Soups on.....again!

We have company.......in the form of a nor'easter! It's rainy and windy....and chilly! Seemed like a perfect day to make some clam chowder!
The only thing was that I'd wished I'd thought of it yesterday......when it wasn't raining.So, I headed up to Harris Teeter to get a few things that I didn't have.....which was most of what I needed. I bought:
3 cans of minced clams (believe it or not, the Chicken of the Sea brand is awesome!)
1 box of chicken stock (I use Wolfgang Puck's organic chicken stock....buttery and delicious!)
1 bottle clam juice
1 package low fat, center cut bacon
1 leek
3 ears of fresh corn (and it was sweet....in November?)
3 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes
1 pint heavy cream

So....that means that the only thing I had at home was the celery. How's that for a not-so-well-stocked pantry?

I rarely use a recipe for my soups.....I just dump it in. It's really hard to mess up soup, but I'll do my best to give you accurate measurements of what I did today.

First, I diced 1/2 of the package of bacon and fried it and set it aside.

I wiped out all of the bacon fat....just too heavy for this soup to me. Then I added 1 tablspoon butter and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.......add the leeks and celery and cook to soften.

While that was going on, I cut the corn off of the cob

and diced up the potatoes into rather small cubes. Once the leeks and celery are done, add everything.....the bacon, corn, potatoes, leeks, celery..

..and add the clam juice, clams, then chicken broth (just enough to cover). Simmer on low until the potatoes have softened. Then add the heavy cream and VOILA.......Clam and Corn Chowder!

NOTE: The bottom of my dutch oven is not dirty....promise. It is just well worn. That, my dears, is my most fave possession....my LeCrueset dutch oven. Dennis gave it to me several years ago for Christmas....it was all that I wanted. It has never left my stove since then. It stays on the stove and I use it all the time. They make versions now that are alot less expensive and are equally as good....I've bought Shelby one and as her girlfriends get married, they get one, too. I love it more than I love my knives.....and I love my knives!