Broccoli, Bacon and Cheese, OH MY!!

Recently I had lunch with one of my friends and the special soup of the day was cream of broccoli with bacon and gorgonzola cheese. Even though it was a warm day, we both thought it sounded great and it was! My mom has a broccoli soup she has been making for years and I knew I could easily add the additional ingredients.

Cream of Broccoli Soup with Bacon and Cheese

6 tbs. butter
1 c. chopped onions
3 tbs. flour
6 c. chicken broth
2 bunches of broccoli chopped and cooked
1 ½ c. half and half
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
8 strips bacon cooked till crisped, then chopped
½ c. gorgonzola cheese plus more for topping

Melt butter in large pan and sauté onions for 5 minutes. Add flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring to get out that raw flour taste. Add chicken broth and broccoli. Simmer 15-20 minutes. Puree in blender in batches, then return to pan. Stir in half and half, salt and pepper, bacon and cheese.

When serving, top with a few cheese crumbles and maybe a few bacon bits.

When another friend came over with her husband I served this soup as a first course instead of my usual appetizers. I served it in plain white coffee cups with the Barefoot Contessa’s cheese straws, which by the way are very soft and yummy. Enjoy!

Ham and Bean Soup Deluxe

You need to buy a bone-in ham, about 3-4 lbs. I try to buy the smallest one I can find since they are all pretty big and pricey.

1 bag Great Northern beans
1 ½ tsp. paprika
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced (sort of chunky)
2 onions, chopped
2 cans chicken broth
Water
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes
A nice baguette

Place the beans in a large stockpot, cover with water, add one chopped onion and paprika and cover the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Meanwhile, take the ham and start cutting off the meat. Most of this will go in the soup, but there will be a lot left over for sandwiches, quiche, etc. You are trying to remove the ham, leaving the bone, fat, etc, to flavor the soup. I cut the ham into small cubes until I get about 2 c. The remainder I leave I big pieces for another meal or the freezer.

When the beans begin to boil, add the ham bone, fats, skin, etc. to the water. Cover with the chicken broth and more water if needed. Add ½ tsp. pepper. The cubed ham will be added later. Ok, now comes the time part. The beans will take about 2 hours to soften, but that time is good for the flavor – the ham bone is in the pot too and all of its flavor will come out.

When the beans are soft, remove the ham bone, fats, skin, etc. and discard. Add the other chopped onion, the cubed ham, carrots and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook about an hour until carrots and onion are tender and the ham absorbs the flavor of the broth.

Serve with a new sprinkle of red pepper and a delicious biscuit or baguette slices.

Pumpkin Fun

I was recently reading an article in a small local newspaper (one of those you get free in your mailbox) and there was a funny (to me) piece on what to do with pumpkins. I figured I have had some experience with pumpkins and I would come up with my own list.

Pumpkin Problems and Possibilities

1. Never try to carve those tiny cute squash things to use as candle holders or place card holders for your table. A smallish pumpkin will work but those gourds and squash things need an electric saw to get through. I know this from experience and have the scar on my finger to prove it.

2. Don’t let anyone talk you into toasting fresh pumpkin seeds in the oven. First, you have to get through all nasty gook and then clean them and frankly you can buy them at the grocery for practically nothing.

3. Make yourself a pumpkin pie – surely the easiest pie to make in the world. I never have the urge to tinker with the recipe on the back of the Libby’s pumpkin can. It’s perfect as is.

4. If you have people coming over, make a pumpkin cheesecake. Very delicious and a lot of recipes available out there.

5. Make pumpkin soup – again from canned pumpkin. This time hollow out small real pumpkins or do what I did…buy cute pumpkin shaped bowls from a discount store.

6. Make yourself a nice buffet or foyer centerpiece using pumpkins in a couple of sizes, some gourds and corn and wheat. I really do love the fall colors and a centerpiece like this will last a long time in the house. The pumpkins don’t rot as they do outdoors if the sun gets them.

7. In the article, they said to make pumpkin butter. I tried this and it was awful, so don’t go there.

8. The article also suggested carving out an extra large pumpkin and posing your small child or pet inside and taking a photograph. WHAT? Stephanie, please do not place my first grandchild in a wet pumpkin for a photo – not that you would ever do that!

9. OK so other than baking, and there are a lot of great recipes for pumpkin desserts out there (mousse and cake and even bread), I cannot think of another good or bad idea. So, there is no number 10. Have a beautiful fall.

Debbie's Recipes

My friend Debbie is a great cook and recently shared a couple of recipes with me. I thought you would enjoy.

Debbie's Cheese and Onion Bites

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
8 slices bacon - slightly sautéed and chopped
¾ tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
½ c. chopped onion
1 tbs. chopped parsley

Mix all ingredients together. Pile on slices of French baguette and cook @ 350 for 15 – 20 mins.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

5 slices bacon
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped celery
¼ c. finely chopped green pepper
3 c. water
2 c. peeled, diced potatoes
1 c. diced carrots
1 tbs. chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. thyme leaves crushed
1/8 tsp. pepper
3 cans minced clams (drained)
16 oz. can un-drained tomatoes
One bay leaf
One or two shakes Tabasco sauce

In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from saucepan reserving 2 tbs. drippings. Crumble bacon and add back to the pan along with the onions, celery, and green peppers. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf. Heat gently, stirring frequently, do not boil.

*Debbie Knows Everything: Make this a day in advance to let the flavors blend.