Market Street Clam Chowder - Lynette style!

1 c potatoes, diced 1/2"
1 c celery, diced 1/2"
1 c onion, diced 1/2"
1 c green pepper, diced 1/2"
1 c leeks (tops & bottoms), diced 1/2"
3/4 c chopped clams (canned or fresh) save liquid!!
3/4 Tbs coarse ground black pepper ( I use regular, and just to taste, maybe 3/4 tsp?)
1 1/2 Tbs salt
3/4 Tbs whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 tsp Tabasco
2 3/4 c water
3/4 c clam juice (drained from canned clams) (if I don't have enough, I substitute more water)
3/4 c butter, melted
1 c flour
2 quarts half & half (I will substitute fat free half and half to help cut the fat)
6 slices bacon, cook and crumbled (or about 1/3 c real bacon bits)

Directions:
In large saucepan combinge all ingredients except butter, flour and half & half (and bacon); simmer together until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. In meantime, combine melted butter and flour in ovenproof container, and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes (to eliminate raw flour flavor and stabilize chowder), /stir roux (butter-flour mixture) into chowder and cook and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat; stir in half & half until blended. Add bacon. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occassionally, and serve.

* My changes are in italic... just incase you were wondering. Also, I always add extra veggies, usually more like 1 1/2 cups instead of only 1 cup. I like it a little chunkier!