Fresh Grilled Corn and Chipolte Chowdah

When I was in 1st. grade each child was assigned a week to tell the class a little about themselves.  We were to cut out pictures from magazines or from home that represented who we were and all the things we liked to do.  It was then stapled to a bulletin board where the whole class could look at it for the week.  I remember going through tons of my mom's Good Housekeeping magazines in search of pictures of soup.  I loved soup more than any other food in the world.  I think I had pictures of 5 different Campbell's soup flavors on my bulletin board.  I was obsessed with soup.  Still am.  To this day soup is still my favorite food.  

In years past I have not made soups in the summer.  It is just too dang hot, but not this year.  With the kale in my garden, there is Zuppa Toscana, and fresh corn brought me to my new favorite soup for now.  I ripped this recipe out of a Rachael Ray magazine a few weeks ago and have been biding my time until the first veggie stand had perfect corn.  It happened this week.  I may have paid a very dear price for my few dozen ears of corn.  $6 a doz. to be exact, but it was worth every penny after tasting this soup.  

I hope you try it.  It really is delish.  We ate it Sunday after church and everyone was licking their bowls clean.  There was nothing left for later.  We ate the entire pot in one sitting.  I'd say that is a sure sign of a hit.  We'll be making this again.  Soon.  In fact maybe today.  I did get the recipe from a Rachael Ray mag, but I'm afraid I made it a little differently.  So to Rachael I give the credit, but I will post exactly how I made it.  My friend Jill says I have a tendency to give a recipe as it is written, but I tweak way to much for her to duplicate anything with success.  So Jill has now learned to ask for the Lisa recipe.  No more, "add a little less this and a bit more that."  I tell her exactly what I did, and it works out every time:) So here's the Lisa version of the chowdah.

Fresh Grilled Corn and Chipolte Chowdah

(you have to say it like my friend Nicole from Boston!)

8 slices of precooked bacon chopped up and cooked until crisp

2 T. butter

1 onion chopped

3 ribs of celery chopped

some fresh Thyme or 1 t. dried

Add to the bacon.  Saute these until clear.  Don't brown.  Add:

3 large Russet potatoes chopped

6 ears of corn grilled until blackened, and then scraped off the cob. (I used corn that was already cooked from the night before, and placed it on the grill for about 10 mins.  You could just cook it raw on the grill too.  It would work well that way.)

6 c. chicken broth

Bring to a soft boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.  To the soup add:

3 Chipolte chilis in Adobo sauce chopped very finely.

You can find these in a can in the Mexican food aisle.  Buy a good sized can and once open I just place the extra chili's and sauce in a Ziploc in the fridge.  They'll keep forever.  Chipolte chilis are just Jalepenos peppers that are smoked and then packed in a sauce.  I love the flavor they have.  

3 c. cream

3-4 T. fresh parsley

1/4 c. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

Cook until warmed through.  Don't boil again once you add the cream.  It will curdle and separate.  Serve with chopped green onions, shredded yellow cheese, and tortilla strips.  Actually James liked it best without anything else on it.  It is really good!