The Porch Garden and a Summer Chowder

I got the idea for this chowder from the Herbfarm Cookbook. It is another candidate for hot soup especially suitable for hot weather consumption. It is actually a bit early as a seasonal dish, and I will be making it again, with local corn and fresh chanterelles (if I can get some of the latter) in August. It will be better, but this is good, too. The fresh shitakes looked so nice that I took a chance on the supermarket from-who-knows-where corn. Anyhow, I wanted a reason to pluck goodies from the on-the-porch herb garden, which is doing very nicely. As a garden-deprived apartment dweller, I'm just delighted to have a few lovely things which can be picked just before they are eaten. In this case, thy are fresh basil, oregano and chives. As well as the fresh herbs, to make the chowder for 4,
you also need:

12 oz. fresh shitakes, thinly slices, stems set aside for other uses (like veg stock)
olive oil
an onion, sliced in thin half moons
a shallot, chopped finely
corn from 4 ears, cut off squishily
3 cups homemade stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tbsps fino sherry
salt
pepper
1 cup whipping cream

Cut the herbs into thin strips, and set aside. Cook the onions and shallots, and a wee bit of garlic if you like, in a soup pot, over a medium heat until soft and just beginning to color. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to color, and no liquid is being exuded. Add seasonings and wines. Cook until nearly dry. Add broth and corn and cook for about 15 minutes, to blend the flavors. Add the cream and pleanty of the fresh herbs and heat through. This is nice with crisp seedy crackers, like the Suzie's ones-I love them.It is also particularly good with thin, crisp-bottomed individual onion pizzas for dinner, about which, more later. Update of woe: The porch garden was sadly diminished today, thanks to my new landlords and their minions. See my comment below for pathetic tale.

Comments

[steven]

Umm that's a pretty fantastic garden for an apartment dweller and the chowder is awesome.

[Baking Soda]

Mmm, yummy again. Yr porch garden is actually looking better than my outdoor garden.

[Julie]

Your porch garden looks green and lush. How great to have fresh herbs to cook with right outside your door.

[Tanna]

Now that pictures doesn't look like you're garden-deprived! I always feel rich when I can pick fresh basil.

[lindy]

Aaagh!
Came home from work today to find that the new landlords who purchased the properties this week had decided to pressure wash the walkways. They moved all my garden stuff up on the porch, breaking my tomato plants in numerous critical places and scarring a bunch of other plants.
When I called the new management number we were given, the guy said, "Well, I didn't know there were any plants. "Do you want me to go to Lowe's and get you a couple more tomatoes?" I'm not sure, but I also think he said "duh."

The so called "landscapers" they hired had also sprayed some kind of smelly chemicals all over the common grassy areas and "pruned " all the nice soft trees on our hill by hacking them into stumpy messes. I am very, very sad, and totally powerless. The joys of renting.

[lobstersquad]

that´s an impressive porch. I once had a rosemary plant, but it died on me pretty much straight away. I´ve decided to cultivate my greengrocer instead.

[ann]

ugh, that's just awful... landlords care so little, until you're late on your rent. buh.

[steven]

That's horrible Lindy, if you ever move I suggest you remove a switch plate or a plug cover and hide a fresh sardine in the wall as revenge.

[lindy]

Thank you. sigh. I guess, like lobstersquad, I will be spending more time on the greengrocer myself. Much is still okay here, including most of the herbs-though the european blue-white (for the kemeli suneli) is looking iffy and rattled. And, as tanna, says-I am very lucky to be able to pick my own basil.

I may have have to add that amenity to my personal list of what is needed, in the way of material things, to feel lavish. I read somewhere once that if you have good coffee, and fresh flowers in the house, you will never feel poor. I tend to agree. The basil is definitely a serious contender, though.

And of course, steven, fresh sardines, for obtaining revenge. An inspired suggestion, and satisfying to contemplate.

[Rebecca]

Here I was feeling really jealous until I saw your addendum; poor you! I felt something like that when the groundhog who sleeps next door ate all my black-eyed susans just before they were ready to bloom, but that was just nature taking its course and not nasty landlords.

I have no sun in my yard and can't seem to get anything edible to grow (unless you're a groundhog), even though I have a big area. Thank goodness for the farmers' markets.

[eg]

I'm so sorry to hear about the attack of the "dummies" ... I think these same guys may work for us, too. After the hurricane (Isabel), they turned many of our trees into lollipops and other strange hacked-up shapes and they cut down my favorite weeping (cherry? plum?) tree behind my apartment.

And here I was feeling jealous of you, because not only do you get to live in a place called Squirrel Hill but you are allowed to have vegetables and whatnot on your porch. I shall think happy thoughts toward your plants.

eg

[lindy]

Thanks for the sympathy-I think I may have rescued one of the tomato plants. Rebecca-I know what you mean. I was sad when the cucumber beetles made mincemeat of my little patch of zucchinis-for-the-blossoms, but it is sooo much worse when it is idiot people, for no good reason.Grrr.
eg-I'm hoping I'm still able to keep my plants in the corner next to my porch. It doesn't get in the way of walking, as it is next to my stairs, and doesn't come out even as far as the stairs, but the guy I complained to at the new landlord referred to it grouchily as "the common areas" (which it actually is)-and he can stop me if he wants to. Other tenants have stopped to tell me how much they like it, but I doubt if that will matter.
The reason it is called "Squirrel Hill" is actually because we have lots of squirrels- red, gray, even black ones. They didn't cut down enough trees to keep them away, luckily. Also we a whole load of diferent cool birds, cause it is an old neighborhood, with big, established trees.
I am so sorry to hear about your trees-too sad that the municipalities treat plant life with less technical knowledge, interest and adeptitude than garbage disposal. Seems nearly universal.