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MIDSUMMER CORN CHOWDER WITH BASIL, TOMATO, AND FENNEL

SERVES 6 TO 8

TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

This fresh, soothing corn chowder uses the best of the season’s produce. You can expect the unexpected with the bold and tasty addition of fresh basil and fennel bulb. Make this on a lazy summer evening when you don’t need to be anywhere anytime soon, and use that extra time to prepare the Fresh Corn Stock (next recipe), which gives this soup a rich, complex base. We like this corn chowder recipe because it doesn’t rely on the addition of any soy dairy products (which usually is the case with vegan creamy soups) to achieve a smooth, velvety texture.

➣If there’s no time for broth-making, Mr. or Ms. Jet-setter, and you absolutely insist on using just water, try simmering the soup with the corn cobs tossed in after adding the water, taking care to remove them before you add the tomatoes and basil.

This soup just screams “I just came back from the farmers’ market! Look at my bulging canvas sack!” Here’s an opportunity to try out different varieties of local, fresh corn in the peak of summer, purple or Thai basil,Yukon gold or Russian banana potatoes, and any heirloom tomatoes.

6 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced finely

1 large onion, cut into fine dice

1 small bulb fennel (about ½ pound), diced

1 stalk celery, chopped finely

1 large carrot, diced

1 pound white, waxy potatoes (about 2 medium-size), peeled and diced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 quarts Fresh Corn Stock, vegetable broth, or water

1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped finely

⅓ cup fresh basil leaves, tightly rolled and chopped into thin strips

Salt and freshly ground pepper

ON A large cutting surface or in a large bowl, hold an ear of corn by the thicker end and run a sharp knife carefully down the length of the ear, close to the cob, to slice off the kernels of corn. Repeat with the remaining ears. Set aside the kernels, break each cob in half to use in the corn stock, or add to the soup when simmering.

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the garlic in oil for 30 seconds, then add the onion. Stir and cover, sweating them for about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery, stir, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fennel, stir, cover, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes; then add the chopped potato, stir, cover, and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Finally, add the corn, stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock, stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and allow the soup to simmer, covered (with lid tilted so a small amount of heat can escape), for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat, ladle 1½ cups of the soup into a separate large bowl, and allow to cool until only slightly warm.

Puree the bowl of soup with an immersion blender, then add back to the remaining soup in the pot. Place the pot over medium heat, add the chopped tomatoes and basil, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, until the soup is hot.

FRESH CORN STOCK

This stock is very free form. Try tossing flavorful vegetable scraps (such as onion skins, carrot peelings, etc.) in with the rest of the ingredients.

8 cups water

6 corn cobs, broken in half

2 carrots, chopped coarsely

2 stalks celery, with leaves

1 leek, washed well and chopped coarsely

1 onion with skin, cut into chunks

Handful of fresh parsley, torn coarsely

1 teaspoon whole black or red peppercorns

Optional: carrot tops, additional celery leaves and stems, additional onion skins, lacy fronds from the fennel tops

IN a large stockpot, combine the water, corn cobs, carrot, celery, leek, onion,parsley and peppercorns. Add one or more of the optional vegetable trimmings. Cover and bring to a rolling boil. Remove cover, reduce heat to medium-high and allow to simmer for 1 to 1½ hours.

Allow the stock to cool until tepid. Strain the stock with either a large metal strainer or cheesecloth. It can be refrigerated in a covered container for up to a week.

ROASTED YELLOW