Soup or chowder of any kind is always difficult to photograph

Despite that, this chowda was good.

I know that it’s hot outside, and I know that turning the stove on for any long period of time is ghastly when the humidity outside feels  about the same as a pot of boiling water inside…sometimes it’s worth it to turn on the stove for a delicious meal.

For me, I’m lucky enough to have a pretty good A/C unit. Plus, one of the perks (yes, finally a perk when it comes to cooking!) to living in a basement apartment, is that it stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Not much natural light here, but plenty of good food.

This was another recipe I found using gojee.com. This time I typed in corn. Because it’s summer. And corn is showing up in the grocery store for super cheap. I love corn on the cob, but I wanted to do something different with the corn for once, hence, chowder.

Summery Corn Chowder (From fresh365)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 cups diced red potatoes
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 tsp salt
• kernels from 5 ears fresh corn
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add garlic and onions and cook 10 minutes until beginning to brown.

2. Stir in cayenne and potatoes; cook 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the vegetable broth, sour cream, and salt, stirring well. Cook for 20 minutes.

3. With a potato masher, lightly mash about half the potatoes in the pot. (This will create a thicker broth.) Cook an additional 10 minutes, or until the solid potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Stir in corn and cheddar cheese and cook 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

My Two Cents:

Can you believe this was the first time I ever cut off fresh kernels from an ear of corn? I always eat it straight off the cob, but fresh corn in recipes is amazing. I should use fresh corn more often.

This chowder has a little kick to it, and I’m beginning to like that in my dishes. I try to spice it up a bit for Chris, since he loves spicy food. This wasn’t too spicy, but had just enough cayenne pepper to give it a little zing (and make the soup a pretty orange color!)

The sweetness of the corn and the tanginess of the sour cream played out well together in this recipe.

Also, the more cheese, the better.

And since this only takes about 40 minutes to make, it won’t heat up your place too much (or choose to make it on a cool night!)

P.S. As usual, this is quite healthy. A chowder or soup made without cream is always a winner in my book.