My Prairie Cookbook (10 page)

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Working over a large shallow bowl, slice the corn kernels off the cobs, scraping the cobs with the knife to extract the flavorful juices. Halve 5 of the bare corncobs crosswise, discarding the rest. Set the corn and cobs aside.

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Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 12 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the bacon for garnish, leaving the remaining bacon in the pot. Add the butter, garlic, celery, onion, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 6 minutes. Add the reserved corn kernels and cobs, the milk, and potatoes. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

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Skim any foam from the surface of the soup. Discard the cobs and bay leaf. Transfer 1½ cups (360 ml) of the soup to a blender and puree. Stir the puree back into the chowder to thicken it. Season with salt and pepper and serve garnished with the basil or thyme and the reserved bacon.

This is my mother's chicken soup recipe. I'm pretty sure it's been passed down from generation to generation to generation. Whenever I was sick as a kid, I got this soup. When I was sad . . . soup. When I was cranky, crampy, moody, heartbroken . . . soup. This soup really is a cure-all. If you like, you can substitute a 16-ounce (455-g) bag of egg noodles for the matzo balls, cooking them and adding them to the soup before serving.

Serves 4 to 6

1 (4- to 5-pound/1.8- to 2.3-kg) whole chicken

8 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

¼ cup (7 g) chopped fresh dill, plus extra for garnish

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2½ cups (290 g) matzo meal

6 large eggs

6 tablespoons (90 ml) vegetable oil

2 teaspoons salt

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Place the chicken in a large pot with the breast-side down. Add the carrots, celery, parsnip, onion, and dill. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the chicken and reach about 3 inches (7.5 cm) from the top of the pot. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours. Do not let the soup boil.

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Skim any fat from the top of the soup and add the garlic. Partially cover and simmer for another 2 hours. Remove the chicken to let it cool a bit.

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In a medium bowl, mix together the matzo meal, eggs, oil, salt, and ¼ cup (60 ml) of the broth from the chicken soup. Refrigerate the mixture for about 20 minutes.

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Bring a separate pot of water to a rolling boil. Roll the matzo mixture into about 16 balls. Wet your hands to keep the dough from sticking to them. Drop the balls into boiling water, cover, and cook for about 35 minutes.

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While the matzo balls are cooking, strain the broth from the chicken soup; discard the vegetables. Return the broth to the pot over low heat. Remove the bones and skin from the chicken and cut the meat into bite-size pieces; return it to the broth. Remove the matzo balls from the water, drain them briefly on paper towels, and serve them in the hot chicken soup. Garnish with fresh dill.

This hearty recipe is a guaranteed hit. Everyone, I mean
everyone,
I have made this for has absolutely loved it. Serve it with some great crusty French bread and oven-roasted potatoes. And after your friends and family have eaten this and loved it, you can tell them proudly that you just served them an authentic French
boeuf bourguignon
.

Serves 4

3 pounds (1.4 kg) beef chuck, cut into large pieces

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 bouquet garni (see Note)

1 (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Pinot Noir

6 ounces (170 g) lean salt pork, cut into small pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

⅓ cup (40 g) all-purpose flour

1 pound (455 g) small button mushrooms, trimmed

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Put the beef, onion, carrots, garlic, and bouquet garni in a large bowl. Add the wine. Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

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Remove the beef from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and dry the meat well on paper towels. Fry the salt pork in a large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add it to the pot and brown it on all sides, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the reserved marinade and 2 cups (480 ml) water and bring them to a boil over high heat, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.

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Add the mushrooms and cook for 30 minutes longer, until the mushrooms are tender. Remove the bouquet garni before serving.

NOTE:

This small flavoring bouquet consists of 1 sprig fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 4 sprigs fresh parsley; perhaps a sprig of fresh tarragon or celery leaves; and 4 or 5 peppercorns. Wrap it all up in a bundle of cheesecloth tied closed with kitchen string. Leave the string rather long, and you can tie it to the handle of the pot so it's easy to remove before serving.

When I was on location filming the
Little House
pilot, we went to a restaurant and my mother ordered me split pea soup with ham. It sounded so yummy, and then the bowl came and I was so upset because it looked like blended boogers. I even said so. She talked me into just tasting it, and I discovered that it was the yummiest thing I'd ever eaten.

Serves 4 to 6

1 teaspoon canola oil

1 pound (455 g) dried green split peas (2 cups ml)

2 cups (450 g) cubed cooked ham

2 cups (260 g) chopped carrots

1 cup (100 g) chopped celery

1 cup (120 g) chopped yellow onion

1 cup (150 g) diced peeled potatoes (I prefer russet)

1 teaspoon salt (optional)

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup (7 g) minced fresh parsley

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Bring the oil, peas, and 7 cups (1.7 L) water to a boil in a large soup pot. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

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Add the ham, carrots, celery, onion, potato, salt (if using), garlic powder, and pepper; cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the parsley and serve hot.