Found a Bag O'Milk

Sung to the tune of Found a Peanut
 

Found a bag o'milk (yes bag), 

Found a bag o'milk,

Found a bag o'milk just now.

Just now I found a bag o'milk,

Found a bag o'milk just now.

Cut it open,

Cut it open,

Cut it open just now,

Just now I cut it open,

Cut it open just now.

It was rotten,

But just a little,

Just a little just now.

Just now it was rotten,

Just a little just now.

Used it anyway,

Used it anyway,

Used it anyway just now.

Just now I used it anyway,

Used it anyway just now. 

And the rest of the song...Got a stomach ache, called the doctor, operation, and died anyway.  Yeah, yeah.

Ham Chowder
From allrecipes.com
Serves 8
 
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (such as Vidalia®)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3 cups milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked ham (or turkey or chicken)

Place the potatoes into a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, remove from pan, and reserve.
Melt butter in the saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion in butter until soft, but not brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, bouillon, pepper, and thyme. Slowly whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir until thickened to soup consistency.
Stir in the frozen vegetables, cooked potatoes, and ham. Simmer chowder until hot, about 10 minutes.


Amount Per Serving Calories: 230 | Total Fat: 9.5g | Cholesterol: 36mg

Could it get any worse?

Oh yes it could. I am talking about my starchy chewy field corn of a sweet corn. How can it get possible get worse? Well it could sit in the refrigerator and dry out. I made corn chowder and had to run it through the blender to rid the soup of giant dry chewy kernels. Even then there were still bits of kernel left. I had enough corn to try out two different recipes.

"Let's see, where are those ears of corn?"

"There over at the house laying on the ground. Even the squirrels won't eat them."


Chef Jack's Corn Chowder
From Paula Deen
Serves 8-10

3 cup chicken stock
2 cup half-and-half
3 cup white corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small celery stalk, diced
1 small carrot, finely diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Directions

Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and saute for 2 minutes. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the roux is lightly browned; set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, combine the corn and chicken stock in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the boiling stock with the corn (a little at a time) into the skillet with the roux, whisking briskly so it doesn’t lump. Return the skillet to the heat and bring to a boil. The mixture should become very thick. In a small saucepan, gently heat the half-and-half; stir it into the thick corn mixture. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, cut the remaining stick of butter into large chunks. Add it to enrich the soup, stirring until the butter melts.


Cheddar Corn Chowder
From The Barefoot Contessa
10-12 servings

8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup good olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.

If you reduce the amount of onion, reduce the amount of butter as well.

Oh sure,

he'll grimace at the rotting tomatoes. He'll whine about having to eat the soggy zucchini. He'll groan at having to pick the chewy silk laden corn out of his teeth. Make soup and top it with bacon that expired last January? I win.

Summer Garden Vegetable Soup
From melskitchencafe.com
Serves 8
3 medium zucchini, chopped into bite-size pieces (about a pound)
4 medium tomatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces (can use canned or stewed)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried basil (or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped)
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk (can use fat-free or low-fat)
1 ½ cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (more to top soup with)
Bacon, cooked and crumbled

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the zucchini, basil, parsley and onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes. Add the flour, salt and pepper and stir and cook for one minute. Gradually add the chicken broth, whisking or stirring constantly. Add the lemon juice; mix well. Bring the soup to a simmer, stirring to prevent sticking, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the zucchini is tender but still has some bite to it (it will continue cooking for a few more minutes). Add the tomatoes, evaporated milk, and corn. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the soup and simmer until the corn and zucchini are tender. Stir in the cheese just before serving.
I served crumbled bacon and more shredded cheese to top the soup with. Delicious!