Welcome to My Kitchen

A touch of spring, then winter returned for another round. Fortunately, we have more soup and stew recipes to share.

Ham and Hominy Chowder is a lightly spiced mixture of vegetables and chopped cooked ham. Hominy may not be familiar to everyone, but it lends a chewy texture to the vegetable mixture, tending to take on the flavors of the other ingredients in a recipe.

Ham and Hominy Chowder

1 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil

1 pound cubed red potatoes, unpeeled

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 medium red or green bell pepper, chopped

1 1/4 cups chopped, cooked ham

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 can (14 1/2 ounces white or golden hominy, undrained

1 can (4 ounces) of chopped green chilies

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves

1 1/2 tsp salt or less

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

In a 3 quart saucepan or kettle, combine oil, potatoes, onion, bell pepper, ham and celery. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add hominy, chilies, flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covering for 30 to 40 minutes or until soup is thickened and potatoes are tender—yield: 9 cups soup.

Note: depending on the saltiness of the ham used, you should reduce the salt in this recipe.

Split pea soup is a favorite of many, with nearly as many believing it is the worst thing they ever had to eat. For those who love pea soup, a batch flavored by cooking with a ham bone is the ultimate treat. Ham hocks are another option for flavoring soup.

Ham and

Split Pea Soup

1 meaty ham bone or ham hock

2 cups dried split peas

6 cups hot water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, trimmed and diced

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Combine all ingredients except salt and cook in a large covered kettle for about 1 hour or on a slow cooker for 6 hours.

Remove the ham bone and scrape any bits of meat back into the soup. Season with salt to taste and serve. Yield: about 9 cups of soup.

Garden fresh tomato soup is a delicious summer treat, but this recipe for Tomato Basil Soup is a flavorful substitute for mid-winter. Made with canned tomatoes, plenty of garlic, and a touch of smoke flavor. Orzo pasta makes this a filling soup or served with grilled cheese sandwiches.

You may use fresh herbs or dried ones. I often make this recipe using fresh herbs I have splurged on for other recipes. Also, this soup lends itself to any number of add-ins. Crumbled, cooked bacon or browned ground beef, frozen or fresh meat or cheese tortellini, or cooked, long grain rice instead of the orzo pasta.

Cornbread is a favorite of many to serve with soup, stews and chowders. Cornbread can be varied from a basic, lightly sweetened cornmeal batter to spicy additions of chili powder, diced green chilies, and chopped onion to suit the family’s tastes and complement the soup. The following basic recipe comes from Mrs. Wright’s Cornmeal package circa 1970.

Corn Bread

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup melted shortening or vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, beat eggs until smooth, and blend in milk and melted shortening.

Stir the liquid mixture into the dry ingredient mixture, stirring until just combined. Don’t over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake the cornbread for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Note: Add one 4-ounce can of diced green chilies, the milk and egg mixture for spicy cornbread. For savory cornbread, gently stir in 1/4 cup of chopped onion or crumbled bacon. Place half the batter in the pan for a fun, sweet cornbread, spreading evenly. Then evenly place nine teaspoons of your favorite jelly or jam on the batter. Top with remaining batter and bake as directed. Cut into squares and serve warm. Yield: 9 servings.

Taco soup is always a favorite at soup suppers. Sherie Heimbigner makes the best easy-to-prepare version, from ingredients convenient to keep on hand. From browning the beef and a 15-minute simmer, you can have a meal in 30 minutes. Serve with the above cornbread and your favorite toppings, like shredded cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, sliced olives and diced green chilies, and you have a complete meal in a bowl.

Taco Soup

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup peeled, chopped onion

1 can (16 ounces) diced tomatoes

1 can(16 ounces) kidney beans with liquid

1 can (16 ounces) kernel corn with liquid

1 can (15 ounces of tomato sauce

1 packet of taco seasoning

Brown ground beef and onion in a large kettle. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings. Yield: 6 servings.

Share your favorite soup recipes, and think ahead to Easter and springtime meal recipes with your fellow readers. Does anyone have natural dying tips for Easter eggs? I just learned avocado seeds are boiled, which will make a soft pink dye. I will keep you posted on the results.

All recipes and kitchen tips may be mailed to Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Certain garden seeds should be started soon to be ready to set out when spring weather arrives — Reuse toilet paper tubes to make tiny seed pots. Cut the line in half, flatten each half, then cut four 1/2 inch slits evenly spaced. Fold in like folding in the flaps on a box. Visit our Facebook, Welcome to My Kitchen, page for a picture tutorial.