Clam and Corn Chowder

2 medium or one large onion, chopped

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 1/4 cups chicken broth

2 cups diced potatoes

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp celery salt

2 can (aprox 7 oz) minced clams (I use baby clams)

1 can (16oz) creamed corn

2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

In a pot large enough to hold 3 quarts, cook onions in butter until soft (but not brown). Add broth, potatoes, seasonings, and clams. Cook covered 15 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked. Add corn, milk and heat. It can be made richer by using a mixture of cream and milk. Serves aprox 8.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken

1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed

2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups homemade chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.

In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.

Black Bean Soup

3 tblsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped (1/2 cp)

2 small garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 large stalk celery, chopped (3/4 cp)

1 large carrot, chopped (3/4 cp)

4 cps chicken broth

3 15 1/2 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

juice from 1 lime

1 tblsp tomato paste

salt

In large pot, heat the oil, onion, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the cumin and cook 1 minute. Add celery, carrot, stock and beans. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and tomato paste. To thicken soup, puree the beans in a blender.