Corn Chowder with Bacon- Easy and Delicious!

There is nothing that epitomizes summer better than fresh corn on the cob. Creating a corn stock from the cobs is the secret to this flavorful corn chowder recipe. This dish is simple to prepare- using only a few ingredients and two pots (an important consideration for those with small kitchens or no dishwasher). For the freshest taste, find a local farmer's market or roadside stand to buy your corn. It begins to lose it's sweet flavor as soon as it's picked, so try to find local and fresh. Even in the dead of winter when I bought pre-packaged corn on the cob, the soup still got a five star review.

The base recipe is easily altered with extra veggies, a cheese, some seafood, or other additions. The options are only limited by your imagination! If you have picky kids, I encourage you to try this recipe.

1. With a sharp knife, shave the kernels off of the ears into a bowl.

2. Stick all the ears in a pot and add one cup of water. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, bring to a boil. Once it boils, turn the heat down to medium-low, with the top covered. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. This makes the corn stock base for the soup.

3. While the stock it simmering, throw the bacon pieces in a hot skillet and brown for 4-6 minutes. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook another five minutes.

4. When the stock is finished, discard the ears. Add the milk, cream, bacon and onions, and corn into the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it bubble gently about 10 minutes.

5. Right before serving, sprinkle with the diced scallions.

The soup is filling enough by itself to have with bread and salad. If you have guests, you can serve the chowder up in mugs with a couple of croutons on top as an appetizer. Otherwise, consider serving the chowder with grilled cheese or some other sandwich. You can always add fish, shellfish, or cheese to the chowder to beef it up!

-Julie DeNeen