Corn and potato chowder

Young corn from local farms has appeared in farmers' markets. Corn is sweet, juicy and does not require any special heat treatment. When you are already tired of gnawing it just from the cob, you can cook such a simple, hearty soup.

Ingredients

• 2 strips of bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (with about 7 ears)
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (if purchased, then with a reduced amount of salt)
• 1/2 cup low fat milk (2%)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half (milk and cream mixture)
• 220g (8 ounces) potatoes, cut into 1/2 cm thick circles
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, fry the bacon over medium heat until all the fat is melted and the bacon is crispy. Use a perforated spoon to remove the bacon from the pot and transfer to a grater. Add onion to the fat in a saucepan and fry, stirring for 8 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add corn, garlic and thyme to the onion. Fry, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add broth, milk, half-and-half, and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
2. Transfer 2 cups of soup to a blender bowl and puree. Return the resulting puree to the saucepan, add salt and pepper and heat. Serve hot and sprinkle with bacon.