FARMfood: Green Living with Chef Daniel Orr

Farmers' Market Corn Chowder with Herbs I love this soup straight up, but try it with the addition of smoke trout, crabmeat, or chopped prawns. It is good both hot and chilled.

Folks served: 8

3 potatoes, diced into 1⁄4'' cubes
6 ears corn, kernels removed and cobs scraped with the back of a knife
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
2 strips local pepper bacon
2 medium white onions, diced
1 T garlic, chopped
2 branches thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
10 black peppercorns, cracked
1 c. white wine
3 c. corn stock, made by boiling the cobs from above for 30 minutes, or vegetable stock or water
1 c. heavy cream
salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Optional Garnish:
1⁄2 c. chopped mixed herbs (I like parsley, cilantro, dill, and tarragon)

Remove corn kernels carefully with a knife, keeping whole as many as possible. Once kernels are removed, scrape the cobs with the back of a knife over a pan to extract as much “pulp” and juice as possible. Save the cobs for corn stock if desired. You should have 4–5 cups of kernels and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the scrapings.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter in the olive oil and add the bacon, onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and cracked peppercorns. Cook without coloring until tender, then pour in the white wine and reduce by half.

Add the stock, heavy cream, half of the potatoes, corn scrapings, and 2 cups of the corn. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are tender, approximately 10–15 minutes.

Puree well and pass through a fine strainer. Return to a boil, then simmer with remaining potatoes and corn until tender. Adjust
thickness by adding more liquid if needed. Season to taste. Serve straight away or chill for later use. Just before serving add the chopped herbs and stir in.

From FARMfood: Green Living with Chef Daniel Orr is published by Indiana University Press. Recipes and photos by Daniel Orr