Corn Chowder For A Cold Winter's Day

For a number of years our family helped host a Christmas caroling party each December, where the featured entrees were two big pots of Chili and of Corn Chowder. So I thought I would offer my version of corn chowder here for anyone who wants a great way to warm up on a cold winter evening. I made a pot this week in fact and our family loves it.

CORN CHOWDER

4 medium potatoes peeled and diced
1 large onion, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 c. water (or enough just to cover the above veggies in a pot).
Put vegetables and seasoning in water in large soup pot; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until soft.

Add:
1 bag frozen white shoepeg corn or 1 can whole kernel corn.
4 cans Cream Style corn
4 cans Carnation evaporated milk

Heat through but do not boil.

While heating, cook 1 1b bacon in skillet, drain and crumble. Add bacon to chowder after it is heated through.

Taste and season before serving with additional salt and freshly ground pepper if desired.

Serve with small oyster crackers or hot dinner rolls for dipping. Delicious!

MEMORIAL DAY CORN ROAST

photo courtesy Creative Commons - taken by ann-dabney
In Pennsylvania, a corn roast is a big event! The first roasted corn I ever had was at a local fair 20 years ago. The silk is removed, then the corn is soaked in water and put on the grill to roast in the husks. The fire was hot and the corn got yummy grill marks on it in places where the husks had separated a little. It was then dipped in melted butter from a big vat and handed over to me for some serious chowing down. I can't tell you how delicious that corn tasted, straight from the field to the grill in a few hours time. Our little town is surrounded by fields of tall growing corn in the summertime and corn roasts are usually held at the end of summer. But thanks to modern transportation, we can enjoy a Memorial Day corn roast with delicious Florida corn too. In my opinion, at a corn roast, CORN should be the main event and not a side dish. Who needs anything else? Just put on a bib and get ready to sink your teeth into some corny goodness.
What could be an easier Go-To dinner recipe than a simple meal of summer corn for the whole family. Add a refreshing fruit drink or green salad and you're all set.

MEMORIAL DAY CORN ROAST

Ingredients:

12 ears farm fresh white, bi-color or yellow sweet corn

Tub of ice water

Melted butter for dipping (or serve butter or margarine table side)

Sea Salt

Carefully pull back husks from corn; remove silk. Pull husks up around corn cobs and secure with rubber band. Put in tub of ice water to soak.

Get BBQ nice and hot; remove corn from ice water, shake off and remove rubber band. Place corn (in husks) on BBQ grill and grill for 12-15 minutes, turned to grill on all sides. The husks get brown and crispy - that's okay!

Pull back husks and discard; either dip corn in butter or serve 'naked' for those who want less fat. Sprinkle with sea salt to bring out that roasted goodness. Bet you can't eat just one! And at a corn roast, you don't have to.

Variation: You can also wrap each husk-covered ear in a piece of aluminum foil if desired for grilling. But that takes half the fun out of it!