Garden Vegetable Chowder

The string beans have started to produce so one of my favorite ways to use them is in a chowder. The great thing about this soup is you can use just about any kind of vegetable you might have. Normally, I wouldn't be thinking about making soups at this time of the year, but since it's been so cold this summer, it seems like the perfect thing to eat.

There are dozens of variations of this basic recipe, so feel free to experiment.

Garden Vegetable Chowder

Cut 2-3 slices of bacon into bite size pieces and fry in a large pot until crispy. Remove bacon and drain excess fat, leaving 2-3 tablespoons. (You could also use Italian sausage instead of bacon.)

While the bacon is frying, chop the following into about 1/2" pieces:
1 Medium Onion
3 Carrots
2 Celery Stalks
2-3 potatoes (Red skinned are great for this, but any kind will work.)
1/2 Rutabega
1 cup green and/or yellow string beans
Also, cut the kernels from 1-2 ears of corn.

Add carrots, rutabega, celery and onion to pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer another 5 minutes.

Add 4-5 cups chicken stock and 1 cup of water to the pot. (If using store bought stock, use low-sodium stock.)

Simmer over medium-low heat until all vegetables are tender (about 10-15 minutes).

Return bacon to the pot
Add 1/2 cup heavy cream (Optional, but it's really good!)
Add 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (optional) (parsley, chives and thyme are all good choices)

Adjust seasoning, if necessary.

Serve with cornbread or biscuits.