Corn and White Bean Chowder

White beans make this a more hearty chowder than most. Adding cornmeal or masa helps to thicken the soup.

Makes: 4
What You Need
1 yellow onion
½ red bell pepper
3 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 pound red skinned potatoes
6 ears corn
1 can white beans
A few sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
1 bay leaf
6 cups milk
¼ cup cornmeal or masa
2 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do
Dice the yellow onion and half of a red pepper. Peel and dice three carrots. Mince two cloves garlic. Dice the potatoes. Cut the corn off the cob (if possible, use a bundt pan: place the corn cob in the center ring and cut the corn down into the pan). Save the cobs. Drain and rinse the white beans; set aside. Remove the leaves of thyme and set aside.
In a large pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Saute the onion and bay leaf 4 minutes, until soft. Add the carrots, red pepper, and garlic, and saute for 4 minutes. Add corn, corn cobs, potatoes, and 6 cups milk. Bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove the corn cobs and bay leaf. In a small bowl, mix cornmeal or masa with ¼ cup (or a bit more) water, then add to pot. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, white beans, and fresh thyme. Heat through for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the soup is thickened a bit (mash down lumps of cornmeal if any occur).