I realize I have neglected Home Base for some time. I was attending to issues that needed my attention.Thanks for stopping by to see what's going on today. If you are a first time viewer - welcome and enjoy your stay!!!
I know that since I started Home Base I have posted mostly soup recipes. Today will be no different only because this is my favorite and most requested and well liked soup.I couldn't post a photo this time because it did not last long enough for me to snap one and when I finally did remember, it was truly all gone.
Several months ago my hubby started bringing home large amounts of canned clams in every form home. Having never cooked with clams before I was caught in a slight dilemma with what to do with this growing pantry item. I started surfing the web and came across vast amounts of differing clam chowder recipes. Well, one thing led to another and I ended up making my own recipe with what I had on hand and what would work for us.Anyone that has eaten it says it's the BEST soup they've EVER had. (I have documentation!) Ha Ha!
Anyways, if you would like to give it a try, set about a two hour block aside to make this - give or take a few minutes from start to finish. Good food takes time to establish and this is even better on the second day if you can get it to last that long. Patience in getting it completed is well worth the wait, so give it a try and send me your feedback once you've made it. I am always open to critiques and suggestions to creating my dishes. My instructions are simple and easy to follow, so with this in mind, let's get started!
Best Ever Clam Chowder - New England Style
1 whole head - Garlic , chopped or minced
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 stick Butter
3 stalks Celery, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
2 large Carrots,chopped
1 can Baby clams, reserve juice, rinse clams
2 cans Minced clams, reserve juice, rinse clams
6 large Potatoes,baked, skins removed, (smash 4 of these & chunk the remaining 2)
1 container 16 ozs. Half & Half
8 ozs. Water
1 small bag Frozen corn
1/2 cup White wine - your preferance
2 TBLSP each Parsley, salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning,poultry seasoning,and chicken soup base
Bake potatoes in microwave and set aside to cool, remove jackets when warm to touch. Smash 4 of these potatoes and set aside, chunk the rest and set aside.
While the potatoes are cooking melt butter with olive oil in soup pot.
Add celery, onions, garlic, and carrots. Be sure to chop vegetables in same size to ensure all cook thoroughly. Sweat them until onions are translucent.
Add reserved clam juice and water, bring to a boil; add smashed potatoes, 1/2 and1/2 and rinsed clams. Bring to a boil and add seasonings, corn,and potato chunks. Bring this to a hard boil for about 10 minutes stirring often to keep all from settling to the bottom.
Turn heat to medium -low, add wine and simmer for about 15 minutes to combine flavors.
I usually let the soup rest on low for a little to cool down and meld flavors together.
Serve with crusty bread or rolls or oyster crackers.
Take the time to enjoy cooking your food.For many years I just routinely did what a recipe called for to get the desired effect.Over the past year or so, I have started appreciating the whole process from creating the idea and recipe to the end result and am grateful for all the different dishes I have created. Too often our lives tend to become so mired in everyday bustle that we begin to settle for mediocrity in areas we should have more respect for. We should be thinking sincerely about what we are doing to and for ourselves with what is offered to nourish us. So many times I have consciously considered what I have available and how to make it palatable, and, when it was served I have been rewarded with empty plates and compliments.
I am beginning to think the best ingredient I am serving is love.Love for wanting to serve good tasting, healthy, bountiful food. Love of sharing my successes (and fails) so you can give them a try as well. Love of seeing my family and friends enjoy my offerings and encouraging me to push myself to be more creative in all I do.I am feeling the love! Ha Ha! I have learned to enjoy the time it takes to create;to enjoy the creation; to enjoy the lasting effects - satisfaction and nourishment, the want for just " a little more", the knowledge "I can do it", respect for appreciation.
This is my Home Base for this edition. Love and Respect and Appreciation in all you do. It is worth it in your end result.
Thanks for letting me share with you today. If you try this great chowder please give me your feedback using the comments post below, I'd love to hear from you and will respect your opinion and appreciate your input.
Today's Tip: Nourish your heart with love, nourish your mind with appreciation, nourish your self & others with respect, nourish your life with confidence in all you do,and nourish your soul with faith.
The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in due season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. Psalm 145 : 15-16
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Home Base, the all purpose site to help keep you grounded in more ways than one! If you are returning to view my site Thank You! If this is your first visit - welcome and I hope Home Base can give you some useful ways to build your lifestyle into a stable and healthy outlook. I discovered a couple years ago that I truly love to cook, so I have been indulging in creating tasty dishes from my cozy little kitchen.
