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Corn and Cheddar Chowder | Crisp Pork and Watermelon Tacos |
Hot Lava Fudge Cakes
I’m in my happy place, food-wise, in August — melon, so much corn, zucchini, tomatoes. Those of us who don’t live on the West Coast are having our yearly moment, and here on my upstate New York farm, it’s been as wonderful as ever. I try to incorporate some kind of seasonal fruit or vegetable throughout the year whenever I can, but it’s blissfully easy in late summer. What I’m sharing today is no exception: Corn and Cheddar Chowder (no roux — just the thickening power of potatoes), Crisp Pork and Watermelon Tacos (one of the best salty-sweet pairings I’ve had), and Hot Lava Fudge Cakes (really simple; a restaurant staple comes home).
The corn right now is terrific; I’ve eaten my weight in it and will continue to do so until it’s gone. The chowder here can be made any time of the year with frozen corn (you’ll love it, I promise), but right now it’s going to be especially good (I’d recommend doubling the recipe — chowder all week). And I can say the same thing about watermelon — it’s not normally my favorite fruit, but have you seen it this year? I saw one the other day that was a deep, bright, gorgeous red — it would have been awesome in the pork tacos you’re hopefully going to make for dinner tonight. And you’ll end the meal with individual lava cakes, because who doesn’t love those?
Corn and Cheddar Chowder

Makes 2 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Always hearty and filling, chowder usually starts with a béchamel-like combination of flour, fat, and milk. Since you’ll be chopping a lot for the Corn and Cheddar Chowder, you can take a shortcut and skip the roux. The starch in potatoes is the vessel for its thickening power, generating the same effect as roux in a fraction of the time.
Ingredients
6 ounces russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1½ teaspoons chopped garlic
3 cups milk, or more as needed
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
4½ teaspoons unsalted butter
2 cups frozen corn kernels (or shuck 2 ears fresh corn)
1 celery stalk, chopped
4½ teaspoons flour
3 ounces grated white or yellow cheddar cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, for garnish
Directions
Put the potatoes and garlic in a 3-quart saucepan with the milk over medium heat; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the milk begins to boil, adjust the heat so it bubbles gently and add the bay leaf. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scalding, until the potatoes are tender but not yet breaking apart, 10 to 15 minutes.
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