Cooking and baking is something we love to do here at Wiens! Not only are our staff and customers happy to get a snack, but we learn so much about our appliances by actually using them!
So, we decided to take a trip to the St. Norbert Farmers Market to pick up some delicious local produce so we could make some of our favourite summertime recipes. We used locally grown veggies for this soup from Almost Urban Vegetables, a 10 acre family farm located in St. Norbert. They grow great food with no pesticides, herbicides, or other nasty chemicals.
Corn Chowder
2 Tbsp butter
4 thick slices bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small bell pepper, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
Kosher salt + freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp paprika
2 bay leaves
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup half-and-half cream
3-4 cups corn kernels (if using frozen, thaw and drain)
Chopped fresh chives or parsley, for garnish
In a medium Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat on the 36" Wolf Contemporary Cooktop. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
Drain or spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just begin to become tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the flour, thyme, paprika, and bay leaves. Stir the flour into the vegetables to make a paste and coat them evenly. Cook a minute or two to get rid of the raw flour smell. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer until all of the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Uncover the pot and add the potato, half-and-half, and corn. Simmer, uncovered, until the potato is very tender but not yet falling apart, 10 to 12 minutes. If desired, puree about a cup of the soup in a food processor or blender and stir it back into the soup. Discard the bay leaves. Serve garnished with the cooked bacon and some chives or parsley.
