BLACK BUTTE IRON CHEF

     Larry and I followed Peter and Co. to Black Butte, settled in to watch the sun go down, took the photo of the lovely cows in the meadow . . . Oregon is so beautiful!
     Having expected Jenny and family instead of the two of us, the careful Allison and Angie left a refrigerator of food they couldn't carry back to California or throw away.  When the Ederers couldn't come, we saw our chance.
     But what to do with 2 gallons milk, eggs, turkey hot dogs, blueberries, cheese, eggs, 2 sticks cooked bacon, various fruits and veg, all good, if some slightly wilted?  What would the Iron Chef do?
     First, all that milk:  found 3 nice baking potatoes in a bowl, half an onion, some celery, half an ear of corn . . . I'm thinking clam chowder.  No clams, of course, but a box of no-chicken chicken broth in the pantry, flour and spices already on board.  Easy to pick up the clams and broth at Rays on the trip to Sisters.
     I've been making the soup according to an idea I got from my cousin Mary Chandler one day rather long ago, which is to add a whiff of curry powder to any fish soup.  Credit where it's due, here's my formula.  (I used the already cooked bacon, but for your purposes, the recipe uses uncooked)

CLAM CHOWDER

2 slices bacon, chopped
Up to 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
Two sticks of celery, chopped
2 TBS butter
1 TBS flour
1 baking, or 2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, 1/2 inch cubes
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 cups milk
1 cup broth, chicken or vegetable
1/2 bottle clam juice, or to taste
1 can chopped clams
dash curry powder
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 cup white wine
lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

In saucepan large enough to accommodate entire recipe, fry bacon, remove to paper towel.  In same pan, saute green onion, remove to towel.  Add butter to pan, saute white or yellow onion and celery.  Add flour and cook a moment.

Meanwhile, in separate pan, cook potatoes in water to just cover, approx 10 minutes til done.

To onion, celery, flour mix, slowly add potatoes and hot water, stirring.  Add milk, broth, clam juice, wine and seasonings.  Don't add actual clams until the last minute!  Allow soup to simmer 15 minutes, taste, adjust seasoning.  Just before serving, add the clams, reserved bacon and green onions.  If you're feeling decadent and have some cream around, it wouldn't hurt to add 1/4 cup or so.

You'll note that the recipe doesn't mentioned a left-over ear of corn, but if you have it, use it.  As this is an off-the-cuff recipe, you can do whatever you like.


Next up, baked custard.  Uses 2 cups of milk and some eggs.  You can find a recipe anywhere.


So now, the cheese:  this is a formula I took from a package of pimiento cheese while visiting David and Caroline in North Dakota.  Over the years, the recipe changes according to what I might have on hand, but this is today's iteration:

PIMIENTO CHEESE, SORT OF:

6-8 oz. cheddar cheese, cubed
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBS mayonaise
juice of 1/2 lemon
6 chopped peppadew peppers, in brine
dash cayenne pepper

Grate the cheddar cheese in processor, then add cream cheese and mayo, process to blend.  Add lemon juice, peppers, cayenne to taste, process to the consistency of your liking.  Great on crackers, or even to stuff celery sticks with.

Didn't have pimiento, but there was that jar of peppadews in the refrig . . . why not?  If you use pimiento, you might want to add a little pickled jalapeno, or a bit more cayenne for the nice heat.

I'll get back to you if I figure out what to do with turkey hot dogs!