Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
	    4 lrg  potatoes
	  2/3 cup  butter
	  2/3 cup  flour
	1 1/2 qts  milk
	           salt and pepper to taste
	    4      green onions, chopped
	    1 cup  sour cream
	    2 cups crisp-cooked, crumbled bacon
	    5 oz   Cheddar cheese, grated

Heat oven to 350F degrees and bake the potatoes until fork tender.  Melt
butter in a medium saucepan.  Slowly blend in flour with a wire whisk until
thoroughly blended.  Gradually add milk to the butter-flour mixture,
whisking constantly.  Whisk in salt and pepper and simmer over low heat,
stirring constantly.

Cut potatoes in half, scoop out the meat and set aside.  Chop half the
potato peels and discard the remainder.  When milk mixture is very hot, whisk
in potato.  Add green onion and potato peels.  Whisk well, add sour cream
and crumbled bacon.  Heat thoroughly.  Add cheese a little at a time until
all is melted in.


			Green Onion and Potato Soup

(If you're watching your cholesterol, leave out the chicken 
 and the milk.  The soup is still good without them).

	5-6 med sized potatoes
	        half a bunch of green onions, sliced
	  1     shiitake or Chinese black mushroom 
	        pepper
	        bay leaves
	  1     chicken leg
	  1 cup milk

Soak the mushroom in hot water for 30-45 minutes.

Peel and slice the potatoes.  Saute the onions in a little bit of olive
oil over medium heat.  Add the potatoes and a quart of water.  Put in
the bay leaves and the chicken leg.  Simmer for an hour.

Dice the mushroom and add the mushroom pieces and the soaking water to
the soup.

When the potatoes are done, smash them with a fork or a potato masher
and stir the soup well.  Add the milk and season with salt and pepper.
Oh, before you smash the potatoes, take the chicken leg out and cut
the chicken into little pieces and add it back in.


			Leek and Potato Soup

2 Tbsp butter                               salt & pepper to taste
6-8 leeks, white parts only, sliced     3-4 potatoes, peeled & chopped
2 Tbsp flour                            1/3 cup sour cream
4 cups hot water                            chopped chives

Melt butter in heavy skillet. Saute leeks until tender. Do not brown.
Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle flour over leeks, and return pan to low
heat. Cook several minutes, stirring constantly, until flour is well
blended. Remove from heat. Add hot water, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring
constantly until blended. Season with salt & pepper. Heat to simmer, add
potatoes, and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes or until potatoes are
tender. Stir in sour cream and serve, or press mixture through food mill.
Garnish with finely chopped chives.

Serves 4.


			    Mashed Potato Soup

2 Tb butter                     2 cups cream
2 carrots, peeled & chopped     1 cup mashed potatoes
1 stalk celery, chopped         Salt & pepper to taste
1 onion, peeled & chopped       Chopped parsley

Melt butter in saucepan and saute carrots, celery and onion until tender.
Add cream and heat almost to a boil. (Do not boil.) Add potatoes and stir
until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 4.