Summer Corn Chowder

This soup is creamy, smoky, sweet, and completely satisfying all at the same time. I love the taste of the bacon with the corn and tomatoes. Besides some chopping, it was also a pretty easy recipe to prepare. I couldn't find light cream so I just used whipping cream, about 1 3/4 c instead of the suggested 2 cups of light cream.

• 6 medium ears of corn
• 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium poblano, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small celery rib, finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 medium boiling potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• Pinch of sugar
• 1 small bay leaf
• 2 cups light cream, at room temperature
• 1 cup milk
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Working over a bowl, cut the corn kernels from the cobs at about half their depth. Then, using the back of the knife, scrape the cobs over the bowl to release all the "milk"; set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, fry the bacon over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. Crumble and reserve.
3. Discard all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the poblano pepper, jalapeño and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, salt, allspice, sugar, bay leaf and the reserved corn kernels and their "milk" and stir well. Cook over moderate heat until mixture begins to sizzle.
4. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Stir in the cream and milk and bring just to a boil. Remove from heat and season with black pepper to taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with the crumbled bacon and parsley.

Source: http://food52.com/recipes/142-summer-corn-chowder

Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and Parsley or Basil Pesto

 I chopped all the veggies for this soup on a Sunday and made it the next day. Once you have all the prep done, this soup is super easy to make. I thought the pesto was a nice addition, but Nick said he could take it or leave it. As long as you have time, I recommend making it. The sweetness of the balsamic vinegar is also a nice touch. Plus, leftovers are great for lunches.











Ingredients 

Soup

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 slices preservative-free, all-natural bacon, chopped into small pieces (I used pancetta)
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 15 oz. can of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic
• 1 28 oz. can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice
• Salt
• 1 cup kale, chopped fine
• 1 9-ounce package of high quality, all-natural cheese tortellini
• Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling- optional
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish- optional

Parsley or Basil Pesto

• 1 cup loosely packed basil or parsley
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

 For the soup:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to brown.
2. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil along with the chopped onion, garlic and leek. Continue to cook, strirring occasionally, over medium heat until softened.
3. Add the chopped carrot, celery, zucchini, potato and stir around for a minute or two.
4. Add the stock, the chickpeas, and then the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
5. Add the kale and the tortellini, and continue to cook over a simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of the aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

For the pesto: 

1. Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it's very fine...when you do this, you'll reduce it down to about 1/4 cup.
2. As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the other ingredients and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.
3. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil. Use as a garnish for the minestrone.

Source: http://food52.com/recipes/4661_smoky_minestrone_with_tortellini_and_parsley_or_basil_pesto