Corn Chowder

Even though corn season hasn't reached its peak, I couldn't resist all of the bundles of corn on sale. After decided on a corn chowder, I decided to start with a simple recipe although Bittman has many variations in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian that sound more flavourful.

I made a few changes. I didn't peel the potatoes or seed the tomatoes. I also didn't chop anything very fine, opting for a smoother texture by blending everything before putting in the corn or milk. You could certainly leave it chunky though. I thought this was a tiny bit more watery than I would like, so next time I might cut down a little on the corn stock ... or else simmer longer or add cornstarch.

Corn Chowder (adapted from Epicurious)

Ingredients
4 to 6 ears corn
1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup milk

1. Shuck the corn and use a paring knife to strip the kernels into a bowl.
2. Put the cobs in a pot with 4 cups water; bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put the butter in a saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the butter melts, add the onion and potatoes, along with a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
4. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes; add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute or two.
5. After the corn cobs have cooked for at least 10 minutes, strain the liquid into the onion-potato mixture.
6. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so the mixture simmers. When the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, blend with an immersion blender if desired.
7. Add the corn kernels and milk and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste (you'll likely end up using more salt than usual because the corn stock didn't have any added salt unlike the chicken or other stock usually used in soups).