Pumpkin Alfredo

I had roasted buttercup squash in the fridge so this came together fast for a quick lunch.  Even Mike, who doesnt always like my squash creations, really liked it.

Pumpkin Alfredo

8–12 ounces egg noodles
2 tablespoons butter
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 sage leaves, optional but they are so good here
1 cup pumpkin puree (from a can is ok)
up to 2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, non-dairy milks are ok here
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt, to taste

Cook the noodles, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid in case you want to thin out your sauce.

Heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic; saute until soft and fragrant. Add the pumpkin and milk. Warm the sauce. Add the cheese and stir to combine.  Taste for salt levels

Toss the pasta in the sauce and thin as needed using the reserved cooking liquid. Top with additional Parm and season to taste. Serve immediately.

Swedish Apple Pie

The origins of this recipe are unclear but I always thought it was a family recipe passed down.  Either way, it's delicious.  It's more of a crisp or cobbler than a pie.  It's the quickest apple dessert and the first that we always make in the Fall.  We have also made it with peaches, yum!

Swedish Apple Pie
serves 6 maybe

Apples, maybe 4-6
cinnamon, a sprinkle
sugar, a sprinkle

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 egg
optional: walnut pieces

Slice or dice enough apples so they are maybe an inch deep in your pie plate or 8 inch square dish. Toss with cinnamon and sugar in pie plate or square dish or something of similar size.  Melt a stick of butter, add a cup of sugar, a cup of flour, one egg, walnuts optional.  Pour/dollop over apples. Bake till slightly browned on top.   Maybe 30 minutes minimum in a 375 oven. But any temp works. It's not picky.  Let cool slightly before serving. It's just as delicious room temp as it is warm.

Grandma's Classic Stuffing

 This is a classic stuffing that we absolutely love for Thanksgiving.

Grandma's stuffing

serves a lot!

2 onions

2-3 sticks of celery

1 garlic clove

Salt

Olive oil  

1 stick butter (you might not need it all)

12 cups of dry bread cubes (we use a gallon ziplock bag full of our own sourdough, toasted in the oven)

Parley, sage, rosemary and thyme

1 beaten egg

1 cup chicken broth

Saute onion, garlic and salt in oil and butter

Add spices

Add bread cubes, stir it all up

Add the chicken broth and the beaten egg.  Add melted butter if you didnt use it all and need more moisture OR add more broth.

Stuff as much as you can in your turkey.  When your turkey is done, mix the stuffing from the turkey with what didnt fit and bake at 350 for 30 to 40 mins.  Alternatively, you dont have to stuff your turkey, just bake all the stuffing at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Veggie Chili with lentils

This was surprisingly really good.  I was looking for a way to use up our freezer surplus of green peppers and stumbled on a few recipes that were close enough, so I went for it.  Below is what I made with notes for next time.

2 cups diced bell pepper, diced, try it with 3 next time

1 cup onion, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

3 cloves garlic

olive oil

broth, veggie or chicken (bouillon and water is fine here)

4 cups of tomatoes (I used one bag of our frozen roasted toms)

salt and pepper

oregano

garlic powder

1 cup dry red lentils

In a a soup pot, medium heat, heat up a drizzle of oil and add onion and carrots, saute till softening and browning, adding garlic towards the end.  Add more oil as needed to prevent sticking.

Add spices and let saute a bit till fragrant.

Add remaining ingredients.  Use enough broth to cover everything by an inch.  Bring to boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 20 mins, checking randomly to be sure there is enough liquid.

Check to see if lentils are soft, to add more liquid, and/or more salt/pepper.

Serve over rice with chili style toppings (cheddar, sour cream, scallions) and good bread.

Squash Soup with Quinoa

 This is comfort food for fall and a perfect dinner on a rainy day.  We loved the unique flavor that the smoked paprika adds.  The original recipe is from the Washington Post; I have made some minor edits.

Squash Soup with quinoa

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 carrots, diced

2-3 celery stalks

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

3 cups cooked or canned no-salt-added navy, Great Northern or cannellini beans (from 2 15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt, plus more to taste

4 cups broth (your choice, chicken or veg)

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed

Saute onion, celery, carrots, garlic in oil till browning.  Add in spices.  Cook one minute till fragrant.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 mins.

Serve with hot sauce and bread.

Chicken/turkey Pot Pie

Our favorite thing to make with leftover chicken or turkey is pot pie.  I have learned how to make it dairy free, for those that are avoiding dairy or those are keeping kosher.  Either way, it's delicious!  We have also made it vegan, using tofu and veggie broth, and it was just ok, but we really prefer our tofu in a stir fry.

