By Late March. Lockdown week one at the rental house. Mama has been working three days a week instead of five at Dollar General — the corporate office has been cutting hours across the chain to spread shifts among the staff who are willing to work the floor in pandemic conditions. I have been at home with no factory job and a small pile of laid-off-without-pay paperwork to file with the state unemployment office, which has been overwhelmed and is processing claims at a backlog of two-to-three weeks. Cody has been at the halfway house. Dustin has been working.
The kitchen has become the room of the lockdown. The kitchen has the radio on most of the morning. The kitchen has me at the table writing in the green notebook longer than I have written in years. The kitchen has Mama at the small dining table on her days off with a crossword puzzle and a cup of coffee. The kitchen is where the household has been holding.
Sunday I made tomato corn chowder because the apartment—rental house, sorry — had bacon in the fridge and frozen corn in the freezer and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes in the pantry, and the chowder format is the right shape for a long-lockdown Sunday. Bacon rendered crispy. Onion-garlic sweated in the bacon fat. Frozen corn, diced potatoes from the pantry, chicken broth, the can of fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh thyme, salt and pepper, simmered until the potatoes were tender. Half the soup pureéd smooth with the stick blender Mrs. Henderson gave me in 2017, half left chunky. Heavy cream stirred in off the heat. Crispy bacon, fresh chives, and a drizzle of olive oil to finish each bowl. Mama said: baby, this is exactly the soup for tonight.
Tomato Corn Chowder
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and sliced green onions for topping
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp, about 5–6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Build the base. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, and thyme, coating the vegetables in the spices. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth. Stir to combine.
- Add the corn. Stir in the corn kernels. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Stir in the cream. Pour in the heavy cream and stir gently. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Simmer for another 5 minutes—do not boil after adding cream.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with reserved bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and sliced green onions. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 220 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 19g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 540mg