This past weekend we drove several hours to a town near the bridge to the Upper Penisula. The wedding was a post of its own, but on the way North Mike and I had a girlfriend ride along. We were, of course, discussing my City Slicker ways, and the finer points of growing a garden.

I told her that we were growing many different vegetables this year, and that some had really begun to take off. Tomatoes (Roma, Grape, Beefsters, and Early Girls), cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow neck squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, cucumbers (which are nearly entirely wiped out by deer), strawberries (which are doing quite poorly after the freeze), AND three varieties of sweet corn.

My girlfriend’s husband actually works for the farm, so we were kinda laughing about us planting sweet corn in our backyard when the farm plants a patch that could feed the entire community. It is kinda humorous, but Mike let Brendan plant a row, and I think he just wanted to sit on the back porch and watch it “Pop up in rows.” Can’t blame him. I love the sight as well.

Remarkably, Brendan’s corn is growing better than a row of Mike’s. And it makes Brendan quite the gloat.

Anywho. My friend asked me what I do with all the sweet corn I freeze and I told her I make a killer chowder. Its actually my Mom’s recipe. And while it isn’t time to eat hot chowder, tuck this GREAT recipe somwhere for fall and freeze some sweet corn for it. Or buy it for $0.99 bag. Whatever.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN CHOWDER

2 bacon slices
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite size
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ½ cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 ¾ cups diced red potato
2 ¼ cups frozen whole kernel corn
½ cup all purpose flour
2 cups skim milk
¾ cups shredded cheddar cheese
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, crumble. Set aside. Add chicken, onion, bell pepper and garlic to drippings in pan. Saute 5 minutes. Add broth and potato and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat; simmering 20 minutes until potato is tender. Add corn and stir well.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, level with a knife. Place flour in a bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended, add to the soup. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes or until thick, stirring frequently. Stir in cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon.

So yummy, I double it!
Serves: 7 (serving size 1 ½ cups)