* ITALIAN MINESTRONE SOUP ASHTON STYLE (#9)

WHO EVER CREATED MINESTONE SOUP DECIDED TO PUT WHATEVER WAS IN THE HOUSE IN ONE SOUP. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL KINDS THAT USED VERY FEW INGREDIENTS TO THOSE WHO USED A LOT OF INGREDIENTS.  THE ONE I AM GIVING YOU IS USING MANY INGREDIENT; ALTHOUGH IT MAY SEEM COMPLICATED IT IS NOT; ONCE YOU THROUGH EVERYTHING IN YOU JUST LET IT SIMMER UNTIL SERVING.THIS SOUP CAN BE THE MAIN ENTRE AND WILL SERVE MANY PEOPLE OR JUST A FEW AND FREEZE THE REST; I HOPE YOU WILL TRY IT AS IT IS A FAVORITE OF MINE AND MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.

INGREDIENTS: (VEGETARIAN STYLE ELIMINATE THE CHICKEN AND CHICKEN BASE AND  USE VEG BASE INSTEAD)
1 whole chicken in 3 qts of water and simmered for 2 hrs
VEG STYLE ELIMINATE THE CHICKEN AND
CHICKEN BASE AND ADD PENZEYS VEG BASE
 OR EQUIV OR 1 BOX VEG STOCK
3 tab of Millers chicken base or equivilent (SEE VEG BASE)
2 tab of parsley
1 tsp ground pepper
5 or 6 cloves of garlic peeled and smashed
4 stalks of celery minced
4 carrots minced
3 medium onions minced
1/3 head of  cabbage cut into 2 inch pieces
2 small zuccinie cut into thin slices
1 box of frozen whole not cut spinach thawed or a good pound of
   fresh spinach cut in two
2 cans of northen beans with liquid
2 cans of kidney beans with liquid
3/4 can of contadina crushed tomatoes
8 oz of homemade tomato sauce or an additional can of
Italian stewed tomatoes and use the whole can of tomatoe paste
1/2 can of contadina tomatoe paste
1/3 box of Ditalini pasta (thats plenty; it looks like tiny stove pipes

DIRECTIONS:
     1. put the whole chicken in a large soup pot with about 3/4 gal of water;
         add the chicken base, pepper and simmer for 1 1/2, remove to use some
         time for chicken salad and save the stock
     2. to the stock add the crushed tomatoes, tomatoe sauce, tomatoe paste, stewed
         tomatoes, northen beans, kidney beans, basil and garlic, simmer a good 1/2 hr
     3. now add the spinach, zuccinie, and cabbage and cook an additonal 1/2 hr.
     4. add the pasta              and simmer an additional 15 minutes
     5. taste for salt and pepper; if your doing a vegetarian style you will have to add
         more salt
     6. this recipe will serve from 10 to 12 people generously (ENJOY!)
     
          

SIMPLE ITALIAN PORK NECKBONES & CABBAGE ASHTON STYLE (#8)

When money was tight and you needed to feed four to six family members
it was necessary to make a meal that was cheap and still good. Many meals
that the Italian peasants made or even other nationalities made used what the
rich didn't want. This mean't using such things as veal shank,and
tough beef cuts etc. Another was pork neckbones which makes such great but
less expensive meals such as spaghetti with sauce and pork neckbones & cabbage.
I would urge you no matter what your income to try this recipe as it is not
only cheap to make but great to eat!

INGREDIENTS:
 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of pork neckbones (cost about $1.25 lb)
 1 1lb,12oz can of crushed tomatos or pint of home made sauce
if you wish you can fry the paste and crushed tomatos in a fry pan with
the garlic; constantly stiring until slightly brown and thicker
 1/2 can 6oz tomato paste
 1/2 cup fennel seed
 3 or 4 potatos peeled and cut into quarters
 2 1/2 qts of water
 3 tbs chicken base from a jar
 2 to 3 tab of sugar
 1tab coarse pepper or to taste
 1 medium or so cabbage cut in half and cut in half again leaving core
with each cut cabbage
(optional,6 cloves smashed garlic)

DIRECTIONS:
1. put water, neckbones, chicken paste, and fennel into a deep pot;
cover and cook over medium heat until boiling and reduce
to lower heat and simmer about one hour
2. add tomato paste and crushed tomatos and simmer an additional
half hour; (at this time you can put in optional garlic)
3. add cabbage and potatoes and cook over medium heat until cabbage and
potatoes are done; about an hour
4. add sugar and pepper and check for salt to taste
5. will serve 4 to 6 or more people generously

* MANHATTEN CLAM CHOWDER ASHTON STYLE (#7)

MANHATTEN CLAM CHOWDER

When the neighbors decided to have a clambake, I was chosen to be the cook.
This meant buying the supplies as well as cooking the food. I decided to make two
kinds of clam chowder-Manhatten style and New England style. The first has a tomato
base and the second a milk base. They are as different as night and day but both are great chowders. This Manhatten recipe is unique in that I also include ground meat. I know this, make them according to the recipe and test them on your family before serving them to your friends or neighbors. This recipe will serve ten to fifteen or more people.

INGREDIENTS: (VEGETARIAN SYTLE ELIMINATE CHICKEN AND USE VEG BASE INSTEAD)
 1 whole chicken boiled 1 1/2 hours in one gal of water with
 2 tab of chicken base from a jar (not those lousy boullion cubes)
2 dz cherrystone or top neck clams
1/2 cup of virgin olive oil
1 lb of potatos cut into 1/2 inch pieces
 6oz salt pork cut into small pieces-disgard rine
 2 medium onions minced
 4 carrots cut into small pieces
 4 stalks of celery cut into small pieces
 1 large leek (white part only) cut into small rounds
 1green pepper cut into small pieces
 6 cloves of garlic smashed and minced
 1 can of Contadina tomato paste
 1 lg can of crushed tomatos
 1 lb of browned ground beef
 1 tab of oregano
 2 tab of basil
 1 tsp of black pepper (no salt as there is enough with clams
 1 tab of hot sauce or to your individual taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. boil chicken 1 1/2 hrs in about one gal of water with 2 tab of chicken base
   remove chicken and save for chicken salad or something else (save chicken water)
2. rince and scrub 2 dz clams so that all the sand is removed
3. place clams into 2 cups of chicken water in a 5.5 qt pot and cook
   over medium heat until all the clams open up (do not use any clams that do not open)
4. let clams cool and then mince them
5. using a lg fry pan, on medium heat fry salt pork in 1/2 cup of olive oil until brown and set aside
6. in same fry pan on medium heat add cup up minced onions, carrots, leeks, celery, garlic, and green    pepper and fry until slightly brown and set aside (constantly stiring because if you burn them you start over!
7. add one can tomato paste and continue to stir for about 5 minutes
8. add one can of crushed tomatos and spices and hot sauce and stir an additional
ten minutes
9. brown ground meat in separate fry pan and add all ingredients into
the pot of chicken water and cook for about an hour or so (stir every so often)
10. taste for salt
11. serves 10 to 15 persons or more. for fewer people you can adjust recipe