Kitchen Wench

This simple recipe is from the September issue of Saveur magazine, one of my favorite food magazines.  Because it doesn’t have a lot of ingredients, it’s one of those dishes where the quality of produce really makes a difference.  In other words, this soup is all about the late summer sweet corn.  Unfortunately, corn in the Mid Atlantic doesn’t compare to Midwestern sweet corn.  If you’ve ever had it, the kernels are plump, juicy, and sweet as candy.  I think it has something to do with the cooler temperatures helping the sugars in the plant develop?  I hear that’s how it works with maple trees… Point being, corn here is not nearly as flavorful.

So, I tried my best with the recipe.  I bought my corn, bacon, herbs, onions, and garlic at the Mt. Pleasant farmers’ market this weekend.  While everything else was great, the corn was small and a little bland.  I had to add some sugar and a fair bit of salt and pepper to punch it up.  If you have great sweet corn at hand, omit the sugar.  Otherwise, with a little doctoring, this makes some pretty tasty corn chowder.

Corn Chowder

Adapted from Saveur magazine

• 4 ears of fresh corn
• 4 strips of bacon, chopped
• 2 1/2 tbsp salted butter
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 2 large cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 rib of celery, chopped
• 1/2 a medium white onion, chopped
• 1 small bay leaf
• 3 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 3/4 lb of red potatoes, cut into 1/2″ cubes
• kosher salt, sugar, and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp sliced fresh basil for garnish

1.  Shuck corn, removing as much of the silk threads as possible.  Working over a large bowl, slice corn kernels off the cob.  Scrape the knife along the cob to remove all the juices.  Reserve 3 of the cobs and slice in half.  Set aside.

2.  In a large pot or dutch oven, heat bacon over medium heat.  Cook until crisp.  Reserve 1.5 tbsp of bacon for garnish, leaving the rest in the pot.  Add butter, dried basil, garlic, celery, onion, and bay leaf.  Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.

3.  Add corn, cobs, milk, and potatoes.  Cover and bring chowder to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Skim any foam from the surface of the soup with a slotted spoon.  Discard cobs and bay leaf.  Season with salt, sugar, and pepper.

4.  Remove pot from heat.  Using an immersion blender, puree soup to your desired consistency.  (The original recipe calls for pureeing 3/4 cup in the blender.  I got a little enthusiastic with the stick blender and ended up with a thicker chowder.)  Serve with reserved bacon and basil sprinkled on top.

Makes 4 servings.

Photo by ulterior epicure

I don’t know what other people do with their long 4th of July holiday weekends, but I apparently thought it would be a good idea to throw a dinner party and a brunch party.  I wish I had some photos to share with you, but if you’ve ever cooked dinner for 15 people in a 5′x7′ kitchen, you’ll understand that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind.

I made corn pudding for the first time this weekend.  I had some leftover corn on the cob from my dinner party and wanted to use it in some sort of brunch appropriate dish.  This corn pudding recipe is incredibly simple and delicious.  I’d happily eat it for breakfast (or lunch or dinner) every day.

Sweet Corn Pudding

Modified slightly from the original recipe in Bon Appetit

• 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (if using frozen, thaw first)
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Process all ingredients together in a food processor (an immersion blender also works well).  Pour into a casserole dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until top is browned and center is just solid.