Here is Philadelphia there is still quite a bit of corn at the Farmer’s Market. I don’t know about you but I’m getting a little tired of corn on the cob and with the weather getting cooler, I thought a corn chowder would be a great use of the last of the corn.
Yesterday was a cool rainy Sunday so it was also the perfect day for cooking and having a warm meal. My daughter also had a friend over and since playdates make me a little bonkers, cooking was the perfect distraction for me. (When did going over to a friend’s house to play become a “playdate”.)
Here are the core ingredients that I started with, including the corn I started cutting the kernels off of. Everything came from the Farmer’s Market and my CSA except for the red chili.
I started with this recipe from Simply Recipes but adapted it slightly. I didn’t use bacon, celery or carrots. I added the red chili pepper and frozen peas. I also used soy milk instead of cow’s milk. I rarely follow a recipe exactly – this is because I’m always missing an ingredient and make substitutions rather than run out to get what I’m missing. Or I use something I like in place of something I’m not as excited about.
Here is the first stage before adding the potatoes and red pepper.
This is the chowder with all of the ingredients and just 15 minutes left to simmer.
And here is my first bowl of chowder that I had for a very late lunch. It came out spicier than I expected and was afraid that my daughter wouldn’t like it. But she just had a bowl for dinner (with some hard bread for dipping) and she loved it!
Do you still have corn on the cob where you live? Of course, frozen corn could be used as a substitution but I don’t think it would taste as good. I love this time of year. It’s not that cold yet but is cool enough to cook comfortably.
Yummo! Great photography as well. We always enjoy the cooler fall and winter weather just so we can make soup! Nothing better than fresh, home made soup and bread. I will have to try your recipe this winter or fall. And I like that it has the spice too!
.-= Rick Castellini´s last blog ..What Rick said, read and thought about this week 2009-09-27 =-.
Hi RIck – I’m getting better with the photos – it isn’t easy to take pictures of food and the light in my kitchen is terrible.
The red chili really added flavor but then I love spicy food. I’m always having to be careful about how spicy I make things because of the people around me :-)
Me too! I’m a garlic and spice freak. My family tells me that my taste buds are caput, but I love to have my senses assaulted when it comes to food. Bland pot roast and chicken and dumplings aren’t for me…unless I pull out the equalizer: tabasco sauce.
.-= Rick Castellini´s last blog ..Print Your Own Manual =-.
Oh yum this looks fantastic Kim. We still have corn on the cob here, but it’s not at its prime. This is the time of the year when I enjoy making hearty soups and stews. And the apartment always smells so nice because of it.
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Hi Davina – Let me know if you try it. The corn here is winding down but it’s still great for stews. And it’s so much better than using canned or frozen corn.
Looks awesome! Probably went good with the damp weather.
Its nice and colorful too. :-)
Hi Jim – It was great on a rainy day and I was so happy that Alex liked it.
Colorful is important ;-)
Looks delicious! Pete made a seafood chowder last weekend – very similar. We haven’t liked the corn so much this year – it’s been really stunted in Iowa and Minnesota due to weather conditions this summer.
I do love having stews and chowders in the pot on colder days. I can remember walking home from school, coming up the driveway and the aroma of beef stew hitting me from the kitchen window – cracked open just a bit to let the steam escape. We don’t realize as parents the memories we create out of simple tasks and day-to-day things – like yummy cooking.
.-= Betsy Wuebker´s last blog ..POETRY FROM OUR SPAM FOLDER =-.
Hi Betsy – Doesn’t smell invoke memory more than any of the other sense? I don’t recall my Mom really making stews and soups so I don’t have any memories from that but I enjoy making them when the weather is cool. The trick for me is making one that the kid will like – eating an entire pot of stew by myself gets tedious.
That sure looks good! We still have corn here (not that far from you after all) and it’s incredibly sweet this year. I haven’t tired of corn on the cob, so that’s what I’ve been having. I’ve never been a big fan of soup, though I’m liking it better as an adult than I did as a child. Maybe I’m just not a fan of cooking. ;-)
.-= Dot´s last blog ..Comment on Through a Glass, Grimly – Part 2 by Dot =-.
Hi Dot – LOL – yeah, you have to like cooking to want to make stews. The kid isn’t tired of corn on the cob either – she could prob. eat it every day and still want more.
That looks delicious! I love chowders and I’ve never made one. I might have to rectify that!
.-= Christine´s last blog ..Roasted Cauliflower =-.
Hi Christine – Oh, you should try this one. And I have to check out your
roasted cauliflower link :-)
This looks so good. A classic comfort food! Today was the first cool day of the season here in Norcal and tomorrow should be even colder. This seems like a great dish to serve in the fall.
Hi Vered – It was so good and I was thrilled that Alex liked it too. It
looks like I will be making it frequently.