Roasted Garlic Southwest Chicken Soup

Substantial, warming, and full of flavor. If you don't have roasted garlic on hand and don't feel like roasting some just to make this soup, go ahead and make the soup anyway. Substitute 6-8 cloves minced fresh garlic and add it with the onions.

Olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, diced (frozen is okay)
2-3 cups corn kernels (frozen is okay)
Chicken stock
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin, or to taste
1 head roasted garlic, cloves peeled and minced
1 lb cooked chicken, shredded or diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Optional toppings: chopped pickled chili peppers, cilantro, sour cream

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the pepper and corn,. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook for another minute. Add chicken stock to cover the vegetables. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and chicken, plus more stock if needed. The soup should be hearty, not too watery. Simmer another few minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheddar until it melts.

Serve hot. Add toppings at the table if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Creamy Corn Soup with Pureed Summer Squash

Here's a creamy, warming soup for fall that makes good use of summer produce that's still available. (Our summer squash is slowing down, but I still picked seven of them yesterday!) You can substitute zucchini for the summer squash in this recipe, but the result will not be quite as sweet, and the color may be a bit muddy.

Olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
2 lbs summer squash, cubed or sliced
Chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Kernels from 6 ears of corn (about 3 cups)
1/2 - 3/4 cup cream, or to taste

Heat a bit of olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic and onion and saute over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the squash and enough stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is very tender, about 10-15 minutes.

When the squash is tender, puree the soup using an immersion blender (or do it in batches in a regular blender, then return it to the pot). Add salt and pepper, then stir in the corn. Simmer for a few minutes, until the corn is tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Southwestern Rice and Bean Salad with Chorizo and Veggies

Cook up some rice and sausage ahead of time or use leftovers; this is a good dish for a hot night when you don't want to turn on the stove.

3-4 cups cold cooked brown rice
1 cup diced cooked chorizo
Kernels from 2 ears of corn (1-2 cups)
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large sweet red pepper, diced
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Salt to taste
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp lime juice (or to taste)

Combine rice, chorizo, corn, beans, scallions, cilantro, pepper, and cheddar in a large bowl and add salt to taste.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice and mix well.

Stir the yogurt mixture into the rice mixture until everything is well coated.

Serve cold.

Serves about 6.

Pureed Summer Vegetable Soup with Basil and Italian Sausage

This was excellent, tasting thoroughly of summer in every spoonful. Feel free to skip the sausage for a lighter soup. You can be quite approximate with the quantity of each vegetable. You can substitute zucchini for the summer squash if you like, but a nice yellow summer squash combines with the corn and tomatoes to yield a lovely pale orange soup. (Hat tip to my sister Tara for this recipe idea!)

Olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs summer squash, sliced
2-3 cups seeded chopped tomatoes
2 cups corn kernels
1 Parmesan rind (optional but nice if you happen to have one)
Chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb cooked Italian sausage, sliced into thin rounds or diced
1 - 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil

Heat a little olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes over medium heat. Add the squash and continue to saute over medium high heat for another 3-5 minutes, until the squash begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, corn, and Parmesan rind (if using), then add enough chicken or vegetable stock to cover the vegetables. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove the Parmesan rind from the pot and puree the vegetable mixture using an immersion blender. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in the sausage and basil. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Pizza with Corn, Dried Tomatoes, and Pesto

If you don't freeze anything else in the summer, it's worth putting away some local sweet corn. Slice it off the cob, blanch, cool, and freeze in ziploc bags...then bring it out when you want a taste of summer sweetness. It's a world away from the frozen corn you can buy at the store. Of course, while you're at it, you might as well freeze some pesto too...

1 14-inch pizza crust
olive oil
2-3 ounces shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1/4 cup rehydrated dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup pesto

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly paint the pizza crust with olive oil.

Spread the mozzarella over the pizza crust, then distribute the corn and tomatoes over the cheese. Dot with blobs of pesto.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until crust is done and cheese begins to brown.

Serves 3-4.

Tarragon Corn Risotto

This is simple but delicious, and the corn kernels are little bursts of summer flavor in each bite. I think my kids each ate about six helpings of this. Optional: stir in some sauteed mushrooms after the risotto is cooked. I tried this with shiitakes and they were delicious.

