Corn-Bacon Chowder

The corn right now is like crack. Its so full, sweet and juicy that cooking it almost seems like sacrilege. I made this dairy-free version to greet my sister and her new husband’s arrival at the cabin on a cool summer afternoon. It was so delicious that it somehow disappeared before I got a photo! You’ll just have to recreate it yourself to take a look at it. Instead you get to see some of my recent summer bounty from the farmer’s market…

Corn-Bacon Chowder
INGREDIENTS
1 slice of bacon
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cups)
1 cup carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2-1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (use just half if you like less heat)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
A few dashes fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6-8 cups vegetable broth
3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 5-6 ears of corn)
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 bay leaf
Pinch cayenne
Juice of 1 lime
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In stockpot sauté the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and jalapeños in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.
2. Add rosemary, smoked paprika, black pepper, and salt; sauté 1 minute more. Add the broth, corn, potatoes, bay leaf, and cayenne. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes more to let the liquid reduce a bit.
3. Remove the bay leaf and puree half the chowder either using a handheld blender or by transferring half the chowder to a blender, pureeing till smooth and adding back to soup. Add more broth as needed to thin. Add the lime juice to taste and simmer 5 more minutes.
4. Let sit for at least 10 minutes and serve. Tastes even better the next day.