Cheddar corn chowder
About this time of year I miss seeing more of the sun鈥檚 face. Although I was delighted to notice this week that the 5 p.m. sky, instead of being an inky black, was more of a dark听. Longer days are slowly creeping back.
I have a wooden Swedish star light on my windowsill that is timed to click on each evening and turn off as I get settled in between flannel sheets. It鈥檚 the only Christmas ornament that I allow to overstay the holiday season. I still need a bright spot to look forward to long after the festival of lights has ended.
That鈥檚 why cheddar corn chowder seasoned with tumeric is the perfect bright! and sunny! soup for a cold and dark winter twilight. I had spotted a recipe for it on听听(not the Food Network, The Food Channel is a great Web-based cooking resource with lots of ideas and how-to videos). I adapted for cheddar corn chowder quite a lot. Theirs fed 10 (!), I eliminated some of the fats (oil听and听butter?), and added garlic, sweet orange pepper, and fresh cilantro for flavor and color.
The evening I made a pot of this chowder I was in a huge rush after work to make dinner and head off to a meeting. But I still had time to chop up the vegetables and let it all simmer so this chowder is a really fast and hearty weeknight meal. I also wanted some warm biscuits. In the interest of time I whipped up some Bisquick biscuits and added fresh rosemary. While the听听added a lovely fragrant flavor to the biscuits, there was an aftertaste that reminded me the mix was from a box. Bummer. As a scone听, I should know better.
Cheerful Cheddar Corn Chowder
听Serves 4 to 6听
4 slices of bacon, cut into pieces (about 6-8 per slice)
听1 onion, finely chopped
听1/2 cup sweet orange pepper, diced
听1 clove garlic, diced
听4 tablespoons flour
听1/2 teaspoon tumeric
听1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
听1/4 teaspoon black pepper
听4 cups chicken stock
听3 small to medium potatoes, skins on, washed and diced
听1 cup shredded cheddar
听1/2 cup half and half
听1 15-ounce bag frozen corn
听Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish
In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon until it is crisp. Remove and set on a paper towel and save for garnish.
Reduce heat a bit and add onion to bacon drippings and cook, stirring until translucent. Add garlic and sweet pepper and cook another minute or two.
Stir in flour, tumeric, salt, and pepper and cook for several minutes.
Add chicken stock and diced potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.
Add the corn, half-and-half, and cheddar cheese, cook and stir until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve in bowls and garnish with cilantro or parsley, bacon, and a crack of pepper.
Notes: You could easily make this a vegetarian chowder by eliminating the bacon and cooking the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil or 2 tablespoons of butter, and using vegetable instead of chicken stock. If you are using vegetable stock, you may want to add more salt. Also, do not use pre-shredded cheese. While highly convenient, packaged shredded-cheese is coated with cornstarch as a preservative measure, doesn鈥檛 melt as well, and simply doesn鈥檛 taste as delicious as the block cheese you grate yourself.
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