Garnet and Ray's Corn Chowder

 Ingredients:

2 TBS of butter

1 large onion, diced

1-2 celery stalks, diced

large baking potato, diced

1-2 small cloves of garlic

1 tsp cumin

1- 1 1/2 cans of chicken stock

6-8 large ears of corn cooked with kernels removed

salt and pepper to taste

1-2 cups of half and half

Grated Cheese (mixed types)

Cilantro

Directions:

In a large cause pan, melt butter and add onions, clery, potato, garlic and cumin and cook for 10-15 minutes. Add 1 can of chicken stock then add the corn and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Puree in batches and adjust thickness of the soup with either stock or half and half. Taste for seasoning. Recipe says to add an additional teaspoon of cumin. 

Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese.

Mom's Smokey Baked Beans

 Ingredients:

1 16-18 ounce can of B&M Baked Beans

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 tsp of dry mustard

1/4 cup ketchup

2 slices of bacon cut in 1 inch pieces

1 tsp of liquid smoke

Combine ingredients and bake in covered casserole at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Remove cover and cook another 1/2 hour.

Mom's Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:

1 ham bone or 3-4 ham hocks
1 16 ounce bag of red beans
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 red or green bell pepper chopped
1 roasted jalapeno pepper (canned) chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic miinced
1/4 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tsp Worcestershire sacue
1/4 tsp of tabasco
Juice eof one lemon.

Directions:

Do not add salt until the very end because ham will be salty and the beans will not cook thoroughly if water is salted.

Wash the beans in several rinses. Cover with cold water and soak over night. Discard the water used to soak the beans. Put the means in a large pot and cover with cold water. Add all the ingredients except the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for several hous until beans are cooked.

After about 2 hours, when tender, remove the ham bones from the pot. Debone the ham and reserve.

Remove cover and cook until the thickend to desired consistency.

Add the deboned ham and the lemon juice to the mixture and adjust the seasonings to your taste. Serve hot over white rice. 

Cream of Brie Soup

 From "Capital Classics: Recipes From the Junior League of Washington

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk
2 cups chicken stock
3/4 pound of Brie, rind removed
Salt, Pepper
Chopped chives

Directions:

In stock pot, saute onion and celeery in butter until tender and transparent. Stir in flourand cook until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. gradually stir in milk and chicken stock. returnn to heat.

Stir until soup thickens. Cube cheese. Add to stock pot and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped chives.

Potato, Bacon and Gruyere Soup

 The following chunky potato soup was inspired by a smooth version that one of our food editors enjoyed at The Bernerhof Inn in Glen, New Hampshire

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

3 medium onions, chopped fine

3 cups chicken broth

3 1/4 cups water

3 pounds boiling poratoes (preferably yellow-fleshed)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 pound Gruyere cheese, grated (about 2 1/2 cups)

1 Tablespoon Madeira or Sherry

1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

3 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves.

Directions:

In a heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Remove bacon and spoon all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onions and saute over mmoderately high heat, stirring, until pale golden. Add broth andd 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.

Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Add potatoes to soup and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes.

In a small bowl whisk together flour and remaining 1/4 cup of water until smooth and add to the simmering soup, whisking. Simmer soup, covered, 5 minutes.

In a blender puree Gruyere with 3 cups of hot soup broth. Stir puree into soup with Madeira, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Cream of Brie and Red Pepper Soup

 Two flavorful soups are swirled in each bowl, creating a beautiful pattern. This unique recipe comes from Orchids at the Palm Court in the Omni Netherland Plaza hotel

Brie Soup:

2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup minced leeks (white part only)
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 quart of simmering unnsalted chicken stock
20 ounces of Brie cheese, rind discarded, cut into pieces.
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Red Pepper Soup

1 pound of red bell peppers, cored and seeded

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons of Hungarian paprika

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

1 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 cup whipping cream

sour cream

snipped fresh chives

Directions:

For Brie Soup: Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leeks and shallots and cook until translucent, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add flour and stir 2 minutes. Whisk in simmering stock. Simmer until reduced to 2 1/4 cups, about 15 minutes.  Add Brie and stir until melted. Mix in cream, salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover soup tightly and refrigerate.)

For Pepper Soup: Bring water to boil in base of steamer. Place peppers on steamer rack. Cover and cook until skin pulls away easily, about 25 minutes. Peel peppers, Chop finely.

Melt butter in another heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add peppers and stir 1 minutes. Add paprika and flour and stir 2 miutes. Cover and cook until peppers are tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Mix in stock and cream. Simmer until soup is reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Puree soup in processor. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover soup tightly and refrigerate.)

Reheat both soups in separate heavy sauccepans over low heat, stirring frequently. Spoon 1/2 cup Brie soup into ladle. Spoon 1/2 cup pepper soup into another ladle. Holding ladles next to each other, pour both soups into heated bowl at same time. Swirl two soups together slightly with toothpick. Repeat.

Top each bowl of soup with a dollop of sour cream. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Green Goddess Chive Salad Dressing

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 green onion, coarsley chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 tablespoon tarragon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp dried
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sacue
2 Tablespoons parsley
(Mom's notes suggest using some fresh lemon juice to taste)
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.