs, that I learned from my Grandmother who was an actual participant in the "Great Depression" I just used curry powder, dash of cayenne, salt and pepper. No cheese. Chop up the eggs and stir into the cream sauce and serve over toast or in those puff pastry cups. A green salad or fruit salad on the side and you have a complete meal. Great for a quick brunch dish.