Cha Cha Corn Chowder

My mom is an over server. Whenever we eat at my parents, I am always wondering who else is coming over to finish off the massive spread. On the 4th of July we had enough corn on the cob to serve a small army, which meant I was heading home with some corn. Around the same time I saw an episode of Sandwich King that featured Cha Cha Corn Chowder. I love a good corn chowder and I am even more excited with the addition of poblano to spice it up a bit. This soup is wonderful for the summer, when corn is fresh and sweet. Even though it is 100 degrees outside, I still enjoy soup. I know, it is a bit strange. Apparently Panera agrees with me, since the only time they ever serve corn chowder is in the summertime.  I added a few Firecracker Shrimp on top to spice it up a bit more!

Cha Cha Corn Chowder

4 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ears corn, kernels removed (about 3 cups)
1 tablespoon butter
1 poblano peppers, stems, seeds and ribs removed, diced
½ yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
6 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into ¼" cubes
½ cup half-and-half

In a large pot, combine the broth, thyme, bay leaf, and some salt and pepper. With the back of a bench scraper, scrape the "milk" from the cobs into the pot. Then add the cobs to the pot as well. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the cobs, bay leaf and thyme.

In another large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the poblano and onion, sauté for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the corn stock, then the corn kernels and the potatoes, and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Use an immersion blender to roughly puree about half of the soup, leaving some texture. Stir in the half and half.  Serve.

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