It has been a crazy summer thus far and with August already half way out the door, I can honestly say I’m kind of glad to see September on the horizon.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s been a great summer. A summer filled with lots of laughs, great harvesting from the garden (leading to plenty of great eats,) lots of sweat being made at work – and I even got to enjoy a mini summer vacation. I’m not complaining one bit, I just can’t wait to get my hands on this fall season.
But before summer leaves, take advantage of its rewards now. Corn is one of summer’s bounty of vegetables that is really only worth eating during the summer. I can tell you that I can never get enough of it. I’m not one who enjoys corn from a bag. Eating that corn has pretty much become a sin in my house. We can’t even attempt to compare it to the corn that is readily available for the summer months here on Long Island. I’d rather buy a bushel of local corn, cut it off the cob and freeze my own, leaving me with corn to enjoy all year round. Of course, I don’t have much time for that these days, but a girl can dream can’t she?
So to get my summer corn fix in before the season comes to an end, I’ve turned to a classic favorite that is probably delicious any time of the year, but should only be made with the corn that tastes best right now. Let me introduce you to summer corn chowder in all its sweet, creamy and tasty glory.
One pot is all you need for a quick and easy meal to feed the family. You might think eating chowder in the middle of summer is crazy, but it’s definitely not. Honestly, it’s mostly refreshing and satisfying than anything else – especially after a day out in the sun.
Summer Corn Chowder
Serves 8
Ingredients
6 ears of corn, husked
1 large onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 russet potatoes, peeled & diced
1 bunch of fresh parsley, washed, dried & chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups half & half or heavy cream
2 sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & pepper to taste
• In a 400-degreeon oven, roast the husked corn for approximately 12-15 minutes or until the corn begins to turn brown on the edges. Remove from the oven and once cooled remove the kernels from the cob. Set the kernels aside and discard or save the cobs for later use.
• In a medium soup pot, melt the butter. Add the onion and peppers, sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let cook for 1 minute. Add the corn, thyme and bay leaf. Stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour over the vegetables. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir in the potatoes and cream, continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley. Taste for seasoning. Remove the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme before serving.
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Kayleigh Van Vliet Baig was born and raised in Riverhead, where she lives with her husband Tahir and their two dogs.
Kayleigh is in her third season as Sous Chef at a private kitchen in Southampton. Not only is she second in command but her main focus is on creating, preparing and executing cold dishes such as salads, hors d’œuvres, appetizers, canapés, pâtés and terrines. Kayleigh has been in the culinary industry for the last 15 years, working her way up in kitchens on the East End. She also is a personal chef.
Look for In the Kitchen with Kayleigh every Saturday on RiverheadLOCAL.com.
Got questions? Recipes? Ideas? [contact-form-7 id=”27493″ title=”Write to Kayleigh”]
