Good soup for the summertime

Beats me why I am sitting at this computer with a brand new Saveur magazine beckoning me to open it’s glossy and drool inspiring pages. If I could be dumped on a desert island with one thing to read it would be that magazine. I have been transformed into a nutcase over articles I have read, features I have paged through and recipes perused. It takes me to places I would never go and teaches me about food in a way I would never imagine.

But here I am and I am feeling the need to blog.

Most people would not associate soup with summertime, unless we are talking about classic cold soups like Gazpacho, Vichyssoise and the like, but once in a while, soup is OK for warm weather consumption. It’s easy, doesn’t take a lot of time and with a salad and some good bread it makes a simple meal that is quick and easy. Call me crazy, but soup has been on my mind, and with Minnesota corn season underway, this one is a great option.

Rosemary Corn Soup

2 c. chopped onion
½ c. diced carrot
½ c. diced celery
3 T. butter
8 c. fresh corn
6 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 T. fresh rosemary, minced
2 cloves garlic. Minced
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 red pepper, seeded cored and diced
1 c. half and half
Salt and pepper to taste

In dutch oven, sauté onion, celery and carrot in butter until tender. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 5 cups of the corn, broth, rosemary, and cayenne and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. With immersion blender, process until smooth. In a small skillet, sauté red pepper in butter until tender, add to pureed mix with remaining corn and heat through. Stir in half and half, and season with salt and pepper.