Make many types of cream soups with a good recipe for a basic foundation

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We have some soup recipes for you, two of which are basic foundational recipes on which you can base many different soups.

Mrs. Huguenin’s guidance on how to make a cream base for whatever soup you want to make, maybe broccoli or mushrooms or tomatoes, or whatever else you feel like using comes to us from Charleston Receipts.

Then, Mrs. Turner Logan’s instruction, also from Charleston Receipts, calls for two pounds of “beef soup-shank.” You will probably have to make a special request from your butcher for this. Not having used beef shanks, I researched and found, “Chicken stock is lovely, but the broth you make from a beef shank bone is a veritable elixir, rich in dissolved gelatin and calcium.” Thus, the recipe will make a wonderful base for your next pot of soup.

From The New York Times NEW Natural Foods Cookbook, by Jean Hewitt, we have Best Barley Soup. This recipe makes about six servings.

Dijon Chicken is shared by John Truby in A Taste of Heaven from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda. It is a lovely dish of hot chicken in sauce served over rice.

Southern Living’s All-Time Favorites shares this recipe for turnip greens. They say they simmered the ham hocks for about 2 hours until the meat pulled away from the bones easily. In the interest of time, you can simmer for 30 to 45 minutes to release the flavor.

Bonnie Milliken shares her Pizza Dough recipe with us through Northside Baptist Church’s book of recipes. This is another basic instruction you can use to exercise your “exploratory” gene to have some fun in the kitchen.

From Nana Morris in The Jones-Morris Family Treasury, Bran Muffins looks like an easy recipe and very good, too, especially if you choose to use the optional raisins. I would use at least a cup of raisins.

MRS. THOMAS A. HUGUENIN’s (MARY VEREEN) BASIC CREAM SOUPS FOR BLENDERS

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,

a Cookbook by The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

Sliver of onion

Accent

Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in blender except butter. Then put in heavy pot, add butter and heat. Cut down on flour if using lots of vegetables.

MRS. W. TURNER LOGAN, SR’s (LOUISE LESESNE)

SEASONING FOR SOUP

Recipe from Charleston Receipts, America’s Oldest Junior League Cookbook in Print,

a Cookbook by The Junior League of Charleston, Inc.

2 ounces onions

5 ounces carrots

5 ounces leeks

1 ounce celery

2 quarts water

2 pounds beef soup-shank

1 bouquet of herbs (parsley may be substituted)

Any herbs may be used except sage

Boil down to 3-1/2 pints

BEST BARLEY SOUP

THE NEW YORK TIMES NEW

NATURAL FOODS COOKBOOK

Copyright 1982 by Jean Hewitt

1/4 cup whole barley, washed

6 cups boiling homemade vegetable broth

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup diced celery

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups chopped peeled tomatoes

1 cup fresh peas

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1. Put the barley and broth in a heavy kettle, cover, and simmer until the barley is tender, about 1 hour. Add the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the parsley, and cook, covered until the vegetables are barely tender. 2. Add the parsley, but do not cook any further. Yield: six servings.

JOHN TRUBY’S DIJON CHICKEN

Recipe from First Presbyterian Church of Punta Gorda,

A Taste of Heaven

4 chicken half breasts (about 2 pounds)

1 teaspoon onion salt

1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper

2 cups hot cooked rice

3 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup chicken broth (approximately)

1/2 cup light cream

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Parsley (optional)

Skin, halve lengthwise and debone chicken. Sprinkle with onion salt and lemon pepper. Prepare rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook chicken in butter about 20 minutes or until tender. Remove to a platter and keep warm. Measure pan juices and add enough broth to make 1 cup of liquid. Put in skillet. Stir together light cream and flour; add to broth. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir in mustard. Spoon some sauce over chicken. Serve over hot rice. Garnish with parsley.

SOUTHERN TURNIP GREENS

AND HAM HOCKS

Recipe from Southern Living’s

All-Time Favorites

1-3/4 pounds ham hocks, rinsed

2 quarts water

2 bunches fresh turnip greens with roots (about 10 pounds)

1 tablespoon sugar

Bring ham hocks and 2 quarts water to a boil in an 8-quart Dutch oven. Reduce heat and simmer 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is tender. Remove and discard stems and discolored spots from greens. Chop greens and rinse thoroughly; drain. Peel turnip roots and cut in half. Add greens, roots, and sugar to Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simer 45 to 60 minutes or until greens and roots are tender. Makes 10 servings.

BONNIE MILLIKEN’S PIZZA DOUGH

Recipe from Northside Baptist Church’s cookbook

1 cup warm water

1 package yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups flour, and additional 1-1/2 cups flour, approximately

Sprinkle yeast into warm (not hot) water until dissolved. Add sugar, salt, and oil.

Add 2 cups flour, a little (1/2 cup) at a time. It will be a very stiff dough. Turn out onto floured flat surface and knead in the remaining 1-1/2 cups flour until dough is smooth and elastic.

Place dough in greased bowl. Brush or pat top with oil. Cover and let rise in warm place (85 degrees). In the rising process, keep in a place that is free from drafts until dough is double in bulk. It will take about 45 minutes (30 minutes or less if you use the Rapid Rise Yeast). Punch down the dough and divide in half. Knead slightly and press each ball of dough into pizza pan.

Top with ‘whatever,’ i.e.; 1 cup tomato or pizza sauce, 1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cooked Italian sausage, cooked hamburger, slivers of onion, green pepper, olives, pepperoni, etc.

Bake at 400 degrees about 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven.

Dough can be refrigerated or frozen before rising. Defrost or let dough come to room temperature before first step in rising. It can be refrigerated or frozen after adding the toppings or after slightly baking (10 to 15 minutes).

NANA MORRIS’ REFRIGERATED BRAN MUFFINS

Recipe from

The Jones-Morris Family Treasury

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

2-1/2 cups flour

2-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

1 cup boiling water

1 cup 100% Bran Buds

2 cups ALL BRAN

Raisins (optional)

Pour boiling water over Bran Buds. Set aside. Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, then buttermilk.

Sift dry ingredients and stir in BY HAND. Stir in ALL BRAN and moistened Bran Buds. Stir in raisins as desired.

Cover tightly and put in refrigerator overnight. NEVER stir after placing in refrigerator. Spray muffin tins with PAM. Fill with mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.