It’s that time of year, when weathered wooden bins at farmers’ markets are overflowing with the riotous colors of summer’s last hurrah. Foodwise, my longings follow the season. In a couple of weeks, I’ll, without much regret, leave behind tomatoes that are losing their firm texture and vibrant acidity. And I’ll find myself reaching for pots, not just pans. I’m not quite ready for stews and braises. Those can wait until the weather turns. But a delicious homemade corn chowder is a fine way to celebrate summer’s end with only a slight tip of the hat to fall.

If you read my food column (or even glance occasionally at the recipes) my all-too-frequent use of words like “simple” and “easy” might make you roll your eyes. True, in my recipes I often add a step you may not see in others for the same dish—like pre-salting heirloom tomatoes and vegetables when making gazpacho, or smoking, stovetop over an open flame, fully baked eggplant stovetop for baba ghanoush. 

This is my way of warning you that my corn chowder recipe has a couple of those “extra” steps, too, that I find to be worth the very little time and effort (there I go again) they take.  

The first is making a stock by boiling the freshly stripped corn cobs in water for about 10 minutes. One pot. Boiling water and a bay leaf. That’s it. 

The second calls for making a roux out of flour and butter to create a mild thickener added to the soup before the milk and half-and-half (which go in last). While some corn chowder recipes call for simply sprinkling the flower over the softened vegetables and mixing in, I find that a roux whisked in a small pot or pan to a silky, bubbling chestnut brown emulsion assures you the flour is fully incorporated and cooked, while adding a subtle burnish to an otherwise pale and milky soup.  

Shoulder Season Corn Chowder

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients:

• Kernels of 3-4 ears of fresh sweet corn 
• Cobs of 3-4 ears of fresh sweet corn
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 slices of good, smoky bacon, cut into small strips or dice
• 4 T unsalted butter, divided in half
• 1/2 large onion, about 1 cup chopped into small but not fine dice
• 1-2 stalks celery, destringed with a peeler and diced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 T flour
• 1 1/2 cups cob “broth”
• 1 cup of chicken stock (homemade or made with 2 teaspoons of Better than Boullion)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup half and half

Directions 

1. Using a serrated knife, strip the kernels from the ears of corn into a large bowl. 
2. Using your hands, break each cob in two and add along with 1 bay leaf to a pot of water to cover. Boil for 10 minutes, turn off the heat, and set aside.
3. In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the bacon until it releases fat and takes on some color, but don’t let it brown or crisp 
4. Add 2 T unsalted butter. Once it has melted, add the chopped onion and celery and sweat for 5-10 minutes until the aromatics are soft and have taken on a pale gold. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper in moderation. (You can add more later.)
5. Add the cubed russet potato to the pot, mixing with a wooden spoon to coat. Cook over very low heat for about minute being careful not to let anything burn. Add corn kernels and stir again. 
6. Strain in 1 1/2 cups of the cob-broth and 1 cup of chicken broth. Cook over medium-low heat for about 15-20 minutes, until potatoes can easily be pierced with a knife tip. 
7. While the soup is cooking, prepare the roux. Over low heat in a small pot or pan, whisk together the butter and flour until the fully melted butter and flour meld, bubble, and turn a chestnut brown. Remove from the heat and stir in a ladleful of the hot soup liquid. Add mixture to the pot and stir with a wooden spoon.
8. Add, the milk and half and half. Stir and continue cooking over very low heat, making sure never to bring the chowder to a boil. (Cream can be boiled, but boiling milk and half and half causes the milk fat to separate from the liquid, compromising the look and mouth feel of the chowder.)
9. Taste for salt and pepper. Add more cob broth and/or chicken broth if it it’s not “soupy” enough. Serve in bowls with a few grinds of black pepper.

Notes: 

• For a vegetarian chowder, omit the bacon and use 3T of butter for sweating the vegetables. For a vegan chowder, you’re on your own.
• If you sprinkle the flour onto the sauteed vegetables and mix it in (rather than making a roux), I won’t pass (harsh) judgment. 

Photos by Carolyn Swartz