Recipe By:
Heidi Morf, Chef and Owner of Four & Twenty Blackbirds in Flint Hill, Virginia

Ingredients:

6 ears of organic corn- husks on
6 cups water
1 teaspoon salt- divided use
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted sustainable butter
1 cup chopped sweet onions
1/2 cup peeled-diced yellow potatoes Yukon Gold, Yellow Finn or German Butterball
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon fresh sweet marjoram
1 cup rBGH free buttermilk
Pesto (see below)
3 small heirloom tomatoes- diced

Directions:

1. Soak ears of corn in cold water for 1 hour
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
3. Drain and place corn on baking sheet- Roast for 5 minutes- turn corn over and roast for another 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Remove husks, cut kernels from cobs and set aside.
4. Chop cobs into 2 inch pieces- place in a large pot with the water, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer 1 hour; strain, discard cobs, and save broth.
5. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions, potatoes, celery, remaining salt and pepper.  Cook until vegetables are wilted.  Add corn, corn broth and fresh herbs.  Simmer until vegetables are tender.  Puree and strain by pressing through a medium coarse strainer and chill.  Stir in buttermilk and adjust seasonings before serving.  Garnish soup with a dollop of pesto and diced tomatoes.

Tips:
This soup is excellent with a grass-fed steak seasoned with salt and pepper, or can be served simply with bread and a farmer’s market salad.

Notes:
Recipe from Cooking Fresh from the Mid-Atlantic, Edited by Fran McManus and Wendy Rickard, Eating Fresh Publications, 2002.

Read more…. (Sustainable Table)