New England Clam Chowder

New England Clam Chowder

4  medium  Potatoes, peeled and cubed

2  medium  Onions, chopped

1/2  Cup  Butter

3/4  Cup  Flour

2  quarts  Milk  (8 cups)

4  6.5-oz cans  Chopped Clams, UNdrained

2-3  teaspoons  Seasoned Salt

1  teaspoon  Ground Sage

1  teaspoon  Ground Thyme

1/2  teaspoon  Old Bay Seasoning -OR- Celery Salt

1/2  teaspoon  Black Pepper

Hot toasted Sourdough Bread with Butter, for dipping in the Clam Chowder is a must!

Place Potatoes in a medium pan and cover with water; bring to a boil.  Cover and cook until tender.

Meanwhile in an 8-quart pan, saute Onions in Butter until tender.  Add Flour; mix until smooth.  Stir in Milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.  Drain Potatoes and add to Milk mixture.  Add Clams and Seasonings; heat through.

 Makes 3 quarts; serves 10-12.

"Come and hear, all ye that fear God,
and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.
I cried unto Him with my mouth,
and He was extolled with my tongue.
Verily God hath heard me;
He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God,
who hath not turned away my prayer or His mercy from me."
Psalms 66:16 & 17, 19 & 20

As I look back through my "Soups" Ricipes, I am flabbergasted.  Utterly, completely, thoroughly flabbergasted.

Shocked and astounded.

I have completely failed to share my family's absolute favorite soup.

Ok, so maybe that's a little over-dramatic, but this seriously is an all-time favorite here at our house.  And yes, I really can't believe I've forgotten this one, seeing as that we have it about once a month in the winter.  So now you have it, too:  New England Clam Chowder.

I give all credit for this recipe to My Mom, who gave it to me for my 'Recipe Shower'.     

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 And now, on a different note:

Our family spent the day before Valentine's Day in The City (the children had the day off school), turning our Lemons into Lemonade:  I had my two-year melanoma check (all is clear and I no longer must see the dermatologist every three months--yay!).  We did some of the tourist-y things:  visited the USS Pampanito, the ships at the Hyde Street Pier, the Maritime Museum, the Aquatic Park and Visitor's Center, and (just for me) the Boudin Bakery.  And oh yeah, I squeezed in my doctor's appointment, while T took the children to a park nearby.  I had the very unique experience of driving home through The City after dark during a power outage--not certain I really want to repeat that again!  Here are a few of the snapshots of the day:

The USS Pampanito

I can't imagine trying to cook for 75 men in this dinky kitchen:

 it was about 5 feet wide and 12 feet deep.  Talk about tight quarters!

 

The Gate, mostly obscured by fog 

 

The Eppleton Hall, a paddle-wheeled tug boat

The Hercules, a steam-powered tug boat

The Balclutha, a square-rigged sailing ship:

one of the most fascinating ships we toured;

I think we spent an hour on just this ship!

I loved all the fun sourdough designs at the Boudin bakery

A lobster

A crab, a lobster, a turtle, and a football

 A giant crocodile in the demonstration window

And our supper at Pier 39:

Clam Chowder in a Boudin bread bowl.

Nothing, absolutely nothing,

tastes as good as Clam Chowder (made with fresh clams!)

and tangy sourdough bread, eaten in the sea-salty air at a Wharf!