Chicken Poop and Home Made Tomatoe Soup Summer's Best

Hello to all you foodies out there in webland.  Hope all is well.  I've been busy with getting some chicken poop from a local farmer to add to my garden that am going to plant very soon.  We have been working on a water system for the yard.  I have been told that chicken poop is what you need for a garden.  The smell is more then I can take when shoveling it!  First we went about 30 miles to go pick it up and then the air in the truck wasn't working so on the way back we smelled it with the feathers flying along with the flys inside the truck.  What a trip, plus it was HOT outside.  We unloaded it partly in my yard, then at a friends, he has a garden just starting and we left him a surprise.  His been in Ireland so we haven't heard back from him as yet.  Then we went to my friends house to clean out the back of the truck and what a hoot!  We start hoseing out the back and the poop is just sitting at the back of the truck and my friend wants me to get up in the truck and broom it out, well am not going there I said so we moved the truck.  I got to the front of her house on the street and then the mess just falls out onto the street right in front of her house.  What a mess and she was non to happy with me but anywho we managed to spray the back of the truck out and swept the street with water and a broom.  What a smell but it is not to bad now.  It still smells alot in my yard since it has rained.  Anywho I will have a wonderful garden with fresh vegeables in it though fall.  Can't wait.  I will let you know if the chicken poop helps.  It has already helped my friends front yard. 

Now we are going to talk about Tomatoes and there is nothing better then home grown.  My hubby is from Texas and in the summer he loves having thick smoked Bacon, Milk Gravy, Sliced Tomatoes, and Fried Corn Bread.  Oh and don't forget the sweet onions!  Anywho he also loves home made tomatoe soup which his aunt used to make for him when he was little.  However mine is different from hers, she puts bacon in hers which is good as well and hers was more like a sour tomatoe soup.  Anywho I made this up for him just a few days ago and he loved it.  Am passing it on to you all to enjoy because I know we will be having some of this soup again before the tomatoes run out.  Recipe follows:

MadJon's Home Made Tomatoe Soup

6 fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 Large Onion
6 Gloves Garlic, diced
1 Stick Butter
3 T. Flour
 Salt and Pepper to taste
6 leafs fresh Basil
4 sticks fresh Thyme
2 Bay Leafs
1.5 tsp. Mrs's Dash's
1.5 tsp. Onion and Garlic Powder
3 T. Sugar
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 Cups Half and Half

Now place the chopped onion and garlic with butter into pan.  Cook till clear and then add the tomatoes, cook till done.  Add the flour, spices with the sugar and mix into pan.  Now slowly add the broth and stir till mixed and simmer about 20 mins.   Then add the half and half and cook on low for about 10 more mins.  Serve hot or cold.  If you want this smooth just add the tomatoe and onion mixture into a blender after they are cooked and then add the flour spices, sugar, and broth, cook then add the half and half.  You may also top this with bacon.  Serves 8.

This ends our story with the chicken poop and our wonderful Tomatoe Soup.  Visit my TV show on aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  Please email me with any questions that I may answer for you.  Enjoy your gardens out there in webland.  If you live in the CSRA area remember me for catering and private cheffing or cooking lessons.  If anyone has a spcial need I'd be happy to c ome and cook for them.  Anywho Happy Trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Come be my friend on FB, Linkedin, etc. etc. etc.  God Bless, Eileen Hutson, madjon51@aol.com, Cell number is 803-646-0217.  Oh and if you have any aprons out there for me to wear on the TV show just forward them to the Aiken Standard with your name and yu will be meantioned on the TV show.

June is Hamburger Month "Let's Make American Hamburger's and Collard Greens"

Hello to all you foodies out there in web land, its MadJon again.  I hope all is well with you and yours.  I have missed you all so much. I have been off the computer for a couple of reasons, one is that I've been really busy and the other is that our computer line has not been up and running.  You don't know what its like with out a computer these days or maybe some of you do.  It was like I was on a lost Island all by myself with no one to talk too. All I could do was think!  I couldn't work on my recipes for the TV shows or my cook book.  Am rolling now!   While I was off S.C. made the state Vegetable called Collard Greens and may be I will add a recipe to cook the greens on this blog as well today.  Then June came in hot hot hot and the food of the month is the wonderful American Hamburger.  Did the hamburger come from the city of Kansas with all its wonderful beef?  I don't know for sure?  I also did a tour with the Celebrity Chefs as a fund raiser and we cooked Fried Fish and Chips with a Malt Vinegar White Sauce and served it English style in newspapers from the Aiken Standard.  Loved it Loved it loved it! Plan on doing it again next year with a theme. Any who its one of my favorite meals to enjoy.  It nice to be back among people again to share my , life, recipes, and ideas.   So here go again with the first recipe:

Great American Hamburger

1 Pound Hamburger Meat
2 tsp. Onion Powder
2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 T. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
Optional 2 tsp. Southwest Chipotle Seasoning
Optional 1 Can Beer

Mix all ingredents except Chipotle seasoning, unless you want to use the seasoning in the Hamburger and Beer.   Then foam into patties.  Grille and while the burgers are grilling baste the burgers with your beer.  I like to grill onions and toast my buns.  I also like mushrooms cooked in beer for the top of the burgers as well.  You could add about 1/4 cup of flour to help hold the mix together if you wish.  I don't add the flour.

Southern Collard Greens Recipe

2 Bunches of Collard Greens
2 Ham Hocks
1 Large Onion Chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 T. Cooking Oil and Hot Sauce
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 T. Onion Powder
1 T. Vinegar
Clean Greens and remove the spine, cut greens, if you don't remove the spine your greens will be bitter.  Place oil and onion in pan and cook till the onions are browned, add the greens, cover with water, add spices and ingredients.  Ham Hocks and add a few drops of hot sauce to taste.  Cook till greens are very soft, like a few hours.   You will love these.  Make some corn bread and honey you are there!

I hope you enjoy these recipes very much and email me with any questions that you may have.  Am glad to be back in the game of computer life!  Watch my TV Show, Cooking with MadJon and Friends on aikenstandard.com, ASTV 95, Cooking With MadJon and Friends.  I hope you are all having a great and safe Summer so fair!  Happy trails to you and yours until we meet again.  Eileen Hutson, MadJon.