CLAM CHOWDER

I had leftover baked salmon from supper, about 10 ounces, so I decided to make a favourite recipe.  My sister-in-law gave me this recipe for clam chowder a number of years ago.  I have used clams, baked salmon or canned salmon in this chowder.   This recipe calls for potatoes but I used a cup of frozen corn niblets instead.  When I first read this recipe and saw the amount of garlic cloves, I thought the taste would be too strong but it isn't.  Because the cloves were large, I used 9 cloves of garlic.  Instead of flour I used flax seed meal as part of the roux in the chowder.  Recently, I bought flax seed meal by mistake.  I was looking to buy ground flax seed to make my breakfast cereal and I bought meal instead. The meal is like flour, finely ground and can be used in baking or as a thickener.

Chowder cooking in a big pot. 

Ready to eat.

Clam Chowder

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup butter or margarine

10 to 12 cloves of garlic, minced

¼ cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cans of baby clams, drained

19 oz can of tomatoes with its juice

3 medium size carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, chopped OR 1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp dried basil or a handful of fresh or frozen basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, on medium high heat, add the butter and garlic.  As the butter melts, add the flour.  This is a roux.  You don't want to overcook the roux and make paste.  Once everything is combined and well blended, add the milk.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients.   Once the chowder starts to boil, reduce the heat to simmer.  Simmer for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.  If the chowder is too thick, thin with water or milk.