Hello friends!

So, naturally, as I complained about the weather to you all in multiple posts yesterday and last week, I apparently angered the gods of weather.

Now we are in a constant wet-state ranging from what feels like the sky is spitting at you to a torrential downpour.

Why is it so hard to want sun, gentle breezes, and low humidity in one glorious summer day?

WHY I ASK YOU?!

Sorry. I don’t mean to shout.

But I love taking my photos outside (see this delectable corn chowder? Natural light all the way, baby!) and the rain causes issues when one does not appreciate the taste of soggy doughnuts or watered-down soups.

As a result I shall have to go back to night-time photo shoots. >_<

Blegh.

But, the one thing we can all enjoy on a dreary, rainy day is a hearty, comforting bowl of chowder.

I am now so glad I decided to start off my self-taught cooking classes with those homemade veggie and chicken stocks last week. They were the perfect foundation on which to build this creamy corn chowder.

Remember how I mentioned there’d be tons of leftover, cooked chicken from the chicken stock?

That went right in to this chowder, along with both types of stock, and a handful of other choice ingredients.

Corn chowder is one of my favorite soups ever in existence; it’s so simple yet so versatile. The chicken can be switched out with seafood (crab is superb!) or left out for a comforting meatless meal all on its own.

It is also great with any number of herbs; my go-to is rosemary.

Whenever I go to visit my family in Florida, we try our best to go out and eat at the House of Blues restaurant in Downtown Disney. No matter what age I will be, Disney makes me smile, and good food typically seals the deal for a night well spent.

When we get there, we always order their Rosemary Cornbread. Friends, this cornbread, is a gift from the gods.

Hearty, chewy, with real corn kernels and a touch of sweetness from the rosemary, they serve it to you right in the skillet as it comes out of the oven.

I tried to embrace those flavors in this corn chowder, and I have to say I did a pretty awesome job of it.

Modest Jess is not here at the moment – I can leave her a message if you’d like, but right now she’s left so I (overly-confident Jess) can rave to you about how amazing this corn chowder tastes.

This is a recipe where homemade stock takes center stage. Roughly 6 cups goes into the making of this chowder, and the mix of chicken and vegetable stocks brings a whole mess of comforting flavors to the table.

Like I said, feel free to use all vegetable stock if you’d like to keep this vegetarian.

But then, you miss out on those precious bacon crumbles…..

No one deserves to miss out on bacon. Ever.

Especially in this soup!

So seriously, homemade stock. It might take a little bit of effort, and cost a tad more than the freeze-dried, pre-packaged stuff, but it can take your meals to a whole new level; it transforms soups from appetizers to comfort food in minutes, and saves you a great deal of salt and preservatives in the process.

I’m hoping to be back tomorrow with a new recipe for decadent truffles (hint: sea salt is involved!) so be sure to stay tuned!

Happy Eating!

Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 heaping cups cubed potatoes (about 4 medium)
• 6 cups homemade chicken and/or vegetable stock (in whatever combo you prefer!)
• 1 (16oz) package frozen  corn, thawed
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 cups cooked cubed chicken
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium/high heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 10 minutes, until translucent and browning in spots.
2. Add rosemary, potatoes, and stock to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.
3. Add corn and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Then, remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a traditional blender) blend the soup to your desired consistency or until smooth. Add milk and chicken and return to low heat until warmed through.
4. Serve with bacon crumbles.

All Photos, Recipes (Unless Otherwise Specified) And Writing Copyright © 2013 Jessica Gonzalez | On Sugar Mountain