#3626 - Zucchini Chowder

(by Shirley McNevich)

4-8 slices cooked bacon (crumbled)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery
1lb. zucchini (peeled and chopped)
1lb. frozen corn kernels (thawed and drained)
2 1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
other seasonings to your taste

Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven but save 2 tsp. of the bacon drippings. Crumble the bacon. To the 2 tsp. bacon drippings in the Dutch oven add chopped onions, celery and zucchini--cook/stir over medium low heat until vegetables are tender. Reserve 1 cup of the drained corn. In a blender add the UNreserved corn and 1 cup of milk--blend well. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, the salt and the pepper to the blender mixture--blend well. Pour the blender mixture into the soup--stir well. Add the crumbled bacon, reserved corn and shredded cheese to the soup--cook/stir until soup is hot. Taste--add more seasonings to your taste. If broth is too thin, add a ladle of broth to a bowl and whisk in a tsp. cornstarch, then add it to the soup and stir well. Repeat if necessary.