off the back burner

I'm so excited to be back blogging...work has been taking over my life for the past month or so, and cooking seems to have taken the back burner as well (no pun intended). But I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, slowly but surely. With Jersey corn reaching its peak in the next few weeks, as well as September being right around the corner, I've written a recipe for corn chowder that is a delicious blend of summer and fall flavors. It's hearty enough to be a meal all on its own, but would pair nicely with a mixed green salad if you're trying to balance out all of the health benefits that bacon has to offer.

Recipe of the day: Lime and Bacon Corn Chowder with Cornbread Croutons

1/2 pound bacon, sliced into 1/4" chunks
2 red bell peppers, diced
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
26 oz frozen corn (I combined 1 small bag of yellow corn with 1 small bag of white corn)
1 large red potato, diced small
Juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 boxes (36 ounces) low sodium chicken broth
Store-bought cornbread, cubed

Cook bacon slowly over medium-low heat, for about 15 minutes (low and slow is the key for rendering the fat out properly).

Add the peppers and onions and cook for 10 minutes until softened.

Add the corn and chicken stock, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to a simmer, and add the potato and lime juice.

Allow to boil over medium for 1 hour.  

Meanwhile, toast the cornbread cubes at 325. If they end up looking like this:

....throw them away and make another batch:

Serve the soup hot, waiting to put the cornbread croutons on top until you're ready to sit down to eat.