GRANDPA’S MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Marlene Langenbahn, of Cobleskill, N.Y., serves up this tasty Manhattan chowder when the weather begins to turn chilly.

2¼ cups diced cooked bacon
¾ cup diced fried onions
5 cups warm water
¾ cup raw carrots
¾ cup diced raw celery
½ cup diced raw red peppers
1 cup diced raw potatoes
¾ tsp. ground thyme
2 bay leaves
1 large can diced Italian-style tomatoes with garlic and oregano
3 cans (6½-oz.) chopped clams
1¼ cups clam juice from canned clams
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Fry bacon until crisp. Dice and set aside. Save 2 Tbsp. bacon fat to cook onions in.

Fry onions halfway in the bacon fat. Set aside.

Put warm water in large soup pot and add carrots, celery, peppers, and potatoes.

Add thyme and bay leaves.

Boil on low heat for 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes, clams, and clam juice to the soup pot and simmer for 30 minutes or until veggies are cooked.

Remove from heat and add bacon and onions about 10 minutes before serving.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

TORTELLINI SOUP

Aimee Davis, of Louisville, Tenn., serves this hearty soup to warm the insides of her 4-year-old son, Robert Moore Davis.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 or 5 garlic cloves, crushed
5 or 6 Italian sausages (hot, mild, or sweet)
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. rosemary
½ tsp. basil
2 cans stewed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 bag (about 12 oz.) fresh pre-washed spinach, chopped
1 package fresh or frozen tortellini
Parmesan cheese, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Brown onion, garlic, and sausage in olive oil. Drain oil.

Add oregano, rosemary, basil, tomatoes, and chicken broth. Simmer for up to 1 hour.

Just before you serve, turn off heat, add tortellini and spinach, and cover for about 8-10 minutes.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese.

Season with salt and pepper.

CREAMY BROCCOLI SOUP

“This soup, made with Minute Rice and fresh broccoli, is wholesome, flavorful, and easy,” writes Denise Patterson, of Bainbridge, Ohio.

“Serve with breadsticks and a side salad, and you have a complete meal.”

2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 Tbsp. oil
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
2 small bunches fresh broccoli, trimmed, cut into 3-inch lengths (about 4½ cups)
½ cup Minute Rice, uncooked
2 cups milk
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Stir carrots, onion, and celery in hot oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.

Add chicken broth and water; stir. Bring to boil.

Stir in broccoli and rice and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.

Add mixture in batches, to blender or food processor; cover. Blend until slightly pureed.

Return soup to pot. Add milk and cheese; continue to cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Note: Add 4½ cups frozen peas for additional color.

HERB DINNER SCONES
Evvie Marshall, of Helotes, Texas, is just 18, but she enjoys baking, and herb dinner scones are one of her favorites. “It has been requested for when we have company or we need a bread thing quickly,” she writes.

3 cups of flour
1Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 or more Tbsp. dried or fresh herbs (any of your choice)
6-8 Tbsp. butter, to taste
1¼ to 1½ cup of buttermilk, yogurt, or sour cream

In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and herbs.

Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or your hands. Mix in milk product of your choice, stirring until dough holds together.

Transfer dough to a floured surface and flatten into a circle. Cut the dough into triangles, or use a cookie cutter.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place cut-out dough in a pan and freeze for 30 minutes (Note: you don’t have to freeze the dough, but it helps it to rise better).

Take out of freezer and place them right into the oven. Bake 10-15 minutes.

TEXAS-STYLE BARBECUE STEW

Roy and Kathy Cockfield, of Hemingway, S.C., came up with this recipe after a trip to Texas where they ate barbecue stew.

1 lb. cooked boneless beef roast, cut into chunks
1 lb. cooked boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
1 lb. cooked boneless pork, cut into chunks
1 lb. Hillshire smoked sausage, cut into rings
1 large onion, chopped
1 pint of your favorite liquid barbecue sauce
4-8 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can string beans

Put all meats in a large pot, add enough water to cover the meat

Add onion, and cook until the meat is done.

Add barbecue sauce and potatoes. Add enough water to cover potatoes.

Cook 15-18 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add corn and string beans and simmer for about 5 minutes, until corn and string beans are hot.

From the Out Here test kitchen: If the stew is not as soupy as you’d like, add 2 cups water or broth. Consider adding other veggies such as tomatoes or peas.