Potato Soup - with bacon and cheese

2oz. crumbled bacon

You can start with a few strips of raw bacon, or the pre-packaged crumbles like I used here. Heat the finely chopped or crumbled bacon in a heavy 4-5 quart pot. When nicely browned, scoop out the pieces and set aside for later. Add butter, more bacon grease or EVOO if needed. Then sauté the following chopped vegetables:

2 carrots

4 celery stalks

1 red mini pepper

1-2c onion and shallot

2# scrubbed Yukon Gold potatoes

When everything starts sizzling, add a little water, stir and continue until a couple cups of water have been added. Add the following then simmer, covered for an hour.

4 c water 

3 bay leaves

1T ground cumin

2T chicken soup base

Cool the soup for 20 minutes, remove the bay leaves and mash with a potato masher. Stir in:

1 can cream of crimini-shiitake mushroom soup

4oz. grated strong cheese

4 chopped green onions

the crumbled bacon

Check the flavors and make adjustments needed in the flavor. Serve with crispy crackers. . .Lin

Smokey-Potato-Pepper Picnic Hash

1#+ Little Smokeys - each cut in thirds

1-1½c chopped mixed sweet peppers

1# Yukon Gold potatoes - cubed

1 med. yellow onion - chopped

4-5 big garlic cloves - chopped

2T bacon drippings

Cook all this, slowly over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, then add the following:

1 can drained-rinsed black beans

3T Sherry Ketchup or barbecue sauce

2T seedy brown mustard

1T raw turbinado sugar

1T ground cumin

Bring the heat up until everything simmers a few minutes.  Cover, shut the heat off so it can slowly absorb the heat and blend the flavors.

Mmmm. . .this turned out really well for a spur-of-the-moment family get-together.

Happy Labor Day Everyone! . . Lin

Asparagus Potato Soup *and the update*

frozen vegetable scraps that may normally

be thrown away or composted

garlic sea salt & pepper

6-8 cups of water

Put the vegetable scraps in a 5 qt. pot.  My 5 quart IKEA pot is my favorite!  This style also comes in 3, 10 and 15 quart sizes.

6 lg. cloves of garlic

2 sm. yellow onions

5 yellow potatoes

1-2T olive oil

½ orange pepper

1# asparagus

1 med. carrot

3 oz. Sofrito

later - ½ bunch cilantro

After the vegetable scraps and water have simmered, covered for 30-45 minutes, pour this all into a colander over a big bowl.  Strain, using a medium-fine mesh strainer, into another container.  Set this vegetable broth aside for now.  Mince the garlic and one onion.  Scrub and finely chop 2 of the potatoes.  Wash the original pot then add the above ingredients and heat with the oil, stirring, for just a few minutes until their scents release.

Dice the remaining potatoes, asparagus and carrot.  Add these, Sofrito and the strained vegetable broth to the pot.  Simmer this together, covered, on low-medium heat, 30-45 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in the finely chopped cilantro, using the leaves and stems.  This would be so good with some crusty garlic bread!

After the first servings, I'll blend the rest, and serve it with a little sour cream, roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and a sprinkle of chili powder for garnish.  It's fun to experiment with texture and flavors. . .Lin  

*And 'blend' I did!  The flavors came out so much better.  I also added ¾c of Vava Hot Ajvar to this to wake up the flavors even more!