Corn, Potato, and Bacon Chowder

If you like this, you can thank Madeleine Kammen again. She came for lunch to the house in Vermont this past summer and liked the chowder as much as she had liked the beet and cucumber soups a couple of years before. She said it should definitely be in the book.

This soup is hearty but says summer at the same time; it is perfect for those days and nights when the corn is still sweet but there is a chill in the air.

It's the smokiness from the bacon, the sweetness of the fresh corn, the touch of heat from the cayenne, and the herbaceous flavor from the thyme that set this soup apart. Cream doesn't hurt either.

YIELD: 8 TO 10

8 strips nitrite-free bacon
3 cups chopped onion
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, plus fresh thyme tops for garnish
3 cups diced peeled potatoes
8 cups good-quality chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8 to 10 large ears of corn)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Cut the bacon in small pieces and sauté until it is crisp.

2. Add the onions and cayenne pepper and sauté until the onions are soft and beginning to color.

3. Add the garlic, bay leaf, thyme leaves, potatoes, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender.

4. Add the cream and corn, and cook until the cream is almost at the boiling point, just a couple of minutes, which is long enough to cook corn. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf. Garnish with the fresh thyme tops.

HELP NOTE: This chowder may be prepared ahead through step 3, to the point where the potatoes are cooked. Refrigerate and when ready to serve, reheat; add the cream and corn and continue.

Leftover chowder can be reheated; there are those who actually think it is better the second day.

If you long for this chowder on a cold winter day, you can use frozen corn kernels.