Chicken Corn Chowder

There isn't a lot to say about this, except YUM.  It was perfect on a cool fall evening.  I started it at 4:00 and dinner was ready by about 5:30 so it can be done on a weeknight.  I used meat pulled from a Costco rotisserie chicken.  This is going on the regular rotation!

5 slices bacon
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 large onion, diced
3-4 carrots, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
6 cups chicken stock
4 cups frozen corn
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
large handful baby red potatoes
1 cup cream
1 cup shredded cheese
2 Tbsp mascarpone cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a porcelain coated dutch oven (or large pot) until crisp, remove to paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Drain fat from pot; add olive oil, butter, carrot and onion and sweat until soft... about 5 minutes.  Add flour, thyme, cayenne and turmeric - cook about 2 minutes.  Add stock, corn, chicken and potatoes.  Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Add cream, both cheeses and salt/pepper, cook about 5 minutes over low heat.  Don't cook at too high of a temperature, or for too long, or the cream might 'break'.

This is a slight variation of Cuisine at Home's Cheese and Corn Chowder in the Soups, Stews and Chilies cookbook.

~ Enjoy ~

Corn Pico de Gallo

It's that time of year - in late summer/early fall fresh sweet corn starts making an appearance at the farmer's markets.  There is simply no better way to cook it than roasting it on the grill.  One of my favorite ways to use fresh corn (other than slathering with butter and eating it right off the cob) is to make a pico.  It's not the pico we commonly know, but the ingredients are pretty much the same except I use roasted sweet corn instead of tomato.  We use this pico to top our tacos and fajitas... and it's even good on a chip!

To roast corn: Soak corn (with husks and silks intact) in salted water for as long as possible, but no less than 1 hour.  We started soaking the corn this morning.  Grill on high heat for approx 20-30 minutes until the husks are dark brown or blackened on all sides, turning every 8-10 minutes.  Remove from heat, let sit about 10 minutes, remove husks and silks, let sit until cool enough to handle.

I don't have a recipe with measurements, so I will describe the amounts I used today, but you'll want to adjust to taste and preferences.  We like garlic and spice, you may want to use less and add more as needed.

6 ears corn, roasted
1 red bell pepper
6 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/3 large red onion, diced
3 jalapeno, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice and zest of one lime
salt and pepper to taste

Cut corn off the cob and place in a large mixing bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.  Taste with tortilla chips and make adjustments as necessary.

** Be careful when handling jalapeno or any hot pepper.  Even after washing your hands numerous times, the capsacin (the stuff that makes peppers hot) will still be on your hands.  Use gloves if your skin is sensitive or if you wear contacts.


~ Enjoy ~