This corn chowder is one of my all-time favourite recipes. I’ve been working on making it simpler because after peeling and chopping all the veggies really small, you kind of just want to stop, throw it in a bowl, and call it a salad. This recipe is simpler (food processors are great!) and the only recipe I could think of that should be my very first post.

Corn Chowder

• 4 medium-large potatoes (preferably Yukon Gold) , peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 Tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 green bell pepper, seeds removed and quartered
• 3 celery stalks, leaves removed and quartered
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 Tbsp bourbon or brandy
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1 (341 ml) can of corn kernels, drained (or go with fresh corn in the summer)
• 1 1/2 cups of milk (use unsweetened almond milk for dairy-free/vegan)

Put the peeled and diced potatoes into a medium pot and sprinkle them with a few good pinches of salt. Add 5 cups of water to the pot along with the bay leaf and bring it to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender (do not drain them!), and set aside. Meanwhile, throw the onion, green pepper, and celery in the food processor and pulse until they are chopped small, but not minced. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high and then add the onion mixture with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook until you get a bit of a light brown colour on the onions. Add the cumin and cook for another minute. Add the bourbon or brandy and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any brown bits. Sprinkle the flour and sage onto the onion mixture, add a ladle of the potato water to the pot to make a paste and cook another minute or 2. Add the potatoes and the rest of the potato water (discard the bay leaf) and stir well to avoid lumps. Add the corn and the milk and heat thoroughly, but don’t let it boil. Add more milk if you like it a bit thinner. Check the seasoning as I usually have to add more salt and pepper. This serves 6-8.