Cheeseburger Chowder goes to Patriots football game

Friends who have been long term season ticket holders are always looking for a new soup/chowder to take for tailgating at Gillette Stadium. This year I suggested that they try my Cheeseburger Chowder. It is always a hit especially with men as it has a delicious cheesy flavor and plenty of ground hamburger. I suggested they serve them with Snowflake Rolls from Big Y for dunking.

I have highlighted the recipe on a previous blog and I have included a link for you to check it out. It can also be found in the Soup chowder in my first cookbook, the Taste and Tales of Massachusetts.

Cheeseburger Chowder for These Cold Winter Days

Cheeseburger ChowderFor the past few weeks, Massachusetts has been experiencing a taste of winter – snow, snow, and more snow, cold and winds. The cold isn’t so bad if it were not for the wind which goes right through you. On days like this, there is nothing like a hot bowl of soup or chowder and my Cheeseburger Chowder fits the fill. Serve it with a salad, some artisan bread and a glass of wine and you have a delicious hardy meal. The recipe is from the Taste and Tales of Massachusetts.

Cheeseburger Chowder

Ingredients

2 medium green peppers, chopped fine
1 onion, chopped fine
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound (8-ounce) hamburg or ground turkey
1 quart chicken broth
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pint half & half or milk

Directions

1. Saute onions and peppers in large pot. Add hamburg and brown.
2. Add chicken broth. Mix flour with 1/4 cup of broth and blend well before adding to mixture. Bring to a boil.
3. Add cheddar cheese and half & half (or milk). Stir until cheese is melted.
4. Season to taste. Serve hot with a salad and French bread.

Yields 6 – 8 servingsMA front cover 6-08a

Cortez Fishing Village’s Star Fish Market

Historic_fishing_village_of_Cortez,_Florida (1)Cortez village is one of the last remaining fishing villages on Florida’s southwest Gulf coast.  The area was originally settled In the 1880s by families from the southern edge of the Outer Banks in North Carolina who came to the area known then as Hunter’s Point to escape the Atlantic hurricanes. Records indicate that by 1887, Cortez was a thriving fishing village with a store and school.  A hurricane in 1921 destroyed virtually all the buildings, but the residents, in true Florida fashion rebuilt.

Many of the descendants still live in the village. The residents called the eastern shore of Sarasota Bay south of the village “The Kitchen” as its wealth of fish, scallops, and other seafood made it possible for them to feed their families in hard time.

Docks 1The Village comprises homes, stores, marinas, and restaurants.  I have been hearing about the village for decades, but finally decided to explore some of it this year.

My neighbor was celebrating her 87 birthday and I decided we needed to have lunch at the Star Fish Market.  We arrived around 11:45 a.m. figuring we were ahead of the lunch crowd – wrong!!  I stood in line for 45 minutes to place our order and then waited another 30 for the meal to be delivered in a white box.  Nobody complained about the wait because the meal was well worth it.                                                                              Grilled Haddock

I had my usual, grilled grouper from the best flat top grill in the area and the birthday girl had crab cakes.  This was by far the freshest grouper I have ever had, most likely caught within 24 hours.  The meals come with fries, hush puppies and the absolutely very best cole slaw I’ve ever had.  They chop the slaw into small pieces and it had a wonderful flavor.  I took home a Stone Crab and Corn Chowder and more slaw to have the next evening.  There was enough to serve 3 of us.

Seating on the dock watching all the activity was fun.  Seems that the waters off the docks are the home to a flock of white pelicans.  I have spent years trying to add this bird to my life list, but Pelicanshave never located them in the area.  Imagine my surprise when I look out and there they are.  While eating a pod o f dolphins also swam by.

So the next time you are visiting the west coast of Florida stop by and grab a bite.  Also in February they also have the Cortez Fishing Village Festival which attracted 25,000 attendees this year.