Corn Chowder

Did you know that you can buy corn soup in a can from a vending machine on the side of a dirt road in Japan?  Well you can! and in the same vending machine you can buy your hot or cold coffee, tea, juice and soda.  The vending machines here are pretty awesome and there're everywhere....seriously everywhere!.... im really not kidding here you can literally drive within 15 minutes of any vending machine no matter where you are.  I even buy my eggs fresh from a vending machine outside the base gate near a traffic light.

If you need a quick left over meal on those nights where you don't have time to cook, this corn chowder is great. I was able to reheat a bowl of chowder for me and the hubby 3 different nights in less than 10 minutes, before rushing off to night school or coming home late from work.

Corn Chowder
Adapted from Tyler Florence
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 springs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup flour
6 cups vegetable stock
2 cups half and half
2 large potatoes peeled and diced
2 cups frozen corn
garlic salt and pepper
1/4 fresh parsley chopped

Directions

- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add your onion, garlic, and thyme and cook until the onions are soft about 8-10 minutes.
- sprinkle the vegetables with flour and mix well
- Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil
- Add the half and half and potatoes and let the soup boil for 10 minutes to help the potatoes break down
- Add your corn and season with salt and pepper and simmer until the corn is soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- stir in the parsley and serve