And now for another look at my tasty eats…
As summer is winding down (or just picking up here in the foggy environs of San Francisco), I wanted to get as much mileage as I could out of all the wonderful corn from Eating with the Seasons. It is also the time of year for grilling!
With that in mind, I decided to grill some steaks – my favorite being a marinated hanger cut – as well as grill the corn, and then create a wonderful spicy soup that could be enjoyed either warm or cold.
Ingredients
6 ears of corn
1½ green bell peppers, chopped
3 T. butter or ghee
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 white onion, chopped
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. chili powder
4 red-skinned potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 radishes, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 c. chicken broth (homemade if you can)
4 dried arbol chiles
Directions
About an hour before starting the meal, soak the corn – in husks – in a pot of water. When ready to cook, place the corn (still in the husks) and peppers on a hot grill over medium heat. Turn occasionally, letting the husks dry and begin to char. Cook for about 15 minutes. Peel the husks off, being careful of any hot water that might drip out of the husks. When corn and peppers are lightly charred, remove from the grill and set aside to cool.
In a large pot, melt the butter. Saute the onions and garlic until translucent. Add the potatoes, cayenne, chili powder, and salt to taste. Stir to coat the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes begin to soften and then add 2 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a light simmer, stirring frequently so as not to burn.
Add the radishes, carrots, and dried chiles and stir. At this point, chop the green peppers and add to the pot. Stand the corn cobs vertically on end and slice off the kernels; add to the pot as well. Continue stirring to incorporate all the ingredients. When potatoes and carrots are soft, remove the pot from the heat.
Working in batches, carefully ladle the soup into a blender or food processor and puree to your desired consistency. Add the pureed soup back into the pot and add the remaining chicken broth to get the thickness of soup you would like. Serve hot or cold with a garnish of fresh cilantro and a dollop of whole milk sour cream.