Not every September coincides with soup season, but this year it does. Cool evenings and cool mornings give way to warm days, but I’m still packing sweaters in my girls’ school backpacks, just in case. I feel like we’ve moved on from gazpacho and cold yogurt soups to spiced lentil stews and this corn chowder which I love making, even when it’s still too warm for hot soup.
Earlier this summer I asked my girls to shuck the corn so I could prepare this soup. “No thanks,” they replied, and walked away. I tracked them down and explained: This wasn’t a suggestion, this was a rule. “Children exist to shuck corn. It’s the law.” My seven year old got the message, and snaps to attention every time it’s time to clean fresh corn, although my nine year old still needs some convincing.
I’ve adapted this recipe from Deborah Madison, eliminating the thyme because I never seem to have it around. I add green pepper to my version because I love how it tastes, and those two things grow at the same time. Feel free to leave it out if it’s not singing to you.
I love clearing the corn off my cobs with the assistance of a Bundt pan. Pop the shucked ear of corn in the center hole of the pan and slice the kernels off going down, lengthwise. The pan does the perfect job of collecting all that may have ordinarily ended up on the counter or fallen to the floor.
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s “America: The Vegetarian Table”
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 small leeks, white part only, or 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, cleaned and cut into half-inch pieces
4 small new potatoes, peeled and cut into a small dice
4 cups water
5 ears of fresh corn, white or yellow
3 cups milk
Pinch of kosher salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
If using chopped leeks, rinse them well to rid them of any sand and grit. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat, add the leeks or onion, and the green pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the potatoes and water and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
While the potatoes are cooking, shuck the corn and pull off the silks.
Place the ear of corn in the hole of a Bundt pan, and using a sharp knife, slice the corn off the cob going down the length of the cob – it will all land in the bundt pan. Then turn your knife over and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the cob, squeezing out the rest of the corn and milk. Repeat with the remaining ears.
Add the corn to the pot along with the milk and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the salt and the pepper to taste.
Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to molly.parr@gmail.com.