| Thick Celery Soup
6 stalks celery Chop celery and onion into thin small slices. Chop two cloves of garlic into fine small bits. Combine in medium saucepan with butter and cook until everything is soft. Take care not to brown or caramelize the vegetables. Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Slice rashers into small bits and fry in oil until crispy. Drain and dry bacon on paper kitchen towel. In soup pot or large casserole place water and bring to boil. Add 2 large chicken stock cubes. After they've dissolved, taste mixture. If stock is too weak, add one half or one more stock cube and taste again. You don't want the stock overly salty. While stock is at boil add potatoes. When celery and onions are soft add them to the stock. Allow the mixture to continue at a soft boil for 45 minutes or until potatoes are near dissolving. Remove from heat and use a liquidizer to puree the soup to where there are no lumps. Add the bacon and stir. Serve in bowls and garnish with croutons. A dollop of heavy cream can also be added to each bowl if you want to boost your fat input. This is a delicious soup, but it's also a way to use up celery that otherwise would be wasted. I almost always wind up with more than I can use before it starts to get wimpy. Should serve four as a dinner starter.
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