Hatch Chile Corn Chowder

 4 T butter

1 c. chopped sweet onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 T rice flour (wheat flour is okay too)

1 tsp each salt and pepper

1 tsp Trader Joe's Elote Seasoning or chili powder

14.5 oz can low sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 tsp liquid smoke

1/2 c water

1 cup chopped zucchini

2 cups red potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 roasted hatch chiles, enough to make 1/3 to 1/2 cup

3 cobs sweet corn, roasted and cut off the cob, approximately 2 cups

2 cups 2% milk

14.5 oz can creamed corn

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving

1 cup Monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese

broken corn chips (use leftover from bag)

 

In a large stock pot, melt butter, onion, and garlic. Saute until soft. Add rice flour until incorporated into the butter. Add the salt, pepper, and Elote seasoning or chili powder. Mix on medium heat for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.

 

Add chicken broth, liquid smoke, and water and bring to a boil.  Add zucchini and potatoes and simmer until zucchini and potatoes are soft, but not falling apart (about 15-20 minutes), stirring occasionally to keep mixture from burning. Add the milk and bring to a simmer.

In the meantime, oil the hatch chiles and corn and roast them on a grill to char them. Make sure corn is turned so as not to burn the corn. The chiles will probably be done in 5 minutes, the corn will take 10-15 minutes. Remove both from grill and allow to cool to the touch.

Once cool enough to handle, take the outside "skin" off the chiles and chop into small pieces and remove corn from the cobs using a knife and a deep bowl to catch the kernels. 

Add the corn, chiles, canned cream corn, and cilantro to th chowder. The potatoes should be soft, but still firm. If too thin, allow the chowder to simmer longer. If chowder is too thick, add a little milk or water to thin. Adjust seasoning. 

Serve chowder with cheese, fresh cilantro and broken tortilla chips. This makes 5-6 generous helping and is delicious as leftovers. You can also make this ahead and reheat it. It's a great summer weekend meal. Serve with some fresh tomatoes or a cucumber, tomato salad. This does have some heat, but if you like it very spicy, you can also add some hot sauce to it.