Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Peppers

So, that's it folks. The last of summer! I am sad to see such beautiful, vibrant produce go away, but ready for all the hearty gourds of Fall. Plus, I LOVE Fall weather and the colors, and the smells, and the fact that I get to start using my fire place and blankets!

I know I haven't been around much this summer, but moving into our new house proved to be a bit more time consuming than I thought!! We found ourselves wrapped up in many little projects with any free time we had outside unpacking. 

But, with summer floating away in the approaching Fall winds, I figured it was time to jump back into the blog, my happy place! Again, I am including shishito peppers in my post, but they are not the feature this time, corn is. And since corn will only be around for a few more weeks or even days, I thought I would end the summer on a nice refreshing and filling soup.

Corn is one of those vegetables that I absolutely love, but have a really hard time digesting. Unfortunately, I can't eat a lot of it at once and it has to be cooked, and cooked well. Soup is always the best way for me to get a lot of vitamins and minerals from vegetables, so this corn soup recipe emerged. Plus, I have to include some corn since I married a Mid-Westerner!

Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Peppers 

Yields: 4-6 servings

5 ears corn, shucked

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 small shallot, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups water

Seared peppers (we used shishito, but poblano would be good here)

Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream

salt and pepper to taste

(potential garnish is crumbled sausage or chorizo)

Cut the kernels off the ears of corn, reserving the bare ears. Using the back of a knife or spoon, scrape the bare ears, removing as much of the “milk” as possible. Set this aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook this for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened. Add the corn, “milk” and garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes, stirring again. 

Pour in the water, thyme, pinch of salt and reserved bare corn ears. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. 

Remove the corn ears from the soup and move the pot off heat. Using a blender or immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Chill the soup for at least 4 hours before serving. 

To prepare the seared shishito peppers, heat a thick bottom pan or cast iron skillet at high heat. Add in canola or Grapeseed oil (a high heat oil) and heat. Toss in the peppers and sear in the pan for a few minutes per side...doesn't take much. 

Once the soup is chilled, garnish with the seared shishito peppers and sour cream or creme fraiche. We like to add some sautéed chorizo sometimes or fresh tomato slices too!

Almond Crisped Peaches

For the last sweet peaches found in various Farmer's Markets, this recipe is a must try as summer slips away! 

Peach season was pretty good this year, not the best, but pretty good. I was able to make a few crumbles, cobblers and galettes! However, possibly one of my favorite peach recipe that I came across this summer was Smitten Kitchen's Almond-Crisped Peaches.

We all know my love affair with Smitten Kitchen after discovering the Red Wine Chocolate Cake. And her blog and cookbook continue to impress me. The best part about this recipe is that it is gluten-free! I love finding gluten free recipes that don't require a ton of expensive ingredients. The only thing here I had to buy was the peaches (and the ice cream of course)!

As we say "Goodbye" to summer here in NC, we welcome Fall with open arms. But first, Costa Rica!! Ryan and I are off for a much needed vacation. Don't worry, we will be back with a full report and plethora of Fall recipes!! See you in October :)

Almond Crisped Peaches

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes

4 ripe peaches
1/3 cup (55 grams) whole almonds
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed

1/4 cup (20 grams) rolled oats

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

pinch of sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Halve peaches and remove pits. Place fruit cut side up in baking dish. 

In a food processor, grind almonds and sugar together until coarsely ground (with a few pebbles left). Add oats and other flavorings, if using, then butter, pulsing the machine until the ingredients are just blended. 

Spoon the almond mixture into the center of each peach, then press it flat, as if icing the tops of the peaches with it. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (baking time varies with peach size), until the top is brown and crisp and you can easily slice through the fruit with a fork or spoon.

Serve warm or at room temperature, with creme fraiche, lightly sweetened whipped cream or even plain yogurt, cold, for breakfast.

Without a food processor: Use an equivalent weight of almond meal or finely chopped almonds, stir in sugar and any other ingredients, then the same volume of butter, melted. It will be less clumpy, but the oven won’t know the difference.