Kay Hollobaugh

(4/2018) As I write this piece for the Emmitsburg Journal, it is very cold and blustery out – with whisperings of perhaps the 4th Nor’Easter to hit the middle of next week. I have to say that I am likely some of the very few who have no problem with the weather we’ve been having lately. It is VERY hard on fruit trees in the late winter/early spring to see wide variables in temperature readings.

A 75-degree day in early March that stretches for days causes us much anguish when later in the month we have extended days in the 20’s! That can put the end to a peach crop in a real hurry, as the trees soak in that warmth, push their buds – only to have them zapped a few weeks later. (Picture your crocus and tulip and daffodil bulbs that are trying so hard to push and bloom as I write this.) And then picture those same blooms when the weather turns cold. But multiply that by hundreds of acres AND the fact that your livelihood might depend upon the weather. You get the idea of what tree fruit growers go through every spring!

So, although I have NO idea what the weather might be like when you read this, today the wind is blowing and the snow squalls are striking, and I am thinking about soup! I’m sharing some favorite soup recipes because there is little better than a bowl of hot, steaming soup when it’s blustery and cold out. If, by chance, it is sunny and 75 degrees when this edition makes it to your mailbox, save the recipes for another time – because heaven knows, we’re likely to have more cold temps yet this spring!

As has been my custom in this article, I’ll just share a few things that our crew is working on now – as we head into spring. Just this past week we burned off our asparagus fields. We actually set the brush left over from last year on fire so that the ground is level and ready for those tasty, green shoots to make their appearances. The primary reason we burn off the fields is because it is a natural "organic" means by which to cleanse the soil of any nasty bugs or diseases that might have bunkered down in the soil since last summer. This first burn truly is my very first sign that there is no turning back – spring is on the way – regardless of the weather! If you have never visited, check out our web site at hollabaughbros.com or like us on Facebook. We have a great video there of the burning of the asparagus fields.

Our harvest crew is also continuing the very arduous process of pruning our trees – having moved from apple to peach, and will soon start apricot and plums. Very soon, they will begin applying fertilizers and preparing the ground for planting. The tree-planting job this spring will be small in comparison as we’ll only be planting about 3500 trees. Last year we planted 10,000 and in 2019 we will plant 15,000!

But for now? Soup’s On!!!

Hearty Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. sausage, cooked and drained
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled & sliced
• 6 celery stalks, diced
• 2 quarts of water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons of flour
• 1 Tsp of salt
• ½ Tsp of pepper
• 1 ½ cups of milk

Cooking Instructions:

In large kettle, cook potatoes, carrots & celery in water until tender. Drain, reserving liquid. Set vegetables aside. In same kettle, sauté onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour, salt & pepper. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in cooked vegetables and sausage. Add 1 cup (or more if necessary) of the reserved cooking liquid until the soup is of desired consistency.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Large head of Cauliflower
• 2 tablespoons of onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
• ½ Tsp. salt
• ¼ Tsp. pepper
• 1 can chicken broth
• 3 cups of milk
• 2 cans of grated American or Cheddar Cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Break cauliflower into small pieces. Cook covered in salt water until tender; drain. Sauté onion in butter until tender. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches boiling point. Add cheese and stir until it melts. Add cauliflower. Heat to serving temperature. Makes 2 quarts.

Mom’s Chicken Corn Soup

This is a tried and true family recipe and varies totally upon how much soup you want to make – and how big your roasting chicken is!

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken, cooked, cooled and picked from the bone
• broth from chicken
• supplemental broth (canned) as needed and or chicken bouillon
• 2 to 3 pints of corn
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions:

I tend to use a 5 to 8 pound chicken, cooked in the crockpot. Cool the broth and skim off the fat. Bring the broth to a boil and supplement with canned broth, if you need more broth and/or chicken bouillon. Dice/cut your chicken and put in to boiling broth. Add 2 to 3 pints of corn – dependent upon how much corn you want. At this point, you may also add a small pasta noodle and/or other vegetables. In our house? It’s chicken, broth and corn – nothing else. Many old corn soup recipes call for "rivels". These are often seen in soups and stews coming out of Lancaster County. To make a rivel mix flour with egg until well blended. Simply drop into the boiling soup. This is one of our families’ all time favorite soups – less the rivels!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 Lb. fresh asparagus
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 1 small potato, diced
• 8 Oz. Cream Cheese, softened and divided
• 1 Tsp. pepper
• 1 Tsp. chives
• ½ Cup of Parmesan Cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Cut asparagus into 1" long pieces. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onion and sauté until tender. Add chicken stock, cut-up asparagus and diced potato. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Place half of the broth & vegetables into a blender with half of the cream cheese. Puree. Repeat with remaining broth, vegetables and cream cheese. Return all blended ingredients to the cooking pot. Add pepper, chives and Parmesan Cheese. Serve hot!

For more recipes or to learn more about Hollabaugh Bros visit them online at www.hollabaughbros.com