Fresh Corn Chowder

 From: Joy of Cooking

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 medium celery stalks, diced

6 small ears of corn

4 1/2 cups milk

2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Place the bacon in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until it releases all of its fat and is beginning to crisp, 10-15 minutes.

Leaving the bacon in the pan, spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of fat. Add the chopped onion and diced celery, and cook, stirring, until tender and slightly browned, 10-15 minutes.

Remove the kernels from the ears of corn. Reserve the kernels and add the cobs to the soup pot along with the milk and potatoes.

Push the corn cobs into the milk to fully submerge them. Bring the milk to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove the cobs. Stir in the reserved corn kernels along with the salt and pepper.

Simmer gently until the corn is tender, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups solids from the soup and puree until smooth. Return to the soup and add the butter. Let stand until the butter is melted, then stir. Ladle into warmed bowls.

Verdict: So easy, although it did take a bit more time than I thought it would because I didn't dice the potatoes very fine. A great comfort food!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken and Rice

From: Southern Plate

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large onion, chopped
1 8-oz box Zatarain's yellow rice mix, cooked according to directions
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 15-oz can whole kernel corn, drained

Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker. Scatter chopped onion over top. Spoon cream soup over top of that. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours or on high 3-4 hours. A few minutes before serving, add in cooked rice, corn, and cheese. Stir to combine. Serve hot.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! What a simple, delicious, filling meal! I actually used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts and only cooked mine on high for about 5-6 hours. In the end, my 3-year old (who will eat anything) ate two servings, I ate two servings, and my 4-year old (who is pickier than my 3-year old) ate one bite of the rice/corn mixture and all of her chicken. Go figure. I love chicken and rice combinations and I love chicken and corn combinations, so I thought this was a great mixture of flavors and textures. I loved the slight crunchiness of the onion too. I loved this meal and I definitely recommend it.

Sweet Potato, Corn and Jalapeno Bisque

From: Here

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 4 ears corn
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch of ground cinnamon

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Add in the sweet potatoes and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Remove from the heat and puree using an immersion blender. 

Stir the jalapeno, corn kernels, salt, cayenne, black pepper, and cinnamon into the soup. Simmer until heated through.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! Sweet and spicy? Yes, please! Bring it on! I had sweet potatoes sprouting in the pantry and jalapenos coming up in the garden, so I decided to make this for lunch. I absolutely love this combination of flavors. If you want it to be really spicy you don't have to seed the jalapenos. I did,and there is a zing of surprise every couple of bites, which I like. This is also a really simple recipe. So it definitely is highly recommended by me for you to try! 

Yellow Summer Squash and Corn Soup

From: Here

Ingredients:
1 pound yellow summer squash
2 ears corn
3 large shallots
2 large garlic cloves
1 fresh jalapeño chile
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 1/2 cups water

Cut summer squash crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Shuck corn and, working over a bowl, cut kernels from cobs. Halve cobs. Chop shallots and mince garlic. Wearing rubber gloves, chop chile, with seeds if desired.
In a 5-quart heavy kettle combine all ingredients (including cobs) except water and cook over moderate heat, stirring, 3 minutes. Stir in water and simmer mixture until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes. Discard cobs. In a blender puree mixture in batches until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to another bowl. Season soup with salt and pepper. Divide soup between 2 bowls and garnish with corn, chiles, cilantro, small dollops of sour cream, and squash.

 

Verdict:
This is the only picture I took while I was cooking... sorry. Not a great representation of this recipe! This was a good, quick, easy recipe. It didn't have a ton of flavor... I could have used a little more "mmph" in it I think, but it definitely had a great base to work with. I'd make it again in a pinch and just add some more fresh herbs to it.

Corn Sticks

From: Southern Living

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 11-oz can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
2 tbsp minced red bell pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine first 7 ingredients; make a well in the center. Stir together milk and next three ingredients. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Heat cast-iron corn stick pans in 450 degree oven 5 minutes or until hot. Remove pans from oven and coat with cooking spray. Spoon batter into hot pans. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool slightly on wire racks.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used one egg instead of the egg substitute/egg white mixture. And obviously I don't have a "corn stick pan" since I've never even heard of that. I simply substituted my faithful old cast-iron skillet. Worked perfectly.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up, although I'm the only one in my family who would eat these. Stephen doesn't like cornbread at all (although he tried it and said it wasn't bad), and my kids were too busy chowing down on the barbecue chicken I made to even taste this. I loved the sweetness and tangy flavor from the corn and bell pepper, but with the "comfort food" feeling of cornbread. Easy recipe, will make this again in the future!

Corn Sticks

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 11-oz can sweet whole kernel corn, drained
2 tbsp minced red bell pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
2 egg whites
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine first 7 ingredients; make a well in the center. Stir together milk and next three ingredients. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Heat cast-iron corn stick pans in 450 degree oven 5 minutes or until hot. Remove pans from oven and coat with cooking spray. Spoon batter into hot pans. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Remove from pans immediately and cool slightly on wire racks.