Chicken/turkey Pot Pie
Serves 6-8

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil for dairy free/kosher)
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
2 cups potatoes, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
6 tablespoons flour
2 cups Chicken Stock (you might need a little more for dairy free/kosher)
1 cup milk (We use goat milk.  Skip the milk for dairy free/kosher)
1 cup sweet young peas (optional, sometimes we use green beans, cut into 1 inch segments)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

Basic Piecrust
We like Smitten's all butter crust as it comes together in just 5-10 minutes but store bought would be fine too.  If you are making a kosher/dairy free pot pie, then use filo dough.  I like to either scrunch it up and cover the top with the little messy piles of filo OR I like to just crumble it and scatter it.  Drizzle it with coconut oil.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat the butter/oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 12-20 minutes until the veggies are almost cooked. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock a little at a time, letting it thicken a little before adding more. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce is thick (if it's not already). Stir in the milk and continue to cook for another 4 minutes. Stir in peas or beans (any already cooked veggie), and chicken/turkey, and mix well.

Roll out one of a pie crusts and line it in your deep dish pie plate or a 9 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan (for dairy free/kosher you will skip the bottom crust, see the note above about techniques for the filo dough).  Pour the filling into the prepared pan. Roll a second crust and either place it on top of the filling and cut vents OR make a lattice top.  Tuck the edges into the pan, forming a thick edge and crimp the edges. Put the pie on top of a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden brown and crusty, 35-45 minutes (mine always takes longer). Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing to serve.

Notes from/for Becky:

My great friend Becky likes to treat it like a soup and adds in a little "better than bouillon", quite a bit of fresh garlic, some dried thyme, basil, and herbes de Provence.

Lasagna with bechamel sauce and squash

This lasagna is the definition of comfort food.  It's rich with a slight sweetness from the squash.  We make it with our own goat mozz and chevre and it's insanely awesome but you could use store bought cow milk products without any loss of flavor.

Lasagna with bechamel sauce and squash
(I usually make an 8x8 casserole dish)

1 winter squash, peeled, sliced, roasted, salted

3 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
1 onion
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk (any kind works here)
1 cup, parm (divided, 1/4 cup for the sauce)
8 plus sheets of no-boil lasagna (depending on your pan size)
1/2-1 pound mozzarella
4oz chevre or ricotta

If you havent already, make your bechamel. Heat the  oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it has softened and beginning to brown.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is somewhat dry, but not browned.  Whisk in the milk a little at a time and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently, until the mixture begins to thicken. Turn the heat to very low and simmer, stirring often until the sauce is thick.  Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.  Taste for salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spread a spoonful of béchamel over the bottom of your casserole dish. Top with a layer of lasagna.  Spread chevre or ricotta on top, then some squash, then mozz, parm and finally more bechamel.  Repeat the process.  When your pan is almost full, end with a layer of lasagna topped with the rest of the bechamel and more parm.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for another 20 to 30 till bubbly and beginning to brown.  Put it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes for extra browning if you like a crispy lid.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving (ideally).

This freezes and reheats really well.  I also make a plain red sauce lasagna at the same time since it uses many of the same ingredients.

Simple slaw

This is the best slaw!  It's great for people that think they dont like mayo since the mayo gets a little lost with the other ingredients.  It's great with any combo of cabbage, kale, carrots, and/or beets.

Simple Slaw
Serves 6

3/4c cup mayonnaise
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy, if you need)
1 tsp garlic

1 medium bunch of kale shredded
2-3 carrots, grated
2 cups of red cabbage, grated
1 beet, grated

peanuts, handful (optional)

Kale pesto

Now that the frost has killed all the basil, it's time for kale pesto.  It's quite addictive and I dont think I will miss basil pesto one bit.  This recipe will double and triple easily.

Kale Pesto
makes enough for one small ball jar

1 small bunch of kale, about 1/2 pound, center ribs removed
1/8 cup nuts (we use cashews but pine nuts or walnuts would be fine too)
2 garlic cloves
zest of one lemon
juice from half that lemon
salt, to taste
evoo, optional

Bring water to boil and add kale for 45 seconds to blanch.  Strain and spread on a towel to cool and dry a bit.

In your food processor, pulse together all the ingredients.  It is a bit crumbly.  You can add oil if you prefer.