I offer a base recipe with each edition of Home Base. Each base I provide you gives you some foundation to build your own base recipe for your own home style tastes. My recipes may sometimes seem complex but, if you incorporate them into your home life it will become second nature and easy to establish.. My premise is to keep it as simple as possible.
None of my dishes ever are exact replicas of the original dish except I always begin with the same base ingredients of the original and build on it with whatever I have available at the moment. That is why when you use my base recipe you tailor it to your own tastes preferences and pantry items. I provide the base and you provide your home made creation. Even if you don't think you're creative, if you " add in" your own selections and you like it then you are discovering success! Should you bomb it - don't feel bad ( except maybe for the loss of the food product used). Believe me...some of my attempts are atrocious but it teaches me what works and what doesn't so it is not a total loss!
Please feel free to share your wins or fails with the bases you try - all input is appreciated!
This edition of Home Base has landed just after this years Harvest Moon time. For those unsure of what a harvest moon is - it is the first full moon after the autumnal season begins. Farmers used to bring in the season's crops extending the workday by using the full moon's light.
I make a LOT of different soups and I finally have created this one using my garden veggies that I have been harvesting lately. I have tried several times to make a decent Tomato soup but every time I tried it felt like I missed something and just wasn't satisfied in getting it right. This time it was a Base hit! (Yes, I DO love Baseball too).
This home base recipe is my Garden Harvest Soup. It proved to be a winner in my home because it went so fast I didn't even get a chance to freeze any for another time! So with that in mind - let's get started!
Home Base Garden Harvest Tomato-Potato Soup
12 servings minimum
4 TBSP Olive Oil
6 - 8 Whole Tomatoes - cut in half
4 Green Peppers - cut in quarters
2 Onions - cut in quarters
1 Head of garlic - stem ends trimmed
6 Potatoes - cut in bite-sized cubes
2 ears Corn on cob - corn removed (or 1 cup of frozen corn)
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP each All Purpose Seasoning ( see edition 2)
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
8 -10 cups Hot water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In Large soup pot put your olive oil and tomatoes,peppers, onions and garlic; put this in your preheated oven and let this cook down. Do not put a lid on the pot. Roast until all the veggies have broken down and are soft. This takes about 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes. Turn your stove burner on and put the pot on the stove. IT WILL BE VERY HOT SO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THIS ACTION!!! I use an immersion blender for this next step - if you do not have one use a blender or food processor. Pulse the roasted vegetables until they are in a puree consistency, you may need to add some hot water to get to this point because the vegetables will thicken. Once pureed ( return to soup pot if using blender or food processor) add the seasonings,worcestershire sauce, potatoes, corn and then the remaining hot water. AGAIN USE CAUTION AS ALL OF THIS WILL BE VERY HOT! Stir until all is combined well and cook over medium heat bringing to a boil. Once the potatoes begin to cook well , lower heat to medium and simmer for about an hour or until potatoes are cooked through. I usually simmer for about 1 hour.
Top photo shows the roasted veggies prior to blending. Lower photo shows finished product,although the potatoes are not visible.
This soup is richly flavored,and is very satisfying. Serve with a nice crusty bread.
You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, these were just what I had available. That is the beauty of my base recipes, you actually can choose what your prefer if you don't like my ingredients. I provide the suggestion and the technique, and then you make it your signature recipe. I haven't used canned ingredients for this but I imagine you could , just alter the cooking times. If you omit the potatoes and corn, this is a splendid hearty tomato soup!
I know my recipes seem time consuming but let me tell you, I have discovered that when I cook I find a peacefulness that envelopes me and I enjoy becoming creative with different foods. I believe each of my recipes turn into a labor of love and feels less of a chore as I had once considered this task to be. The time spent doing these recipes actually flies by and before I know it - it's done, we're fed and happy! Another benefit is usually there is enough left over to serve at another time.
When you teach yourself patience and appreciate your end result it makes you feel just plain GOOD! In today 's world where we constantly seem to hurry up and wait , it's so nice to feel good even if it is over something like a satisfying mealtime.
So there you have it! Another really good Home Base recipe! Hope you try it, enjoy it and share your thoughts on how yours turned out! I'd love to find out what you think! Don't be afraid to try using your ingredients and be curious!
Today's tip: Each day share at least one good experience with someone else. It doesn't have to be something epic, just something GOOD.
"It is better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate" - Proverbs 15:17
Thanks for sharing some time with me, see you next time! Have a beautiful day!