1 Tbsp butter
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
3 1/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 - 2 cups fresh corn kernels (or substitute frozen off season)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 - 2 cups diced mushrooms, sauteed in butter (optional)

Melt the butter in the pressure cooker. Saute the shallot for a minute or so, then add the rice. Stir and saute the rice for about a minute, then add the stock. Stir well, then cover the cooker and bring to pressure. Cook on high pressure for seven minutes, then release the pressure. If excess liquid remains, simmer, stirring frequently, for another couple minutes. Stir in the corn, tarragon, and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Stir in sauteed mushrooms if using, or reserve them for topping at the table.

Serves 4-6.

Red Bean and Vegetable Soup

Locavore vegetable soup in February usually means root vegetables or squash, but it doesn't have to if you plan ahead and have some storage space. Last summer I froze heaps of local corn along with our own paste tomatoes and peppers, and those flavors and colors sure are welcome now. Because I was using good sweet corn as well as tomatoes that are sweeter than your typical commercially canned tomatoes, I added a splash of lemon juice at the end to temper the flavor. If you use more acidic tomatoes, you may not need it.

Olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

8-10 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 - 3 cups peeled chopped tomatoes (canned, or thawed if frozen)

1 1/2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)

3 cups chopped red peppers (frozen is fine)

4 cups cooked red beans

Chicken or vegetable stock

1 Tbsp dried parsley

2-3 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp lemon juice, or to taste (optional)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a soup pot, then add the onions and garlic and saute over medium high heat for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the tomatoes, corn, peppers, and beans plus enough stock to generously cover. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, then add the parsley, time, paprika, salt and pepper, and lemon juice (if using). Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Serves about 6.

Orzo Salad with Raw Corn, Zucchini, and Feta

This salad is light, fresh, and refreshing, full of the flavors of summer.  Feel free to substitute summer squash for the zucchini.

8 oz. orzo
Olive oil
2 medium zucchinis, shredded
Kernels from 3 ears of corn (sliced off)
5 garlic scapes, minced (or 1-2 minced garlic cloves)
5-6 large scallions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh basil
4-6 oz crumbled feta
3 Tbsp lemon juice
2/3 cup grated Parmesan (or more to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the orzo in a pot of salted boiling water.  Drain, then cool by rinsing in cold water and drain again.

Drizzle the cooked and cooled orzo with olive and toss to coat.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serves about 6.

Garlicky Chicken Soup with Corn and Dumplings

A good use for leftovers after roasting a nice succulent local chicken, plus last summer's corn from the freezer.  The dumplings can be optional, but they make the whole thing more substantial.

Soup
Olive oil
1 head garlic, peeled and minced
2 medium shallots or 1 small onion, minced
3 cups cooked shredded chicken
3 cups corn kernels (frozen is ok)
Chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1-2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola or olive oil
1 - 1 1/4 cup while whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup parsley (fresh or frozen) or 2 Tbsp dried
1/4 tsp salt

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot.  Add the garlic and shallots and saute over medium high heat for 2 minutes or so.  Add the chicken, corn, stock, bay leaf, thyme, and some salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while you get the dumplings together.

To make the dumplings, combine the eggs and oil in a smallish bowl, then stir in the flour, parsley and salt.  The dough will be a little sticky, but should hold its shape.

Bring the soup back to a boil, then drop in teaspoon-sized balls of dumpling dough.  Cook at a boil for about 10 minutes, then remove the soup from the heat and serve immediately.

Serves 4-6.

Savory Southwestern Cornbread Pudding

This was inspired by a large batch of leftover cornbread that accidentally got left out overnight uncovered. Too stale to eat on its own, but it seemed a shame to waste it. This bread pudding was the happy result. The format is quite flexible - I considered several ingredient and flavoring options before deciding on this one, but I plan to try others next time I have leftover cornbread. You could even take it in a sweet direction, using berries, cinnamon and sugar and topping with whipped cream.

This takes some time to prepare and bake, though mostly unattended, so save it for a night (or brunch) when you have time.

4 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 cups milk
Approximately 8 cups cubed stale cornbread
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 cups diced red pepper (thawed if frozen)
1 1/2 - 2 cups cooked black beans
1/4 cup chopped pickled hot peppers (or to taste)
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar

Combine the eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add the cornbread and soak for about 30 minutes, carefully stirring once or twice.

Once the cornbread has soaked up a lot of the egg and milk mixture, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add salt and pepper, corn, red pepper, black beans, and pickled hot peppers, along with half the shredded cheddar, to the cornbread mixture. Carefully mix, taking care not to turn the cornbread to mush.

