Corn chowder

The temps have gloriously dropped to a manageable degree. The windows are open and the birds are chirping. Whatever.

Guess what I'm doing in the kitchen? Making chowder, because clearly that is the obvious dinner choice when it's a mere 80 degrees out. Who doesn't want chowder when it's 80 degree's out? Seriously, people! Get on board! Let's make chowder!

Did I mention that bacon is involved? See, I knew I'd get on board if I mentioned bacon.

This soup comes together easily and quickly, with only a handful of major ingredients. Plus, it's an excellent use of all that summer corn that stares at you in the produce isle until you finally give in and that it home. Oh, does your corn not stare at you? It's just me? Ha. Don't even try to fool me.

Not only do you get to use fresh corn AND bacon, but there's 2 kinds of peppers in this as well! Now we are getting somewhere. You definitely and irrefutably need to use at least 1 (2 if you like it hot) chipotle peppers. Look, don't start whining about what you will do with the remaining can of chipotle peppers. They last for months in the fridge, OK? OK, now back to the peppers. For my second pepper choice, I used some roasted jalapenos I had lying around. This shouldn't surprise you anymore, I have strange stuff like pre-roasted jalapenos just waiting to be used! If you aren't a complete weirdo like me, you could also use a good heaping teaspoon of chopped green chilies.

After you dice the bacon and onions, followed by the peppers, you have the joy of stripping about 5 ears of corn. Fun, huh? Kinda makes you wish you had bought one of these. You best get to work now, cause that's gonna take a minute or so. Now that the corn has been stripped from the husk you take the back of your knife and run it down the husk, getting this milky-starchy liquid. This stuff is gold. It will thicken the chowder for you. Crazy, right?

Throw some chicken stock and a touch of half and half, bring to a boil, and you are done! Let this simmer and thicken up for about 15 minutes and you, my friend, are done!

Chipotle Corn Chowder

Serves 4-6

5 ears of Corn, shucked and stripped off the husk

2 slices of Bacon, diced

1 medium Onion, diced

1-2 Chipotle peppers, thinly sliced

1 Jalapeno, roasted, de-seeded, and diced

32oz Chicken Stock

1/2 - 1c Heavy cream or Half and Half

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a Dutch oven or large soup pot cook bacon and onion on medium until the bacon fat has rendered off and the onion is translucent and soft.

2. Dice the peppers and throw into the pot.

3. Shuck and strip the corn. Place in the pot with the starchy-milky liquid from the husk.

4. Add all the liquid and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes until thicken.

Enjoy!