A Soupcon of Soups

Cooler weather demands soups. Whether they be bisque or chowder, they are wonderful chill chasers, perfect for lunch or dinner. The question is what soup is what. Is a bisque easier to make than a chowder? Is a cream based one a bit more complicated than a regular one? What are the differences?

One of the easiest soups to make is broth. You can start off with either the easy or the hard method. The easy one just involves bouillon cubes and water. The hard way is boiling an entire chicken with onions and celery and then skimming off the fat. Making beef both is a little easier.It just involves soup bones and water, along with the required onions and celery. You can also add ground peppercorns, marjoram thyme and oregano along with garlic for flavor. This last is up to you .Fish stock is again like these other two except you add heads, fins and spines for a more fishier soup base. For a true soup you can then add other ingredients like the appropriate meats, more veggiessuch as tomatoes and peppers along with pasta. For cream soups add a cup or more of milk or cream . You can also add butter too for extra richness.

What's the difference between chowder and bisque? Chowder is chunkier, usually with chunks of any kind of vegetables and seafood, hence Manhattan , New England and Rhode Island clam chowders. However you can make a potato or corn chowder too , just by using these veggies alone. Bisque is more refined, being smoother in texture and creamier. Bisque is also made more with seafood and has the extra oomph of cognac or wine added. Both soups are French in origin. Chowder comes from chaudiere , the large pot French fisherman used to boil their catches along with foraged vegetables. They came to the New England coast in the 1750's bringing this recipe with them. Bisque is from the Bay of Biscay in southern France on the Atlantic and the word is a derivation of Biscay. There is also another similar soup called biscay where heavily spiced game birds are subbed in instead of the fish.

Nothing beats any kind of soup in this chilly weather. it's easy to make and is always a treat , whether for lunch or dinner. You can try your hand at any one, a chunky chowder or a refined bisque. You can even just make a simple chicken soup to warm up empty tummies.

Summer Stock

How can you enjoy this summer's vegetables all year long? By turning them into delicious soups you can enjoy all year round. This is the time to turn that bumper crop into yummy chowders and bisques . Then you can freez e them for those blisteringly cold winter days when a steaming bowl is called for.

The best kind of soup to make is a vegetable. This is a great way of getting rid of extra tomatoes, celery and onions. You can make it vegetarian by creating your own or adding a store bought vegetarian bouillion. Finely chop the veggies and saute in olive oil until translucent. Add to stock. You can also throw in garlic and chopped leeks for flavor. If you want to make an Italian minestrone add some elbow macaroni along with red wine and kidney beans, Some minestrones call for spinach and cabbage. You can certainly add those for a heartier, thicker soup.

Your garden veggies also go well in bisques and chowders. Tomato bisque is a delicious turn on classic tomato soup. Bisques are more of a potage, usually made with milk and flour,although you can add cream. Tomatoes are then added , These are usually stewed thus giving the soups chunky texture. Veggie chowders are another wonderful dish to whip up. Chowders are, by definition a thick soup, usually made with seafood such as clam chowders and thickened with a potato or tomato base. However ex out the clams or any other fish and sub in corn. fresh from the ear niblets are the best for these because they give it a delicate sweetness. Also add garden fresh onions or scallions for some bite.

You can taste summer all year long in a homemade soup. Use the veggies you're growing now for a tasty winter dish that 'll warm you up like the summer sun. They are the perfect souvenir of a bountiful July or August.!

Shoal Harbor Lobster House

It's on a deserted not far from a romantic stormy bay . History and hauntings abound. It features fresh made chowder and newly caught lobster. No, it's not some Cape Cod eatery. It's the Shoal Harbor Lobster House along the Raritan Bay in Port Monmouth , New Jersey. This restaurant is a cousin to what you'ld see in Cape Cod , the Hamptons and even Cape May. However unlike those restaurants this is not far from New York City. In fact you can take a nearby ferry from Manhattan's southern tip to indulge in their great seafood.

I arrived there today , well afer the lunchtime crowd had disappeared. I was dying for lobster but unfortunately Shoal Harbor was out of it. Despite it's isolated address, it is popular with locals and visitors alike. I settled for a veggie and clam rich Manhattan style chowder. It didn't have the over spiciness of other chowders that are usually redolent with bay leaf and thyme. This was delicately flavored with large chunks of clam.A cup of hot chowder was perfect on a chilly day like like today which was rainy and misty . I am planning on trying some of the flounder and crab cakes on a later visit along with Shoal House's famed fish stew.

Shoal Harbor also sells seafood such as tilapia, flounder and other fish cuts. There are also oysters and clams to bring home and steam as well. The lobsters come directly from the nearby Atlantic .I heard some fishermen unloading them as I sat outside and ate. There are also lobster traps galore piled four to five high all around. The pricing is good and probably on a par or even less with local supermarkets. There were a few people coming in to buy seafood for their weekend meals.

If you want New England or even Cape May style seafood go the Shoal Harbor Lobster House. This is a great place for seafood lovers from North Jersey or even Manhattan. You can get
fresh caught lobster or fresh made clam chowder all within driving and even sailing distance of this charming and affordable lobster house.


Shoal Harbor Lobster House - 909 Port Monmouth Road, Port Monmouth NJ.