Broccoli Soup

This soup is dairy free, grain free, gluten free, meat free... and delicious!  It's simple and amazing, plus it's quick!

Pureed Broccoli Soup
serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or parsley
8 cups chopped broccoli (stems and florets)
6 cups liquid (veggie broth or chicken broth, if you're not vegetarian)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-10 minutes, adding garlic and thyme (or parsley) about halfway through.

Add in broccoli and liquid.  Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, covered. Reduce heat to maintain a light simmer and cook until very tender, about 8 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches until smooth, taste for salt and pepper.

Serve with a big salad.  You might want to have hot sauce and a little bowl of cheese on the table but it really needs nothing.

Cheryl's Soup

My friend Cheryl calls this "Crisper Soup."  We just call it "Cheryl's Soup."  It's the perfect soup to make with whatever you have on hand and it works especially well with our frozen, roasted tomatoes.  I plan to freeze extra tomatoes JUST for this soup.  We've been enjoying it once a week since it's perfect for this rainy weather pattern that Vermont seems to get stuck in every Spring.  I am so thankful to Cheryl for sharing her recipe with us!

Cheryl's Soup
(it's hard to say how many it serves, but hopefully, you'll get at least 4 servings)

Sautee:
Onion
2-4 cloves garlic
Couple carrots
Couple celery stalks (if you have)
Diced red pepper (if you have, but it's so much better with a pepper)

Add:
Diced / chunked sweet potatoes if I have one (yum!)
28 oz diced tomatoes (if using frozen, roasted tomatoes, puree them first)
3c water or veggie stock (or more… I like my soups thick and chunky)
Generous grinds of fresh pepper
Salt to taste if I’m not using stock
Chickpeas
Tofu cubes
Herbs (Parsley and basil OR rosemary - we love it with rosemary)

Simmer for 30 mins or so

Other things I like to add:
Sliced spinach
Diced potatoes
Pasta
Peas
Cauliflower

Serve with a dollop of pesto or with parm.

Gravy - the best for Thanksgiving

Below is another guest post from my Mom.  It's her gravy!  The one and only, the best Thanksgiving gravy ever!  It sounds complicated but read it all through first, it's really quite simple.

Thanksgiving - The Gravy

This is always a monumental undertaking.  Thanks to the first time I made gravy this way, I seem unable to compromise and take any shortcuts. It is the best gravy on the planet, thanks to Julia Child's. I make the stock a day or 2 ahead.The first step is making the Brown Turkey Stock. You need raw bones for this - neck bones, perhaps the wing tips, backbones, etc.  Usually, I have chicken bones in the freezer from previous cut up chickens, and I buy turkey backs (sometimes the market has them or if you have a butcher you can ask ahead). So, it is important to have the stock on hand and helpful if you have made it previously and perhaps have it frozen.  So, the first step is the stock and here is the recipe:

Brown Turkey Stock

Raw turkey bones or chicken bones
2-3 tb clear turkey/chicken  fat or oil
Approx 1 cups chopped carrots
Approx 1 cup chopped onions
½ cup Vermouth or dry white wine
4 cups liquid - I use chicken stock from my freezer
2 celery stalks with leaves
Salt, pepper, 1 bay leaf, and thyme.

Brown the bones thoroughly in large frying pan in fat or oil, adding carrots and onions after they are browned. Transfer to heavy saucepan, leaving the fat in the frying pan. Deglaze the pan with the wine, bring to boil, scraping any brown bits left in pan. Add to saucepan along with enough liquid to cover everything. Add the celery and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming fat off the surface.  Add salt and pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer for 1 ½ hours, strain, and set aside in frig or cold room to degrease.

So, now that you have the stock on stand by, you are ready to proceed with the gravy recipe


Old Fashioned Brown Gravy

3 tb clear turkey roasting fat, skimmed from the pan. This can be accomplished while the turkey is roasting.
¼ cup flour
3 cups of hot turkey stock (see above)

1 cup dry white wine or vermouth for deglazing the roasting pan
Degreased turkey roasting juices
Salt and pepper
⅔ tb butter (optional)

The gravy Base:

Make a roux with the turkey fat and flour, stirring slowly while the roux browns. The darker the roux, the more pronounced the flavor. Stir in the turkey stock, simmer for 10 minutes. Refrigerate this while the turkey is finished roasting.

