Corn Chowder with Pink Potatoes and Cream

    
    Quick... make this chowder while there is still fresh, local, summer corn!  Loved this soup and have made it twice in less than a week.  What makes it so good? --  sour cream combined with lime juice that is spooned onto the individual servings of the corn chowder.  That tart creaminess is the perfect counterpart to the sweet corn kernels.

                 :: recipe from Macrina Bakery and Café Cookbook | by Leslie Mackie

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 8 to 10 cups of water
• Kosher salt
• 4 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut in half crosswise
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 4 medium red new potatoes, washed and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1.  Pour the olive oil into a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot and add the onion.  Cover pot and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat to sweat the onion, stirring occasionally.  The onions will become translucent.  Add the garlic and continue to cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, or until garlic smells sweet but is not brown.
2.  Add 8 cups of the water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.  Carefully drop in the ears of corn and cook until the kernels are tender, 4 to 6 minutes.  Remove corn and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
3.  Remove kernels from the cobs with a knife, then place the cobs and half of the kernels back into the soup pot.  Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes, then remove the cobs and discard.  Add the heavy cream, potatoes, and thyme, and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, adding more water as needed, about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add the remaining kernels of corn just before serving.
4.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon salt, sour cream, and lime juice.  Mix well and drizzle over bowls of the corn chowder. 

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