Fresh Corn Chowder

6 ears of fresh corn or 3 cups frozen corn

1 onion, chopped

1 red pepper (or use green or orange bell pepper)

1 Tbl olive oil or Pam olive oil spray

28 ounces chicken broth

2 c peeled and cubed potato (2 medium)

8 tsp flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 c milk or half and half(use any fat level you wish)

1 c shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Garnish: Sour cream, bacon, green onions or parsley

1. Cut corn off cob, if using fresh corn. Set corn aside.

2. In a large saucepan, cook onion and sweet pepper in hot oil or Pam cooking spray, until soft...but not brown. Stir in your chicken broth and potato. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in corn. Cook, covered, 10 minutes or until potato and corn are tender.

3. In a small bowl combine flour, salt and pepper. Stir in milk or half and half into the flour mixture; add to corn mixture in saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add shredded cheese, if desired. Garnish with cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon, parsley or green onion. Serve hot with a piece of crusty French bread or with crackers.

*This recipe makes @12 cups of chowder.

I love making soups, because to me they are easy and very versatile. I use whatever I have and love using what is fresh and in season.  My grandma Yount always made and still does the best soups. Her best soup usually came right out of the refrigerator and from leftovers. She would just start tossing a bit of this and a bit of that in the soup pan. I sometimes wondered how it was all going to turn out. Well...let me tell you...it was always awesome and so good. Taking a bite of her soup brought such a warm and cozy feeling to the soul.