Completing the gravy:

Deglaze the roasting pan with the wine, pouring the wine into the pan and scraping all the stuff into a saucepan, simmering for a few minutes and degrease, skimming off the fat, and pour through a sieve into a glass measuring cup, pushing to get all the juices out.  Put in the fridge or freezer, depending on how much time you have.  The goal is to get the fat to be firm on the top.  Remove the fat and save for next time.   Add the juices to your gravy base

Correct seasoning if necessary, adding salt. And, butter is always good.

Cranberry relish - the one and only for Thanksgiving

This is a guest post from my Mom. She makes the best cranberry relish. It's something that we love to eat with turkey, but we also love it all alone in a little compote. It's delicious and addictive! We like it so much that we make a big batch but it will half easy enough so those measurements are in parentheses after the ingredient name.

GUEST POST

from my Mom

I like the relish tart since it is served with the turkey. This relish is great on turkey sandwiches along with stuffing and a little gravy.

CRANBERRY RELISH 3 lbs/3 quarts cranberries (1.5 pounds or 1.5 quarts) Zest of 3 oranges (zest of 1.5 oranges) Zest of 1 lemon (zest of 1/2 lemon) 1 cup granulated sugar to pulverize with the zest, 2 cups granulated and/or brown sugar for simmering (1/2 cup sugar for the zest, 1 cup for simmering) 1 ½ cups orange juice (3/4 cup) juice of one lemon (one half lemon) 2 tsp grated fresh ginger (1 tsp) Wash the cranberries, pulverize the orange and lemon zests with 1 cup of the granulated sugar (1/2 cup for a half recipe), then combine the cranberries with the rest of the sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, and ginger in the saucepan. Bring to a boil, allowing the liquid to bubble up for 2 - 3 minutes, just until they burst. Set aside. Taste after a ½ hour, stir in a little more sugar if needed.

Pizza with bean puree and roasted squash

We have made this twice and the first time it was unspeakably amazing.  The second time, it was just ok.  I am telling you about it because of the bean puree.  It is amazing!  And I think all our pizzas would be amazing with it... if we make it right.  And we are going to make it right!  It's great as a dip or a spread on wraps (like hummus but better).

Pizza with bean puree and roasted squash
serves just the right amount.  I dont know.  Maybe 4 with a salad

The Puree:
1 can cannellini, rinsed and drained (or make your own, of course!)
¼ cup olive oil, the best you have
1 tablespoon lemon juice, fresh if you can
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons water

Puree it all together in the food processor or blender.  It's best done in advance.  Add the water to get a nice spreadable consistency, like hummus.  Dont skimp on the thyme and garlic.  Taste for the flavor.

For the pizza:
1-2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup spinach or arugula
Pizza dough

Caramelize the onion while you roast the squash.  Assemble the pizza, starting with the bean puree, then the greens, then the onions and squash.  Salt and pepper as you like.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is a family favorite.  We look forward to it all year long, waiting for the sprouts to grow, hoping the deer dont eat them before we pick them.  It's simple, but the prep work is a little time consuming if you're using sprouts on the stalk.  The original recipe is from the NYT and Mark Bittman, here.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves 4, but everyone always wants more

1 stalk of sprouts (somewhere between a pint and a quart)
olive oil
4-6 cloves garlic, peeled, sliced or minced
salt and pepper, optional
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Heat oven to 400 (higher is fine if you need it higher for another dish).

Remove any rough outer leaves from the sprouts, cut the bottoms, then slice in half.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a cast iron pan, medium high heat (oil will shimmer).  Put sprouts in and let cook undisturbed until they begin to brown on the bottom, shake/stir, then cook one more time.  Add garlic.

Transfer pan to the oven to roast.  Shake/stir pan every 5 minutes until they are quite brown and tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, if using, and serve hot or warm.

Mushroom ­Spinach Soup

This is such a simple soup, but it has great complex flavors and depth.  It smells amazing as it cooks!  It has all our favorite spices, so I knew it would be an easy soup for everyone to enjoy.  I also think it's a nice base to build on.  We plan to try it with beans next time... and maybe lentils the time after that.  My version is below but the original version is here (with shallots).

Mushroom ­Spinach Soup
serves 4-6

3-6 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1-2 pounds  mushrooms, chopped or finely diced
1 onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste or ketchup
1 teaspoons dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
water or veggie broth or chicken broth or whey
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 pound or more of baby greens (chopped, optional)
protein (we plan to try white beans or garbanzo next time)
Fresh lime juice, to taste
Plain yogurt, for serving (optional)
Hot sauce

Heat butter or oil in a large pot over medium­ high heat. Add the mushrooms, cook till the liquid releases and evaporates.  Add in onions, cook till lightly browned.

