Fresh Summer Corn Chowder
Corn Chowder is on the regular rotation during the cooler months, when the world is dark and cold and gray.
In New England, once it turns cold…it stays cold for a long time. So a warm sunny yellow bowl of chowder is a welcome friend (you can be friends with your food, right)? It wasn’t until this summer when local corn is everywhere and on sale that my daughter said, “you haven’t made corn chowder in a long time.” Well yeah, because its something I make in the winter to bring back fond memories of summer.
Of course, traditionally I make it with frozen corn and in the crock pot. So, I got to thinking, could I make this recipe using fresh corn instead? Wouldn’t the best time to make corn chowder be when you can buy the ears down the road at the farm? The result? Best Corn Chowder I have ever made.
I’m not going to lie, in the realm of recipes this is a moderate level. It requires chopping and sauté-ing, and a run in with a blender. But, I have faith in you. You can do this. It’s not nearly as difficult as any of the other things you do in your day. I promise.
One dozen ear of corn, seven raw, five cooked. I cut the corn off of the uncooked cobs and set it aside. Cooked the remainder of the corn like you would for a barbecue, boiled it in water with salt and a little sugar. Set aside. When cool enough, slice the corn kernels off of the cooked cobs and keep them separate.
This soup has potential to be very healthy, vegetarian, and nutritious (the nice version). By NOT using the bacon (naughty edition) and sautéing the vegetables in olive oil, you will get a tender, flavorful base for this recipe. Use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and to thicken, take 1 and 1/2 C of the cooked kernels and pulse in a blender with milk or almond milk. Add this to the soup and you are done. It is delicious. 
However, in my house, chowder means a certain creamy expectation. With most likely some shredded cheese, and a dash of hot sauce, and then there is the bacon. SO naughty. So so good.
I started with thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/2 inch dice, and browned it until cooked but not crispy. Add the onion, diced red pepper, carrots, and celery. When the vegetables are tender, toss in the uncooked corn and move those babies around in the pan until they are a bright yellow. Place all of the vegetables into a stock pot. Add 64 oz of chicken broth, and most of the cooked corn from the cobs that were boiled.
Would you need to do two types of cooking of the corn for this? I don’t know. I liked the ideas of layering the flavor. When you slice fresh corn off of the cob verses cooked corn, there is a definite difference. The two types also gave different corn consistencies, if there is such a thing. Have ever had a child with braces or who didn’t like to hold the ear of corn? You know exactly what I am talking about, those little slabs of cooked corn that come off in chunks add something to the finished product (note this doesn’t have any potatoes in it at all – so we need to have variety in flavor and color). Anyway, if you wanted to skip this step, it’s your chowder.
I saved 1 1/2 cups of cooked corn kernels and blended them with skim milk in an attempt to thicken the chowder without adding heavy cream or cheese. I then added this mixture to the chowder and gave it a good stir.
When my daughter tried it she said, “Are you adding cream? This needs something.”
It didn’t need anything. It was delicious. As will yours be.
I was once voted class angel in my high school senior year. I think I even had the nickname Sister Christine for a while. Truth be told, I’m always going to be that girl.
BUT NOT WHEN IT COMES TO CHOWDER!
I added heavy cream, shredded sharp Vermont cheddar, hot sauce, and boom. Naughty edition was served.
I’d like to tell you my tasters thought, “Meh, the first one was better.” They didn’t. Naughty edition won out.
Life lesson learned, Corn Chowder is not only for the winter. In fact, summer Corn Chowder, be it naughty or nice, is lovely indeed.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!
Chrissy
Printable Recipe
Nice or Naughty Summer Corn Chowder
Nice or Naughty Fresh Summer Corn Chowder
Ingredients:
3 slices thick sliced bacon
½ Celery stalk
12 fresh ears of corn
5 Cooked – sliced from the cob
7 Raw – and sliced from the cob (reserve 1 ½ C
Corn for food processor/blender)
¾ C Milk
64 ounces (2 containers approx.) chicken or vegetable broth
1 Red Pepper diced
¾ C Carrot diced
½ Yellow Onion, Diced
1 C Cream
1 C Shredded Sharp Cheddar
1-2 dashes of hot sauce
Instructions:
Dice thick sliced bacon into ½ inch slices, place in pan over medium heat and cook. Add diced onion and red pepper and carrots to pan, saute until vegetables are soft and onions are translucent. Add raw corn kernels to hot pan and stir until bright yellow.
Move all vegetables and bacon to stock pot and add stock over medium heat. Add cooked corn, reserving 1 and ½ C. Place reserved corn into blender with milk, and puree. Add puree to soup to thicken.
Allow soup to warm through, Add cream, cheese, and hot sauce. Stir and continue to heat until cheese is melted through.
Serve and enjoy!