Cooking with Corn, Part S[oup]

First up, a recommendation from Marianne, plot SC11. Marianne is a chef for Williams Sonoma, and she has offered up two recipes from a class she taught at Williams Sonoma last year. Here's the first:

Corn and Zucchini Soup with Crumbled Bacon 

The texture of the fried corn, bacon and thyme garnish elevates this humble dish. You can make the soup ahead of time, but prepare the garnish just before serving.

6 thick-cut bacon slices

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 cups chicken broth

3 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 6 ears)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 Tbs. unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. minced fresh thyme 

In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, cook the bacon, turning once, until crispy, about 

8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Discard all but 1 Tbs. of the bacon fat from the pot. Add the olive oil, onion and garlic and sauté over medium-high heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and sauté for 

5 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add 2 ½ cups of the corn kernels and cook for 

5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season with salt and white pepper.

In a small fry pan over high heat, melt the butter. Add the remaining 1/2 cup corn kernels, the bacon and the thyme. Fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Serve the soup topped with the corn and bacon mixture. Serves 4 to 6.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Soup of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2011)