Add in tomato paste/ketchup and spices; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in 5 cups liquid, the salt and the black pepper. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 20 minutes. You could purée smooth at this point or wait and coarsely purée after adding the greens.  Stir in greens and let cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes.

If you like, coarsely purée soup now Mix in beans, if using, let heat another few minutes.  Serve with lime juice, yogurt, and hot sauce, if you like.

Creamed kale

I love creamed kale.  When I am craving it, I want the full fat, full butter version, not the "fake" versions that you'll find in the first page of your google search.  So, after a little trial and error, here is my creamed kale.  This is one of those recipes that comes together without a need for fussy measuring.

Creamed Kale
serves ?

butter
onion, chopped
butter
kale, de-stemmed and chopped
white wine, stock, or water
butter
garlic, minced
butter
cream cheese/chevre
parm
milk/cream
salt

Saute onion in butter, low and slow for a bit then add in kale with a splash of liquid and a little more butter.  Put the lid on so it steams for a bit, then add in garlic with another pat of butter.  When the kale looks cooked, add in the dairy.  Cook on low just to warm it up.

For a holiday meal, you could put it in a casserole dish and keep it warm in the oven.  You can make it ahead and heat it just before serving too.

Apple Cake aka the one and only dish to make with apples in the Fall

This is the ONE, the only, THE dish to make with fresh Fall apples.  I think it might even work well with rhubarb.  It's so simple to make.  Try it!  The original is from Smitten Kitchen, check it out here.  It would be great for brunch.  It’s completely perfect in every way. Happy Fall!


Apple Cake
adapted from Smitten Kitchen
(this is a half recipe)

For the apples
3 apples, a mix of macs and cortlands is best
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
33g or 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the cake
180g or 1 1/2 cups flour MINUS a tablespoon (I use a mix of wheat and white)
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
shake of salt
117g or 1/2 cup  oil (coconut is our favorite here but butter or almost any oil works)
200g or 1 cups granulated sugar
1/8 cup buttermilk, goat milk, lemonade, or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a square pan well (we use a 9 inch silicone pan to ensure it doesnt stick).  If you are making a full recipe, this is a half recipe, then use a tube pan, well greased.  Chop apples into 1-inch chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, liquid, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add in flour, baking powder and salt.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan (it isnt much). Spread half of apples (and their juices) over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (if you are making a full recipe, then it will likely need 60 minutes).

Cool completely before cutting and serving.  Keep any leftovers (ha!) at room temp.

Grandma's Broccoli and Garlic Penne

This recipe is from my mom and it's so simple and so awesome. It's a 15 minute meal, served with salad. Use the best ingredients you can find, since there are so few of them, each one really shines.

Grandma's Broccoli and Garlic Penne

1 lb penne

2 heads broccoli / 1 pound broccoli, chopped

2-3 glugs of olive oil

10 large cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 stick butter, or less

½ cup grated parm, plus more for serving.

Have your broccoli and garlic cut and prepped first.

Boil water and add the penne and salt.

Heat your largest skillet on medium.

Pour the oil in a large skillet and add the garlic slices until they just start to brown

Add the broccoli to the skillet and cook until tender but firm, adding pats of butter as you go plus some salt. You'll need about 2 tablespoons of butter for the pasta.

Add the butter and penne to the broccoli and serve.

Potato Cheddar Soup

This is our new favorite soup.  It is SOO good, so satisfying, and so simple to make.  I have revised the recipe to make it a one pot dish.

Potato Cheddar Soup
serves 4-6

1/2 stick butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 cups milk

4 cups of milk (or whey or even water, but I havent tried it with water)
4 cups diced unpeeled potatoes (or more!)
1 onion, finely diced
1 cup celery (optional)

black pepper
dry mustard
fresh parsley
dried dill
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned (really optional, I have never used tomatoes)
2 cups cheddar cheese, sliced in small chunks or grated.
smoked cheedar or gouda, add in a little for that smokey flavor


In a soup pot, melt butter over medium low heat.  Add flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.  Slowly add in milk.  The roux will thicken.

Add in 4 cups of milk, potatoes, onions, and celery (if using).  Simmer covered for 15 minutes, over medium low heat (stirring and watching occasionally so it doesnt boil over... especially if using milk).

Add in spices and herbs, tomatoes (if using) and cheese, simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring often so it doesnt burn.

Serve with crusty bread and a side salad.