It has been perfect soup weather lately. It snowed 3 days last week- enough that I needed a scraper to get the snow off my car one morning (too bad I couldn’t find one because when do you ever need an ice scraper in October? I ended up using a plastic spoon…not so helpful it turns out). The fall foliage is at its peak right now and the fresh snow against the bright leaves has been gorgeous! There is nothing more satisfying then a bowl of hot soup on a cold day. Normally when you think of chowder, you think of a rich soup thickened with heavy cream. What is particularly wonderful about this corn chowder is its creamy base is created by pureeing vegetables, giving the soup a chowder like consistency with out all the fat. This recipe can easily be made vegan or vegetarian by substituting olive oil for butter and vegetable broth for the chicken stock. The fresh corn, carrots, peppers and dill give this chowder amazing flavor and makes for an easy week night dinner! It also makes enough for leftovers which are perfect for lunch the next day or you can pop it in the freezer for a quick meal later! The bacon, cheese and chive biscuits pair perfectly with the flavors of the chowder and are great for moping up the leftovers at the bottom of the bowl. Corn, bacon, cheese… what more could you want on a cold fall day? Enjoy!

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (use olive oil to make it vegan)
• 3 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 5 carrots cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 5 celery stalks, cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 6 cups fresh uncooked corn kernels (8-10 ears depending on their size)
• 3 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth to make it vegan/vegetarian)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
• 2 large bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large pot. When the butter is hot, add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook just until tender, stirring frequently (10-12 minutes). Add the corn and cook 2-5 minutes more
2. Remove 4 cups of the vegetables and transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree the mixture until fairly smooth and return it to the soup pot
3. Add the chicken or veggie broth, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils add the red peppers and simmer for 2 minutes
4. Add the dill, and taste for salt and pepper
5. Serve hot, garnish with more dill. Serves 8

This biscuit recipe was originally from Bon Appetit. I tweaked the recipe a bit- The original recipe calls for sharp cheddar however to liven up these biscuits sub out cheddar for pepper jack for a spicy kick! I also added more bacon as I felt there was not enough bacon in each biscuit.

Bacon, Cheese and Chive Biscuits

Ingredients:

• 7-8 thick-cut bacon slices
• 3 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus melted butter for brushing
• 2 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese (about 12 ounces)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 3/4 cups chilled buttermilk

Directions:

1. Position rack just above center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter cubes. Blend until coarse meal forms, about 30 seconds (this can be done by hand by cutting the butter into flour mixture with two knives or by grating chilled butter into flour mixture with a box grater).
4. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Add cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss to blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).
5. Using lightly floured hands, drop generous 1/2 cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter.
7. Let cool 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature with honey, if desired. Makes 12 biscuits.

(Biscuit recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, chowder recipe from Blanchar’s Kitchen)