Tea Room Recipes #2 - A Time Remembered (Thomaston, Ga.)

Some years ago, wanderlust struck and I decided to go to a tea room all by my ownself, as a friend likes to say. If you've never been to tea with yourself, I definitely recommend it! I took a journal along that day, and I had a wonderful time enjoying tea and just hearing myself think. If there's a better place to do this than alone in a tea room, I can't think of it. A Time Remembered has since closed and is now "a tea room remembered," and I'm so grateful the tea room had published this lovely book of recipes!

This potato chowder recipe appealed to me for many reasons. Soup is such a great, satisfying food to make to ward off winter's chill. And this recipe is a little loosey-goosey in that it lets *you* decide exactly how many servings to make (I chose four), and I like the flexibility of this. Of course when I read that it is recommended you serve this in teacups, that sealed the deal for me. The result? An absolutely delicious chowder that I will be making again and again!


Old Fashioned Potato Chowder

You will need the following ingredients per serving:

1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 medium Idaho potato, peeled and diced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 baby carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1/8 medium onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon flour
Salt, pepper and whole milk, as desired

In soup pot, melt butter on medium heat and add potatoes. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer while preparing other ingredients.

In skillet, heat olive oil on medium heat and add carrots, celery and onion. Cook until soft. Sprinkle with dill, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat, add flour and blend well.

Bring potatoes back to a boil, add skillet ingredients and stir. Reduce heat to simmer. Continue to stir, and add milk to desired consistency. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are soft. Add salt and pepper as desired. Serve in small bowls or teacups. You may wish to add toppings such as cheddar cheese, parsley, sour cream or bacon pieces.