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Pour the cornbread mixture into the pan and spread it out. Top with the remaining cheddar.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cooked through. The pudding will remain soft in the middle but the egg should all be cooked.

Serve hot.

Serves 6-8.

Variations: Substitute 2-3 minced chipotles in adobo for the pickled hot peppers, or add chopped fresh cilantro and/or scallions with the vegetables.

Winter Corn and Cheddar Chowder

I stashed a lot of local sweet corn in my freezer during the summer and early fall, enough to make the occasional corn chowder in addition to throwing it into chili and black bean soup all winter.

Olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes, cubed (no need to peel)
Water and/or stock (chicken or veggie)
4-5 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1 tsp dried sage
1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and garlic and saute over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes and enough water and/or stock to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, add the corn and sage. If desired, puree a little of the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender to thicken it. Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar so that it melts completely. Add the milk, then add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot. Pass hot sauce at the table if desired.

Serves 4-6.

Creamy Pasta with Fresh Corn and Bacon

Creamy, salty, crunchy. A delicious treat with some of the last fresh corn of the season. (You can, of course, make this out of season, especially if you have taken some of our wonderful local corn and frozen it.)

1 lb pasta
6-7 strip bacon
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cups corn kernels
1 cup cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain when done.

While the pasta cooks, fry the bacon in a large skillet (or broil it and reserve 1 Tbsp of the fat) until nicely chewy - not too crisp. Let drain on paper towels, then slice cross-wise into thin strips. Pour off all but about 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat.

Saute the shallots in the bacon fat until translucent, about 2-3 minutes, then add the corn and saute another 1-2 minutes. Pour in the cream and let it bubble until it thickens a bit. If desired, you can partially puree a little of this. Add the sliced bacon, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the pasta and sauce together until everything is well coated. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Corn and Chanterelle Risotto

If you liked the Corn and Chanterelle Bisque I made earlier this summer, you should definitely try this risotto. My four-year-old, to my astonishment, ate five helpings of this, and my husband and I enjoyed it thoroughly as well. The chanterelles are particularly divine, but feel free to substitute other flavorful mushrooms. I pretty much always make risotto in my pressure cooker these days because it's so easy, but you can do it the old fashioned way as well.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 lb chanterelles, chopped
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups corn kernels
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in the pressure cooker. Add the shallot and chanterelles and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the rice and saute over medium heat for a minute or two, until the grains turn translucent and start to toast a little bit. Add the corn and the stock and stir. Cover the pot, lock the lid, and turn the heat to high. Cook for 7 minutes from the time pressure is reached, then release pressure manually. Stir, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Thai Corn Chowder

Sometimes I have to try a recipe just to satisfy my own curiosity. This one I have been playing with in my mind since last summer and finally got around to just making it. Fortunately, the result was good enough to share. As I've commented here before, I love corn chowder and make it often through the summer and fall, but I just can't resist different variations.

1-2 Tbsp canola oil
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, cubed
Chicken/veggie stock and/or water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp fish sauce (optional)
3 cups roasted corn (grilled corn would also work well)
1 14-oz can coconut milk (lite is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 - 1/2 cup chopped Thai basil
1-2 tsp lime juice

Heat the canola oil in a soup pot. Add the shallots and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, then enough stock and/or water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender.

When the potatoes are tender, add the fish sauce (if using), corn, and coconut milk. Add additional water if needed. Stir well, and heat through, then add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, add the Thai basil and lime juice.

Serves 4-6.

Roasted Corn

This is delicious on its own as a side dish, but it also makes a wonderful addition to many recipes in which you might want to use corn. Roasting enhances the flavor and brings out notes you don't get from a simple steaming or boiling. Particularly good added to soup, chili, etc. I roasted up a big batch this weekend and froze it in one-meal quantities to add to dishes through the winter.

12 ears corn
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Slice all the kernels off the corn. Toss them with olive oil and salt and pepper, place them in a large baking dish, then roast for 20-30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Variations: Add dried or fresh herbs to the corn. Basil or sage would be particularly good choices.

Southwestern Orzo Salad with Raw Corn and Zucchini

This is pretty quick and easy, and good for a hot night (looks like a few of those coming up...). The only thing that needs cooking is the orzo. A food processor makes quick work of shredding the zucchini. This works as a main dish with the cheddar, or if you like you could add shredded chicken. Great for a party or a potluck.

