Warming Up Your Winter

hen winter’s chill comes to town, treat your family to a warm meal of delicious and hearty New England Clam Chowder—is there anything more satisfying? A big bowl of rich and filling chowder—actually, there is one thing that would be better—serving it in a bread bowl you can eat after you devour the soup! That will definitely warm up your dinner table. Using our recipe for this warm and fluffy bread bowl to serve the fun and tasty cannabis-infused chowder in, and you’ve got yourself a killer meal, a great experience and little-to-no clean-up! Tap the season’s buried treasures for a meal that will warm you on even the coldest winter days.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Serves 4

36 small hard shelled clams (less than 2″ wide)

1½ cup cold water

2 medium boiling potatoes

2 tablespoons canna butter*

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup half and half

freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Put clams in cold water, in a 4 quart saucepan, and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover and steam until clams open, around 8 minutes, checking frequently after 5 minutes. Transfer them to a bowl as they open. Discard any clams that have not opened. Reserve cooking liquid. When clams are cool enough to handle, remove from shells and coarsely chop. Carefully pour cooking liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl leaving any grit in the pan. Peel potatoes and cut into ¼ inch dice.

Melt canna butter in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until golden, around 5 minutes. Add onions and cook, stirring until softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes, reserve the liquid and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, roughly around 5 minutes. Stir in clams, half and half and pepper to taste. Cook until heated through, about 1minute, do not let boil. Stir in parsley.

BREAD BOWL

makes 8 bowls

2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast

2 ½ cups warm water (110 degrees F / 45 degrees C)

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons cannabis-infused vegetable oil*

7 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture, beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, ½ cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer, at medium speed after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl with infused oil, place dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down and divide into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a 4 inch circular loaf. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1teaspoon water, lightly brush the loaves with half this egg wash.

Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture and bake 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

To make into bread bowls, cut a ½ inch thick slice from top of each bowl, scoop out centers leaving ¾ inch thick shells. Fill bread bowls with hot Clam Chowder and serve immediately.

BROILED CHEESY TOMATOES 

9 small tomatoes 

1 teaspoon seasoned dry breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon shredded or crumbled goat cheese

Cannabis infused olive oil, in a spray bottle

Preheat broiler. Slice top 1/3 off of the 9 small tomatoes. Scoop out and discard seeds. Place tomatoes on jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle seasoned dry breadcrumbs over each tomato half, and fill remaining space in tomatoes with goat cheese. Spray tomatoes lightly with infused olive oil. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese bubbles.

 HAPPY NEW YEAR Champagne Cocktail

1 sugar cube 

2 drops of cannabis tincture

2 dashes of Bitters

1 bottle of your favorite champagne

In a champagne glass, drop sugar cube in glass. Add tincture, bitters and your favorite champagne. Optional garnish with lemon or orange twist that has soaked in cannabis simple syrup.