Manhattan Clam Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 doz. large hard clams, chopped and juice
1/2 lb. salt pork or bacon, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 c. cubed potatoes
1 carrot, sliced
1/2 small green pepper, diced
1 (16 oz.) can tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 c. hot water
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. thyme
2 ribs celery, chopped
bottled clam juice (as needed)

Preparation

Brown salt pork (or bacon).
Add onion.
Cook until yellow. Add potatoes, carrot, green pepper, tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaf, celery, thyme and water.
Boil gently until potatoes and green pepper are done.
Shuck the clams, reserving the liquid and coarsely chop the clams.
Strain the liquid.
Add clams and clam liquid to the soup.
Add bottled clam juice for more flavor/additional liquid.
May add canned baby clams, if desired.