1 1/2 cups dry orzo
1-1 1/2 lbs zucchini, shredded
5 ears corn, kernels stripped off
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (optional)
3/4-1 cup good quality salsa
Salt to taste

Cook the orzo in a pot of salted boiling water, then drain and rise with cold water until cooled.

Toss the orzo together in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate if not serving immediately.

Serves about 6 as a main dish.

Variation: Add diced raw tomatoes.

Corn and Chanterelle Bisque

I was lucky enough to score some chanterelles at the farmers market on Saturday, from Paul Lagreze. I don't know if he'll have any more this week, but they were divine! They do something really magical here in this soup with the sweet corn and a hint of sherry. This tastes very rich with whole milk, but if you want to up the luxury level even farther, substitute cream for some of the milk.

A word about sherry: if you don't keep a bottle of cooking sherry in your pantry, you should. You can get a bottle of dry sherry suitable for cooking for well under $10 and it keeps pretty much forever.

4 tsp butter
2 medium shallots, minced
1/4 lb chanterelle mushrooms, finely chopped
6-7 ears sweet corn, kernels stripped off
Water and/or stock (chicken or vegetable)
2 cups whole milk
2 Tbsp dry sherry
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the shallots and chanterelles and saute over medium heat until tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add the corn kernels plus enough water to just cover. Simmer until tender, 5-10 minutes.

Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or do it in batches in a blender, then return to the pot. Puree to whatever degree you like between chunky and smooth. Then stir in the milk and sherry and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Variation: To turn this into a chowder instead of a bisque, add cubed potatoes (new potatoes would be wonderful) and puree only a little, just enough to thicken the soup a little.

Potato Corn Soup with Sorrel and Chives

A spring twist on corn chowder. Toss in some fiddleheads if you like.

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
Water or vegetable stock
2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1/2 cup finely chopped sorrel leaves
1/2 - 3/4 cup snipped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 - 1 cup milk (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, then add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the potatoes and enough water or vegetable stock to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are nice and tender, 15-20 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, you can optionally puree the soup fully or partially. Then add the corn, sorrel, and chives and simmer until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add milk if desired to thin the soup and give it a slightly creamier consistency.

Serves about 6.

Southwestern Corn Chowder

Corn chowder is divine in the summer an early fall when the corn is perfectly fresh and sweet. But if you took some of that perfect corn and froze it, you can enjoy very good chowder in the off season as well. Here it's combined with red bell pepper (also frozen), a bit of sharp cheddar and some mild Southwestern spices.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
Water and/or stock (chicken or veggie)
1 red bell pepper, diced (frozen is fine)
3 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and saute for 3 minutes or so. Add the potatoes and enough water or stock to cover them. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 minutes or so.

Add the pepper, corn, salt and pepper, cumin, and chili powder and continue to simmer until the veggies are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chowder from the heat and stir in the milk, then slowly stir in the cheese so that it melts as you add it. Option: use a potato masher to mash the potatoes and corn a little bit to thicken the texture of the chowder. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

Sweet and Spicy Caribbean Black Bean, Corn, and Beef Stew

I make all my long-simmered dishes on the weekend. I can put them together while the little man naps, then they bubble quietly away for a few hours until dinnertime. This stew brought a nice blast of tropical flavor to a grey, wet March day. Every time I cook corn that I froze from last summer's crop, I am amazed at how incredibly sweet and flavorful it is. (Next year, I really need to freeze more of it.) Serve this over white rice, if you like, or accompanied by cornbread.

2 cups dry black beans
Water
1 lb stew beef, cubed
2-3 tsp ground cumin (divided)
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour, fine cornmeal, or masa harina
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp canola oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, finely minced
1/2 cup dark rum (optional but nice)
3 Tbsp honey
Beef stock and/or more water
2 cups corn kernels (frozen is fine)
1 Tbsp lime juice

Place the beans in a bowl and cover generously with boiling water. Let them soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Toss the cubed beef with 1 tsp ground cumin, the flour/cornmeal/masa harina, and some salt and pepper so that it is well coated.

Heat the canola oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the beef and brown over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pan and stir well. Stir in the remaining cumin, the coriander, minced chipotle peppers, rum, and honey.

Drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the pot. Add beef stock and or water to cover everything in the pot. Turn up the heat until it bubbles nicely, then reduce to very low. Cover and simmer on very low heat for at least 1 1/2 hours and as long as 3 or 4.

Toward the end of the cooking time, add the corn. Stir in the lime juice just before serving. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Serve hot.

Serves about 6.