Asparagus Bacon Chowder

Part of having a survival mindset is figuring out how to use what you have on-hand at right that moment.
Here in Iowa we've been experiencing some weird weather.  Hot when it's supposed to be cold, cold when it's supposed to be hot.  This past week we had a cold snap of 40ºF during the day...brrrrrr  I was in the mood for some nice warm soup and I didn't want to make a trip into the grocery store.  After scrounging through my pantry, this is the result.

Asparagus Bacon Chowder

1# Fresh Asparagus (out of our garden that day)
6-8 cups Water (enough to cover asparagus & rehydrated potatoes)
1 TBSP. Chicken base paste
6 green onions (again, out of the garden) could use dehydrated
1 cup Potato dices-dehydrated
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash-regular

1 can PET evaporated Milk
1 heaping TBSP. Bacon TVP bits-dehydrated

1 cup shredded white cheese. 
Pepper to taste
Salt to taste.  (sample before adding, there is salt in the Chicken base)

In a large sauce pan add the water, chicken base & dehydrated Potato.   Let sit for 10-15 minutes to reconstitute the potatoes.  Meanwhile, cut the asparagus into 2 inch pieces.  Dice up the onions. Add veggies to the saucepan,(may add more water to cover) then bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are done.  Add the spices, bacon, cheese and can of milk.  Gently heat through until the cheese melts.. Do NOT let the soup come back to a boil.  

Serve with a slice of homemade Sourdough bread.....

Bacon Corn Chowder

Ok, here's the deal. My husband planted sweetcorn at different dates in order to stagger the production. Well, with all this hot & extremely humid weather we've been having, the corn decided to get ready all at once. So, we have some corn that is nearing the point of being too mature to eat off the cob. What's a girl to do? A bunch of it is being processed in my dehydrator for later use. The rest was made into a big batch of Bacon Corn Chowder. I just threw this recipe together with ingredients I had on hand. One of the benefits of having a well-stocked pantry. Add some fresh whole wheat bread and you have a meal. Enjoy!

Bacon Corn Chowder ala Karla
2 heaping cups Sweet corn ~ scrape the cobs to get all the good stuff off it
8 strips Bacon~ diced (I used really nice lean bacon for this)
2 double handfuls of baby potatoes ~ cut in half if need be
6-8 green onions~ diced, green part & all (again out of our garden)
48 oz. container of Chicken Broth or equivalent made out of broth base.
1 can condensed Milk
1/4 cup slivered blanched Almonds
1 tsp. dried Thyme
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
Black Pepper to taste
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash
Pinch of brushed Sage
1 TBSP. Olive oil if bacon is really lean

In a small skillet over medium flame, toast the slivered almonds until fragrant and light brown.. Watch these close because they are easy to burn. I usually cook , tossing frequently, until I can just start to smell them. Take off the heat and set aside.

In a large kettle add the olive oil and swirl around to coat the bottom. Saute' the bacon & onions until the bacon is cooked. Add the potatoes and cook for a little while to develop the flavor, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the Chicken broth & seasonings. Simmer until the potatoes are almost soft. Add the corn & condensed milk. Simmer for about 5-7 minutes until vegetables are done and soup thickens.

Serve topped with the slivered almonds as a garnish.