I love fresh peppers from the garden! Mild, sweet, spicy, or hot peppers they are all wonderful and make every dish they are in a special event. In my garden, poblanos mature from August thru early October. From merely two plants I am blessed with plenty of poblanos for stuffing, roasting and freezing for winter use.
Toward the end of October and right before the frost arrives, I gather all the remaining poblanos and freeze the majority of them but save some for roasting. I include the roasted poblanos in a chowder. This Corn, Roasted Poblano Pepper, Potato and Crab Chowder reminds me of summer although I usually cook it in late autumn.
I take a couple of pints of fresh frozen creamed (grated) corn from my freezer, which I put up from the garden during the summer and thaw. I roast some poblano peppers and purchase fresh crabmeat and I am within an hour of experiencing a wonderful end to summer and a warming start to autumn.
The table is set and the wine is uncorked. Guests are sitting down to eat at the table. As I stir the Corn, Roasted Poblano Pepper, Potato and Crab Chowder one last time before it is served into the bowl, I express gratitude to Summer and her bounty passing on and ushering in the arrival of late Fall.
The wine I like to serve with this excellent chowder can be found at The Wine Feed. Try the Gramona or Tondonia
Here is the recipe for your culinary enjoyment:
Corn, Roasted Poblano Pepper, Potato and Crab Soup
2 to 4 medium fresh or frozen poblano peppers, roasted
2 medium onions, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 pints of frozen or fresh grated corn
2 to 3 Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut in ½ cubes
1 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
5 to 6 cups fat-free, reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 small handful of cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 15-ounce can of fresh pasteurized crabmeat
Rub the poblano peppers with olive oil. Grill or broil the poblano peppers till blackened. Place grilled poblano peppers in bowl and cover to cool. When peppers are cooled, remove the stems, seeds and ribs along the inside of the pepper. Chop the peppers into ¼ inch pieces and place in a bowl to use later.
In a large stockpot, heat the butter over medium heat and add the minced onions and garlic. Stir frequently and cook till onions are transparent.
Add grated (creamed) corn, cilantro, broth, salt, pepper, poblano peppers and potatoes to stockpot. Cook vegetables until potatoes are tender about 15 minutes over medium low heat. Stir frequently to prevent corn from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
When potatoes are fork tender, add crabmeat and stir.
Bring soup to a boil and remove from the heat.
Serve immediately in warmed soup bowls.
Sprinkle with smoked Spanish paprika and/or minced cilantro if desired. I like to serve the chowder with Corn Muffins and butter.
Serves 8-12 people.
The Wine Feed suggests serving this dish with either the Gramona or the Tondonia.