Thursday, October 14, 2010

Tonight's Dinner - Local Corn and Potato Soup

This growing season at Quail Hill Farm has been amazing - carrots, radishes, turnips, cabbage, squash, pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, edamame, ground cherries, swiss chard, kale, and bok choi among other things are all still growing in the fields.

Since QHF does not grow corn, we really don't enjoy the sweet Long Island corn as often as we should each summer. I probably only purchased local corn a few times since July and so I decided to pick up the last of this year's crop for this wonderful fall soup.

A few winters ago I participated in a 4 family "Soup Club" which was a weekly swap of soups throughout the winter. One Tuesday each month it would be my turn to make a soup for the other 3 families and the other 3 Tuesdays we received soup from them. The weekly soup delivery really us get through the long NY winter!

Tonight's soup was so rich, creamy and flavorful, it would have been a big hit with my friends from the Grand St. Soup Club.

Click to enlarge


Click to enlarge "My Little Sous Chef"

What you need:
Serves 6

2 Ham Hocks
6 Carrots Diced
2 White Onions Diced
2 Garlic Cloves Diced
4 Stalks of Celery Diced
2 Ears of Corn
Bay Leaf
12 Small Fingering or other Baby Potatoes
Handful of Dill
Handful of Cilantro
1/2 Cup of Milk
1 Scallion Diced
Creme Fraiche
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Place a large pot over medium high heat and add a tablespoon or so of oil and sauté the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until they begin to turn brown. Add in the ham hocks, bay leaf and about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil then immediately reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour and then add potatoes until tender. Remove the ham hocks and set aside. Add in corn and simmer for a few more minutes. Remove the bay leaf.

Remove from heat and add in the cilantro, dill, milk and black pepper to taste. Then take your emulsion blender (or you can transfer to a food processor) and blend to desired consistency.

Remove any meat that is remaining on the ham hocks.

Dish soup into bowls and and return to soup. Add a small spoonful of creme fraiche and top with scallions.

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