Corn Chowder

First off I LOVE cookbooks.  My husband laughs at me because I bring them to bed at night and read them.  I get giddy when Bon Appetit arrives in my mailbox. I could spend hours reading food blogs online.
All that to say that this recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes by Jeanne Kelley.  You can check out her website here.  Great pics, good recipes and teaching techniques. This cookbook inspires me to cook and this chowder is awesome!

Ingredients:
1 poblano chile
4 slices of thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano (or 1.5 teaspoons of dried)
3.5 cups white or yellow corn kernels (about 4 ears) or 16 oz frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1/2 pound of new potatoes, diced
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Char the chile over a gas flame, on a grill or under a broiler until it is blackened and charred on all sides. Transfer the chile to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to steam while cooling. Peel, seed, stem and dice the chile. (Can be prepared up to 2 datys ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Cook the bacon until almost crisp, pour off most of the fat, reserving about 1 tablespoon.  Add the onion to the remaining bacon fat.  Cover and cook until the onion is tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic and oregano, and then the corn.
In your soup pot add the broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a simmer.  Add the corn mixture, cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the poblano chile and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Season with salt and pepper.  Spoon about 1/2 of the soup into a blender, puree then mix back into soup until desired texture is reached.  Add bacon. Enjoy!

*This soup freezes great!  And don't forget to add some delicious crunchy french bread for dipping.

Recipe obtained from "Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes" by Jeanne Kelley pg.62