Emily, Greetings from Winchester, Virginia...a small city about 50 miles west of Washington, Dc. About 10 miles south lies the tiny town of Middletown, Va, home to both Belle Grove Plantation and the Wayside Inn. Peanut soup is a speciality of the Wayside Inn.This is the oldest motor inn in America, originally designed for the horse and buggies traveling from Washington to Harrisonburg. Middletown is about half way.

Belle Grove Plantation is a working plantation which was built in the late 1700's by Joist Hite, brother-in-law of James Madison. This recipe comes from the "Belle Grove Plantation Cookbook" published by the dogents of this historic place. I haven't tried it (daughter's peanut allergy), but I order peanut soup every time I eat at the Wayside Inn. Folks around here say this is the recipe used at the Wayside.

For the stock, melt butter in a saucepan large enough to hold the broth. Add celery and onion, and cook slowly several minutes. Add broth, crumstick, and herb bouquet. Simmer partially covered 1 1/2 hours. Strain and refrigerate the stock, discarding solids. When chilled, remove fat from top.

For the soup: Bring stock to a simmer. In another large pot, melt butter and cook onion and celery 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Slowly add hot stock. Bring to a simmer and simmer 10 minutes. Add peanut butter, beating until dissolved. Simmer 10 minutes longer. Add cream and bourbon, and serve hot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, chopped peanuts, or chopped country ham, if desired.

The recipe says it will serve 8-10 people. Only the stock may be frozen. The recipe can easily be doubled.

Hope this is what your friend is looking for. Peanut soup is very rich, so only a "cup" for a first course is necessary. It's absolutely wonderful, and I'm going to make it after my daughter leaves for college and I don't run the risk of poisoning her!

From the Eat-L recipe list. Downloaded from Glen's Mm Recipe Archive,