Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Peppers

So, that's it folks. The last of summer! I am sad to see such beautiful, vibrant produce go away, but ready for all the hearty gourds of Fall. Plus, I LOVE Fall weather and the colors, and the smells, and the fact that I get to start using my fire place and blankets!

I know I haven't been around much this summer, but moving into our new house proved to be a bit more time consuming than I thought!! We found ourselves wrapped up in many little projects with any free time we had outside unpacking. 

But, with summer floating away in the approaching Fall winds, I figured it was time to jump back into the blog, my happy place! Again, I am including shishito peppers in my post, but they are not the feature this time, corn is. And since corn will only be around for a few more weeks or even days, I thought I would end the summer on a nice refreshing and filling soup.

Corn is one of those vegetables that I absolutely love, but have a really hard time digesting. Unfortunately, I can't eat a lot of it at once and it has to be cooked, and cooked well. Soup is always the best way for me to get a lot of vitamins and minerals from vegetables, so this corn soup recipe emerged. Plus, I have to include some corn since I married a Mid-Westerner!

Chilled Corn Soup with Seared Peppers 

Yields: 4-6 servings

5 ears corn, shucked

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup onion, chopped

1 small shallot, minced

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt, divided

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 cups water

Seared peppers (we used shishito, but poblano would be good here)

Creme Fraiche or Sour Cream

salt and pepper to taste

(potential garnish is crumbled sausage or chorizo)

Cut the kernels off the ears of corn, reserving the bare ears. Using the back of a knife or spoon, scrape the bare ears, removing as much of the “milk” as possible. Set this aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion and shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook this for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are softened. Add the corn, “milk” and garlic and continue to cook for a few more minutes, stirring again. 

Pour in the water, thyme, pinch of salt and reserved bare corn ears. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. 

Remove the corn ears from the soup and move the pot off heat. Using a blender or immersion blender, blend the soup until it reaches your desired consistency. Chill the soup for at least 4 hours before serving. 

To prepare the seared shishito peppers, heat a thick bottom pan or cast iron skillet at high heat. Add in canola or Grapeseed oil (a high heat oil) and heat. Toss in the peppers and sear in the pan for a few minutes per side...doesn't take much. 

Once the soup is chilled, garnish with the seared shishito peppers and sour cream or creme fraiche. We like to add some sautéed chorizo sometimes or fresh tomato slices too!

Chicken and Shishito Pepper Kebabs

One of my favorite little gems have started appearing at the market - shishito peppers. These sweet peppers may be small, but they pack a huge flavor punch. I tasted them for the first time last year, trying a few different preparation techniques. They are pretty versatile, like a bell pepper. Since last year, I have noticed that they are popping up in a lot of grocery stores now as well. The easiest way to cook shishito peppers is to sauté them in a hot cast iron skillet with oil and coarse sea salt. However, since it is grilling season, I figured a nice kebab was in order!

I like chicken kebabs since they hold up well on the grill and won't overcook by the time the vegetables are done. I decided to marinade the chicken a bit to add some additional flavor and the Hubby gave me the exact cooking instructions! If you include lemon juice in the marinade, be sure to NOT let it sit for too long. The oil, herbs and garlic make a great marinade as well though if you want to get a more flavorful kebab. Just drizzle the lemon juice on the kebabs before grilling.

If using wooden skewers, remember to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before putting on the grill.

So head to your local Farmers Market in search for these sweet little gems and fire up that grill ya'll!

Chicken and Shishito Pepper Kebabs

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes


1 pound chicken breasts (skinless, boneless) cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pint Shishito Peppers

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 T Grapeseed oil or Olive Oil

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper 

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, oil, thyme, lemon juice and salt and pepper and mix well. Add the marinade into a large zip-loc bag along with the chicken, mix around well. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Prepare the grill for direct heat.

Skewer the marinated chicken and shishito peppers and grill in a single layer over direct heat. Cook the kebabs for about 5 minutes per side, covered, watching to not char the peppers too much. Remove the kebabs and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Noodle Salad

Summer produce is coming in strong at the Farmers Market. Tomatoes, peaches, peppers and, my favorite, zucchini. I became obsessed with making noodles from zucchini last year, or as I like to call "zoodles!" I never got around to posting this recipe last year, so I have been holding on to it for summer.

Last summer, I had the opportunity to take a Farmers Market cooking class. The instructor, who is a fellow blogger and friend from I Cook, I Eat, It's Life took us around the Western Wake Farmers Market and introduced us to several of the vendors and farmers. I've since gotten to know several of the farmers, learned about their farms and tasted all of their goods! I look forward to my market trip every Saturday morning now :)

All the recipes that we made in the class featured produce and goods from the market like this Zucchini Noodle Salad which highlights the best of summer. I've mentioned my spiralizer before to make Sriracha Shrimp with Zucchini Noodles. I highly recommend getting one of these kitchen tools.

I like to serve this with fresh slices of Heirloom tomatoes, herbs and Desirée's Balsamic Vinaigrette. Amazing how some of the most healthy dishes can feel like complete indulgences! At least, they do for me :)

Zucchini Noodle Salad

Yields: 4 side servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes + 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

3 medium zucchini
1 large red pepper
1 small red onion
1 Tablespoon fresh basil
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
Desirée's Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fresh tomato slices (optional)

Prepare the dressing first and set aside.

Cut the ends off the zucchini and julienne the vegetables or use a spiralizer (I like this one) to create noodles. Sprinkle the noodles with salt and line a large colander with paper towels. Toss the noodles and put in the lined colainder to help drain off some of the moisture. Set this aside.

Slice the red onion thinly and place in a bowl of cold water, set aside. (This helps to cut the bite from the onion since they are raw in the salad).

Under a high broiler, roast the pepper until the skin is well blistered. Remove from the oven and place in a covered bowl. Once the peppers have cooled, peel off the skin, deseed and chop. Here are more detailed instructions on how to prepare roasted red peppers. (Alternatively, use jarred roasted red peppers).

Place the chopped red pepper, soaked onion slices and fresh herbs in a large bowl and gently toss. Add in the zucchini noodles and drizzle some of the dressing over top. Toss gently and serve with more fresh herbs and dressing if desired. This salad is best served immediately, although I enjoyed the leftovers the next day too!