Or as we say back home in Maine, Chowdah!
A lot of people in Colorado get pretty excited about corn season and for good reason. We have GREAT corn. There's something about the cool mountain nights and warm sunny days that makes our corn super sweet and delicious. I have been craving corn chowder for months and was excited that the time was finally right. Ears are large and plump and will run you about $.50 each so certainly not a strain on the wallet. This recipe has no added sugar and keeps the taste of the corn as the star of the show. This is very easy to make as a Vegan dish with a few substitutes and also low fat by using a lighter milk instead of the 1/2 and 1/2 called for in the recipe.
You will need:
1/2 a stick of butter or 4 TBSP butter substitute
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic
8 ears of corn with the corn removed from the ear.
5 cups water
1 cup 1/2 & 1/2 , milk, or soy milk
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp dried thyme
5 small potatoes cubed (I leave the skin on)
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Chopped cheddar cheese, chives, and crumbled Morningstar 'bacon'.
In a heavy sauce pan melt the butter and saute onions over medium heat until they just start to brown. Add the crushed garlic and flour and cook for another two minutes. The flour will just start to brown and should no longer have a raw flour taste.
Slowly add the water while whisking the mixture constantly. Bring to a boil and then add the corn and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove about 4 cups of the soup and blend in a blender until smooth, then add back into the soup. (You can also use a hand blender but do not puree the whole soup, just until creamy).
Remove from heat and slowly stir in the milk.
Serve with shredded cheese, bacon bits and chives. I also like to add some fresh thyme as a garnish as well.
