White corn, yellow corn, sweet corn — it’s ALL delicious. And we’ve been enjoying lots of it this summer, in all forms: on the cob (for Walt), off the cob (for me), in pudding (for everyone). We’ve made it California-style (raw), Southern-style (fried), and we’ve even crossed the border (slather corn with a tangy mayo-sour cream-lime combo for authentic south of the Oaxacan-style street food. Yum!).
Now is definitely the time to get your fill of this sweet and starchy veggie, as fresh as possible, straight from the farm. Grocery store just doesn’t hold a candle to what you will find at the farmers’ market, and buying corn in the winter months (unless frozen) just won’t do.
Here’s a corn chowder recipe for a rainy summer afternoon, when you need a little stick-to-your-ribs comfort. It’s also very adaptable to your taste: use all milk if you want to keep it light, add some cream if you dare. If you don’t want to use bacon in the recipe, omit it and saute the onions in a couple of tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Either way, this soup will make you want to curl up on the couch with a good movie, or cuddle up with someone you love.
SUMMER CORN CHOWDER
Source: Nealey Dozier
4 slices bacon, sliced into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob (approx. 4-5 ears corn)
3 tablespoons flour
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth, divided
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
Salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
3-4 medium potatoes
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil in a large dutch oven. Cut potatoes into small cubes. Add boiling water and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside.
Meanwhile, saute bacon in a skillet until crisp and crumbly. Set bacon aside and reserve 2-3 tablespoons of drippings. Once bacon has cooled, crumble into small pieces.
In same large dutch oven used for potatoes, saute onions in bacon drippings until translucent. Add corn and cook until it becomes more tender, approximately 10 – 15 minutes. Add flour and stir until well-coated. Stir in cream, milk, and 1 and 3/4 cups chicken broth. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, to taste. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
Pour remaining 1/4 cup chicken broth into potatoes. Using a potato masher, smash a few times, leaving some of the potatoes whole. Add potatoes to corn mixture and re-season with salt and cayenne pepper, to taste.
Garnish with bacon crumbles and serve with a drizzle of sour cream (optional)
Recipe inspired by Miss Mary Bobo’s Boarding House Cookbook
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