clam chowder

i fused a recipe that i got from my mother-in-law with a recipe i found at myrecipes.com. i did a little bit of research before i made it and i found a lot of recipes that called for adding a splash of red wine vinegar at the end. i just ran out so i didn't add any. while this soup was great as-is (my husband told me to write it down exactly and not change a thing), i thought it would be interesting to try the red wine vinegar next time. i'll make a note to let you know what i conclude.

this made just the perfect amount for my family of five--there weren't any leftovers.

ingredients

4 green onions, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
1 medium carrot, sliced
1 and 1/2 baked potato, cubed
2 slices bacon, crumbled
2 6oz cans clams, juices reserved
4 C milk
1 stick butter
3/4 C flour
2 cubes chicken granules or 2 t chicken base
1/4 t white pepper
1/2 t salt
1 generous pinch thyme
1 bay leaf

directions

melt butter over medium high heat. add onions, celery, carrots, white pepper and thyme and saute 2-3 minutes. add clam juice and heat to a simmer. add bay leaf and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. increase the heat back to medium-high and slowly stir in flour. once a thick paste has formed, slowly whisk in cold milk, stirring constantly. next, add the chicken base, potatoes, bacon and salt. stir and heat until thickened and not quite bubbly. add clams and take off heat. cover and let stand 5 minutes to let the clams warm. serve with freshly ground pepper.