Chowder for Lena

I grew up living next door to my great-grandfather and his wife, Lena. My great-grandmother died and my great-grandfather remarried a decade before I was born. In my eyes, Lena was the real deal. I never considered her anything less than my great-grandmother. Lena was a strong, amazing woman who was born in 1903 and passed away when she was 92 years old. She is a major inspiration for this blog. One of Michael Pollan's Food Rules is don't eat anything your grandmother or great-grandmother would not have recognized. She is the first person that comes to mind when I hear this rule. She was a tough cookie who had survived the great depression and had worked in Washington D.C. during World War II but I think a go-gurt or a bottle of electric blue sports drink would have frightened her!

In my small coastal hometown, she had a huge garden in the backyard, a grape orchard, peach trees, she grew potatoes in galvanized trash cans and canned everything for her cold cellar. On New Year's Day everyone had to eat black eyed peas for good luck and her basement was the epicenter of all social events. Something was always cooking in one or both kitchens and people would go out of their way to bring her venison, seafood or their other culinary prizes to prepare.

She also wasn't afraid to get the food stuffs herself, I remember her surf fishing well into her 70s.

I think our society has come so, so far from this lifestyle. And like me, we don't have the time or the need to learn these skills. Families are busier, and with hundreds of choices of fast food and restaurants in a local radius, its just easier to grab something quick instead of making it yourself. But there is more to cooking at home than just the food we eat. Its time with family, food made with love and also knowing just what is going into our bodies. Lena's lovely boisterous laugh filled a room and when I took her the mail in the afternoon after I got home from school she beamed and couldn't wait to hear about my day. She was almost always in the kitchen and there was usually a little something set aside for me too. 

This Jamie Oliver recipe reminded me of her and something that would be simmering on her stove. 

So, find your inner Lena and try something new and adventurous this week!

On the menu:
Finnan Haddie Corn Chowder
Spiced Shrimp
Rainbow Salad
Raspberry & Elderflower Slushie

The whole menu is delicious but if you'd like to try the chowder, here is the recipe

Chowder, Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes, page 166.

Ingredients:
4 slices of smoked bacon
a small bunch of scallions
8 oz. red skinned potatoes
4 corn cobs
12 oz haddock
3 fresh bay leaves
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 quart organic chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 oz. cooked salad-size shrimp
1/2 10 oz box large matzo or plain crackers

Thinly slice the bacon and put it into the saucepan with a good lug of olive oil. Stir until golden. Trim and finely slice the scallions, add to the pan, and stir. Wash the potatoes and chop into 1 inch chunks. Add to the pan and mix well. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring often. Meanwhile, put a clean tea towel over a board and ruffle up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a corn cob upright on the board and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels, all the way round. Repeat with the rest of the cobs, discarding the cores. Tip the kernels directly from the towel into the pan. Add the haddock to the pan with the bay leaves and the thyme. Cover with the chicken broth, then put the lid on and cook for 12 minutes. (confession: Since I was making this in the winter, I used frozen corn)

Add the 2/3 cup heavy cream and the salad size shrimp to the chowder and stir well. Put the lid back on and turn the heat down to low.
When you are ready to serve, you can leave it corse and chunky or use a potato masher to mash it up a little bit and make it silky, or puree.

I highly recommend checking out the book to add the other recipes, this was a great meal!

Meals cooked: 18

Meals left: 32

Weeks left: 10