Corn, Potato and Cheese Soup

From: The Best Ever One Pot Cookbook

Ingredients:
2 shallots, finely chopped
8 oz potatoes, diced
4 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 1/4 cups milk
11 oz canned corn kernels, drained
3/4 cup grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
8-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
fresh sage sprigs, to garnish

Croutons:
2-3 slices of day-old white bread
2 Tbsp olive oil



To make the croutons, cut the crusts off the bread slices, then cut the remaining bread into 1/4-inch squares. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and add the bread cubes. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly, until evenly colored. Drain the croutons thoroughly on paper towels and reserve.

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened.

Add the potatoes and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the white wine, then gradually stir in the milk.

Return the pan to the heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer. Stir in the corn kernels, cheese, chopped sage, and cream and heat through gently until the cheese has just melted.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, scatter over the croutons, garnish with fresh sage sprigs and serve.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used onions instead of shallots, and substituted water for the wine.

What I'll do differently next time:
Nothing.

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love potato soups and corn soups, and cheese, so this was a tasty combination!! The croutons are definitely optional. I made just a few and they were good, but plain old crackers were delicious too. I would definitely make this again!

Pasta With Fresh Tomato and Corn

From: Sandhills Farm 2 Table newsletter

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn kernels, cooked
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, corn kernels, and scallions. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Toss pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

What I did differently from the recipe:
Just tweaked it according to my tastes. I put more corn than it said, less tomatoes (I used about half a tomato) and more onions.

What I'll do differently next time:
Less onions! Yowza!

Verdict:
Neutral. It is totally my fault for adding so many onions. I love onions so much that I went way overboard adding them, and that combined with the vinegar just made it too bitter for me. I honestly think if I had put the recommended amount or less of the onions it would have been incredible. I mean, even with the flavor it had I still ate half of it, so it really didn't taste that bad! This would be an awesome side dish for summer parties.

P.S. I used my fresh tomatoes, corn, and onions all from the food co-op! Yummy!

Pasta w/ Fresh Tomato and Corn

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup corn kernels, cooked
4 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, and dried basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the tomatoes, corn kernels, and scallions. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Toss pasta with tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Smoky Corn Chowder

From: Real Simple

Ingredients:
8 oz sliced bacon, cut into pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 10-oz packages frozen corn
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbsp of the drippings and return the pot to medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, broth and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot, add salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Divide the soup into bowls and top with bacon and scallions if you have them.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used turkey bacon, for one thing, so I didn't have the drippings that the recipe called for from that bacon. Fortunately, I always save my drippings so I used my reserve from the pantry to add some grease to the recipe! Instead of red pepper flakes I used ground cayenne pepper so I didn't use nearly as much as the recipe called for. I didn't have any frozen corn and didn't have time to go to the store, so I used two 15-oz cans of corn. I only used 2 cups of chicken broth. And I didn't have half-and-half on hand so instead I used two 5-oz cans of evaporated milk.

What I'll do differently next time:
Whatever is necessary! I had to tweak this a lot simply because I didn't have time to go to the store, but it didn't change the taste!

Verdict:
Thumbs up! I love this recipe. It was so sweet and we couldn't figure out what that sweetness was from, but it was just delicious. Instead of putting the bacon on top I had just mixed it all in after I blended the soup. This soup didn't last long, that's for sure!

Printable version:

Ingredients:
8 oz sliced bacon, cut into pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 10-oz packages frozen corn
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
salt and pepper

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Spoon off and discard all but 2 Tbsp of the drippings and return the pot to medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, broth and half-and-half and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer half the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to the pot, add salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Divide the soup into bowls and top with bacon and scallions if you have them.

Cream of Corn Soup

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cream-style canned corn or 2 1/2 cups corn, cut from the ear and simmered until tender in 1 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter
1/2 sliced medium-sized onion
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
white pepper
nutmeg
3 cups milk

Melt butter. Simmer onions in it until translucent.

Stir in flour, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. Stir in corn and milk. Heat thoroughly. Serve with chopped parsley or chives.

What I did differently from the recipe:
I used more onion than I was supposed to. My soup is more like "Cream of Onion and a Bit of Corn Soup". I didn't use any white pepper. I only used 2 cups of milk instead of 3.

What I'll do differently next time:
More corn, less onion.

Verdict:
Simple, and good. A classic recipe. But nothing fancy. I would recommend eating this with crackers and cheese to spice it up a bit. I almost threw some green beans in there as well, which would have added a good flavor. If you throw in a bag of mixed veggies, I think that would taste good. This recipe isn't anything spectacular, but it was definitely thrifty. I bet the whole thing didn't cost me $4. The corn was $0.57, the onion was $0.49, and the amount of milk I used was around $0.50. Definitely a penny-pincher's delight!