Isn’t it awesome when you open your freezer and food falls out (two bags of frozen corn lay at my feet), or does that only happen at my house? I confess I looked at the bags of corn and they looked at me like are you going pick me up or not? I continued to stare, wondering where the hell they came from. I am a fresh produce kind of girl. Nevertheless, I picked them up and what to make for dinner had been decided.

 Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 small carrot, finely diced
• 1 small celery stalk, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 whole bell pepper, finely diced (any color beside green will do- they have the least flavor)
• 4 c. corn kernels, fresh or frozen
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3 slices bacon, cut into pieces
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 2 c. milk
• 1/4 T. sea salt
• 1/4 T. freshly cracked black pepper

Directions

Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a separate plate using a slotted spoon, reserving about 3 T. of bacon grease in the stockpot (Add three T. of olive oil if using turkey bacon). Add onion, bell peppers, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add cubed potatoes and corn. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Boil hard for about seven minutes, until the potatoes break down (this will help to thicken the soup and give it a good texture). Then reduce heat to low. Stir in milk, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so. Bon Appetite!