MMMMmmmm GOOD!

So, I am starting to write out my recipes. I wanted to start with soup because I love soup, and one of my favorites is Corn Chowder. It is warm and comforting; the perfect dinner on a winter evening. Best part, it doesn't take long to cook, and it is made with ingredients we all have on hand. While this soup has meat, you can make it vegetarian and it is still warm and comforting.

Ingredients

4 slices thick cut bacon (totally optional. The butter can stand as the fat, or you can substitute olive oil for a healthier vegetarian version)
2 pats butter (optional, but why wouldn't you want butter with potatoes and corn?)
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks celery diced
2 carrots diced
3 good sized potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tablespoons flour or corn starch
1 or 2 cans of cream corn (2 cans corn is best, but I can't fit two cans in my smaller pot, so I often use one can when the big pot is dirty)
2 quarts milk (to help with the cost of milk, I use powdered milk. You can also use soy milk)
1 package of kielbasa type sausage cut into bite sized chunks (lite and turkey sausage is fine. The sausage is optional, but it does make a nice one pot meal when added)
1 half pint of cream (again, optional, but oh so yummy, and you won't be the least bit sorry)
1 pound package of frozen whole kernel corn (thanks Kayt)
2 teaspoons dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in soup pot until crisp. Remove bacon and save for garnish. Sautee onion in rendered bacon fat and butter. Add celery and continue to sautee. Add carrots and dill. At this point, you will want to add salt and pepper. The salt will help the veggies release moisture, but you don't want to add more then a good pinch at this point. The bacon and the sausage have lots of salt.

Sprinkle the veggies with the flour to cook out the raw flour taste. Add potatoes and cream corn and mix everything well. Slowly add the milk, stirring to deglaze the soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minuets.

Add the sausage and turn up the heat to bring soup up to a boil. Add the cream.

You will want to taste the soup at this point to check for salt. Add frozen corn, and remove from heat.

Serve in bowls and garnish with left over bacon. A nice crusty, chewy bread is the perfect side for this soup.

Please let me know if you try this soup and what you think!

Happy Knitting and eating!