Originally published on September 27, 2014
Isn’t it a great feeling to open up your fridge, see things that need to be used up, and know immediately what you’re going to use them for? That’s what happened last weekend when my kids needed lunch and there they were – four ears of corn and a large zucchini staring up at me from the fridge shelves. It didn’t take long before those ears were shucked, the zucchini was roasting in the oven, and I was looking forward to my newest version of corn chowder.
Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, shucked with the kernels cut off
1 large zucchini, cut into a medium dice
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 or 5 slices of thick slab bacon, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place zucchini in a large colander in a clean sink and sprinkle with salt. Turn to coat all the pieces of zucchini and then let sit for about 15 minutes to draw out as much moisture as possible. Then put zucchini on a baking sheet, sprinkle with pepper, and place in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until zucchini is roasted and beginning to brown around the edges. When finished, remove zucchini from the oven and set aside.
2.) While zucchini is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat. When hot add the pieces of bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is brown and crisp. Then, reserve the fat in the pan, keep the heat on, and transfer cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.
3.) To the fat in the pan, add the onion, stir, and cook for two minutes. Then add garlic and rosemary sprigs, stir, and cook for just one more minute before adding corn kernels. Stir to coat the kernels in the fat, season everything with salt and pepper and cook for three or four minutes.
4.) Add the chicken stock to the pan and turn heat to high. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes before removing rosemary, adjusting heat to low, and adding the zucchini and the heavy cream. Cook for another 10 minutes or so to allow everything to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
5.) Ladle the corn chowder into bowls and garnish with the cooked bacon.
6.) Serve and enjoy!