Stormy Day Bean Soup

This is a good way to use ham, chicken or turkey and make your own stock at the same time!

Things you need:

CrockPot (the best thing on earth if you don't have the back of the woodstove to use) if you have neither you can still use a stock pot on very low heat on the stovetop.

• Chicken/turkey carcass or ham bone

• 1# Dried Beans (you can get an assortment in a bag or you can mix up your own) I use: Split Pea, Lentils, Navy, Soldier, Yellow Eye, Jacob's Cattle.
• 1 medium onion -chopped
  
• 1 carrot (optional) -chopped
  
• 2 cloves garlic -smashed
  
• Cayenne or Red Hot (to your taste)
• Kosher Salt (to taste - less or none if you are using ham)
  
• Leftover Meat (as much as you want, 2 cups is good)
• 1 can (with juice) diced tomatoes with juice
  
• 3-4 cups of stock (water works okay, just not as tasty)
  

Soak Beans (in water) or in stock overnight. If you are soaking in stock, then put in fridge. If this is a last minute idea, don't fret just parboil for 30 minutes. Soaking beans gives you more flavor than parboiling - my opinion.

Slowly boil off the meat from whichever you are using (Chicken/Turkey carcass or Ham bone)

Skim off the fat.

Slowly saute onion & garlic in 1/4 C of olive oil. Just when you are ready to take it out, add cayenne or red hot and salt. Give it a stir add the meat and stir again just enough to warm it up.

Pour "goodies" into the crockpot and set to LOW.
Cut up carrot and add to goodies.
Add stock and give it a stir.

This is something that you can season as you go along. BUT be careful with the hot stuff - it may surprise you (and not in a good way), after it has stewed for a while.

About an hour before it is done (this is why I use a carrot - as it gets tender you know when the soup is ready to eat), add the canned tomatoes. Some people have told me they have used canned basil tomatoes and tho I have not, I bet they are lovely!

I call this Stormy Day - because I always seem to make it when I am at home when the weather is bad - it isn't meant to be a "Rush Home from Work" recipe. I often make stock and freeze it to use later - I think I saw Emeril use ice cube trays for this once and I LOVE THAT idea! Hate throwing away stuff that we need for later...

COLD OVEN...Popovers

Mix all together...DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN - COLD OVEN!!
These popovers rise on egg power alone - so use the best eggs you can find.

1 C flour (sifted)
1 C Milk
2 T butter (melted and not too hot)
3 Large or Jumbo eggs - room temperature works best
1 t kosher salt

I use a hand blender (Emil calls it a boat motor) till smooth.

Pour into VERY well greased muffin, popover pan, or custard cups
Bake @400 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes (depends on humidity)

DONT open the oven to look at them- even tho steam may be billowing out, they will come crashing down and you will be really sad...

I am famous for this CORN CHOWDER

Since this is about corn, generic canned corn is okay, but I really love green giant - the corn is in great shape in the can and not in pieces and it is really sweet. I have even added crabmeat to this recipe (right at the end) and it makes for a good twist.

Salt Port - diced
Shallots or Leaks
Garlic
White Wine
White Maine Potatoes - WITH skins - washed and diced

Tarragon
Thyme
Salt and Pepper
Franks Red Hot or Tabasco

1 Can Corn w/ juice
(pay the extra 20 cents and buy Green Giant or Delmonte)
1 Can Creamed Corn (ditto from above)

1 C 1/2 and 1/2
1/2 C milk
1 Can Evaporated Milk

Slowly brown salt pork, shallots/leaks and garlic.

Stir in potatoes, tarragon & thyme

Add wine and bring to a slow boil. Add corn(s) and stir. Reduce heat allow to cool for a minute or two.

Add 1/2 & 1/2
Add evaporated milk, milk
Bring up to temp- DO NOT BOIL!
Add red hot to taste - not meant to overpower, just meant to season.

Christmas Eve's French Onion Soup

This has been a family tradition for many years. My mom had a good friend that used to make it for her family and she passed away at a young age. I think mom started making it to remember her friend. (Tho' don't tell any body mom isnt known for her prowess in the kitchen!)

So I put my own twist to it and have started serving it myself - it is very, very easy. I use a crockpot, because it seems to allow the soup to combine some very subtle flavors into more full ones and give the soup some staying power - you can leave it on the counter for Christmas Day for stragglers!

Makes 8 big crocks of soup.

• 6-8 large YELLOW onions (peeled, thickly sliced and separated)
  
• 1/4# butter
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 4 cloves of garlic - crushed
• 1T kosher salt
• 2T dried thyme
  
• 3T flour
  

1 1/2C (or more if you like) white wine or dry sherry (whatever is open)
OR 1 1/2C red wine - there is a difference in taste, white is tends to be sweeter red seems to be less sweet and more full.

6 C of Beef Stock

• Thick Slices of french bread.
• 4 C shredded gruyere and swiss ( 4 C TOGETHER)

In a large (high sided) frying pan SLOWLY saute onions, butter, garlic, bay, salt.

Add wine and allow to reduce and bring back to a slow boil.
Sprinkle flour & thyme over onions & stir.

Add 1/2 of the Beef Stock - Stir (if you have vegetarians in the house you can use veggie stock, but you may need to add some more seasonings)

Bring back to a slow boil.

Take everything in the frying pan and place in a crock pot - add remaining stock and stir, put on low heat. Let mellow for a few hours.

Ladle into crocks, place french bread on top (some at my house like it completely covered in french bread and sprinkle generously with shredded cheese combination.

Place under broiler and watch closely, broil until cheese bubbles.
Sprinkle tops with paprika and serve (crocks are hot, be careful!)