Homegrown corn is what it’s all about in August in western NY state. We all have our fave farm stands (my CSA does not grow corn – I wish they did because I can’t find a single stand that sells organic corn) and corn on the cob is common part of dinner at this time of year.

I almost always make a batch of corn chowder, when I get tired of corn on the cob. Here is this year’s version:

Summer Corn Chowder
4 slices bacon, diced

1 large onion

2 celery stalks

3 large carrots, peeled

4 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

7 ears of corn

2 medium potatoes, peeled, diced

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp fresh thyme

2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until cooked through. Remove bacon, leaving the grease. Chop the onion, celery, and carrot in a food processor then cook in the oil until the onion is translucent. Cut the corn off the cobs, reserving cobs. Add milk and broth to the pot and add the cobs and potatoes. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes. Remove cobs. Add bacon, corn, salt, pepper, thyme, and chives and simmer another 15 minutes. Serves 8.

Sometimes I add a diced chicken breast to this to make it heartier. Diced red pepper is also nice because it adds color (but my daughter hates red pepper so I never do that!). You can also sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on each bowl. This is fantastic with BBQ chicken.