Farmer's Market Finds - Sweet Corn Recipe

So this weekend we had amazing weather, and decided to take advantage of it by hitting up a few farmer's markets. I'd had this yummy sounding Corn Chowder recipe from "The Conscious Cook" (available HERE) and had been waiting for some farmer's market sweet corn to make it.



It was definitely one of the best soups I've EVER made, and it was also super quick and easy. I changed up a few ingredients to make it a little cheaper - I don't keep fresh herbs around very often besides basil, because I find that they just go bad after I use a little bit for one recipe, so I switched out fresh thyme for dry. Dried chipotles are a bit hard to find as well, so I was happy to find that the chipotles in adobo sauce gave it plenty of smokiness. As for the stock, the recipe originally calls for faux-chicken stock, but that costs about $5 for one 3-cup box, so I used vegetable stock instead ($1/can) and I can't see how it could have tasted any better.

This is one of those recipes that is so good & hearty (even though it's meat and dairy free) that my boyfriend will sometimes go on a little post dinner rant about how glad he is that I became vegan. This from a man who grew up on a cattle farm - so I consider that a victory!

Corn Chowder from The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen
serves:6

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced Vidalia onions
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, de-ribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
5 cups vegetable stock.
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tsp dried thyme
Kernels from 6 ears of corn
1 1/2 cups thick Cashew Cream (see below for recipe)
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.
2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and chipotle pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Add the raw corn and Cashew Cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve!
   

Cashew Cream

2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water.

1. Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. (I skipped this step, and it was still perfectly fine.)
   
2. Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to just cover them. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth.

This cashew cream recipe will make you extra, which I definitely recommend, because it freezes VERY well. It can be added to just about anything to make it creamy, and since the cashews have such a mild taste they don't alter it to be more "nutty" at all.

Thai Curry Soup

Now, I recognize that this is going to seem counter-intuitive. It is the 4th of July, and I'm sitting in my house eating coconut curry soup. But we partied ourselves out for America all weekend long, and by today, all I wanted to do was sit on my couch, in my newly decorated living room, and eat soup. So I did.

Plus, I'm on a bit of a kick with this soup - it's seriously good. Maybe my favorite ever.

The ingredients can be a bit of a pain in the butt to find - I got almost everything at either Whole Foods (seitan, tamari) and the Global Foods Market (thai basil, coconut milk, thai red curry paste).
So here's a cheat sheet: seitan can be subbed with extra firm tofu, tamari is basically gluten-free soy sauce, & thai basil can be plain old basil. However, coconut milk & thai red curry can't be substituted, so if you don't have at least an Asian grocery nearby, you may be out of luck. Thai red curry & coconut milk are actually canned though, so if you ever see a store out of town, just run in because those things aren't temperature sensitive.

It might be weird, but to me, this is perfect wild-weekend recovery food.

Thai Red Curry Soup

Adapted from Bon Appetit

Serves 6-8

1 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

1 container button mushrooms, chopped

8 ounces seitan, chopped

4 Tablespoons vegan red curry paste

2 heaping cups peeled and diced russet potatoes

2 cups green beans, trimmed

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

5 cups vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon tamari

salt and pepper, to taste

heaping 1/4 cup fresh thai basil, chopped

Sriracha sauce, optional condiment

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute bell pepper and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add seitan and red curry paste. Stir to distribute curry paste, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and green beans and saute about 1 minute more. Add coconut milk, broth, and tamari. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are done. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh basil before serving. Garnish with Sriracha sauce for a spicier taste.