SALMON CHOWDER

Whenever I cook salmon I always make extra so that I have left overs to make this delicious chowder. The recipe came from Alaska Magazine's cabin cookbook and is nutritious, easy and very, very tasty! I have always used salmon, but I would imagine any kind of fish you had on hand would work in this chowder. For an extra bit of flavor you can substitute sharp cheddar for the American cheese.





Melt 4 Tablespoons of butter in a large soup pot. Add 1 cup finely chopped onion and 1 cup diced celery, stirring constantly until the vegetables are just translucent.

Add 3 cups diced raw potatoes and 3 cups water--cook until the potatoes are just tender.

Add 2 cups cooked, flaked salmon. Simmer gently for 5 minutes or until the salmon is heated through.

Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, a couple of dashes of fresh pepper, a smidgen of cayenne pepper, 1 quart fresh milk and 1 cup grated American cheese. Heat again, slowly on low heat just until the cheese melts. If you boil chowder too much the potatoes will dissolve and the milk wants to separate, so simmering on lower heat settings is best.

Serve in large soup bowls with chopped parsley sprinkled over each serving for extra taste and color. We had homemade bran muffins with ours and they were perfect with butter and homemade jelly.