I offer a base recipe with each edition of Home Base. Each base I provide you gives you some foundation to build your own base recipe for your own home style tastes. My recipes may sometimes seem complex but, if you incorporate them into your home life it will become second nature and easy to establish.. My premise is to keep it as simple as possible.
None of my dishes ever are exact replicas of the original dish except I always begin with the same base ingredients of the original and build on it with whatever I have available at the moment. That is why when you use my base recipe you tailor it to your own tastes preferences and pantry items. I provide the base and you provide your home made creation. Even if you don't think you're creative, if you " add in" your own selections and you like it then you are discovering success! Should you bomb it - don't feel bad ( except maybe for the loss of the food product used). Believe me...some of my attempts are atrocious but it teaches me what works and what doesn't so it is not a total loss!
Please feel free to share your wins or fails with the bases you try - all input is appreciated!
This edition of Home Base has landed just after this years Harvest Moon time. For those unsure of what a harvest moon is - it is the first full moon after the autumnal season begins. Farmers used to bring in the season's crops extending the workday by using the full moon's light.
I make a LOT of different soups and I finally have created this one using my garden veggies that I have been harvesting lately. I have tried several times to make a decent Tomato soup but every time I tried it felt like I missed something and just wasn't satisfied in getting it right. This time it was a Base hit! (Yes, I DO love Baseball too).
This home base recipe is my Garden Harvest Soup. It proved to be a winner in my home because it went so fast I didn't even get a chance to freeze any for another time! So with that in mind - let's get started!
Home Base Garden Harvest Tomato-Potato Soup
12 servings minimum
4 TBSP Olive Oil
6 - 8 Whole Tomatoes - cut in half
4 Green Peppers - cut in quarters
2 Onions - cut in quarters
1 Head of garlic - stem ends trimmed
6 Potatoes - cut in bite-sized cubes
2 ears Corn on cob - corn removed (or 1 cup of frozen corn)
2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
2 TBSP each All Purpose Seasoning ( see edition 2)
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
8 -10 cups Hot water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In Large soup pot put your olive oil and tomatoes,peppers, onions and garlic; put this in your preheated oven and let this cook down. Do not put a lid on the pot. Roast until all the veggies have broken down and are soft. This takes about 1/2 an hour to 45 minutes. Turn your stove burner on and put the pot on the stove. IT WILL BE VERY HOT SO BE CAUTIOUS WITH THIS ACTION!!! I use an immersion blender for this next step - if you do not have one use a blender or food processor. Pulse the roasted vegetables until they are in a puree consistency, you may need to add some hot water to get to this point because the vegetables will thicken. Once pureed ( return to soup pot if using blender or food processor) add the seasonings,worcestershire sauce, potatoes, corn and then the remaining hot water. AGAIN USE CAUTION AS ALL OF THIS WILL BE VERY HOT! Stir until all is combined well and cook over medium heat bringing to a boil. Once the potatoes begin to cook well , lower heat to medium and simmer for about an hour or until potatoes are cooked through. I usually simmer for about 1 hour.
This soup is richly flavored,and is very satisfying. Serve with a nice crusty bread.
You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand, these were just what I had available. That is the beauty of my base recipes, you actually can choose what your prefer if you don't like my ingredients. I provide the suggestion and the technique, and then you make it your signature recipe. I haven't used canned ingredients for this but I imagine you could , just alter the cooking times. If you omit the potatoes and corn, this is a splendid hearty tomato soup!
I know my recipes seem time consuming but let me tell you, I have discovered that when I cook I find a peacefulness that envelopes me and I enjoy becoming creative with different foods. I believe each of my recipes turn into a labor of love and feels less of a chore as I had once considered this task to be. The time spent doing these recipes actually flies by and before I know it - it's done, we're fed and happy! Another benefit is usually there is enough left over to serve at another time.
When you teach yourself patience and appreciate your end result it makes you feel just plain GOOD! In today 's world where we constantly seem to hurry up and wait , it's so nice to feel good even if it is over something like a satisfying mealtime.
So there you have it! Another really good Home Base recipe! Hope you try it, enjoy it and share your thoughts on how yours turned out! I'd love to find out what you think! Don't be afraid to try using your ingredients and be curious!
Today's tip: Each day share at least one good experience with someone else. It doesn't have to be something epic, just something GOOD.
"It is better to eat soup with someone you love than steak with someone you hate" - Proverbs 15:17
Thanks for sharing some time with me, see you next time! Have a beautiful day!
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