Corn Soup

Sometimes it pays to be shameless.  Asking others to save what most people would throw out will often raise a few eyebrows.  It might strike some people as odd that someone would ask guests to save their corn cobs when it comes time to clear the table, but this is something I am totally willing to do.  A group of us pooled together to share our meals at the campground over the long weekend.  After each meal, I asked everyone to set their corn cobs aside for me.  There was enough to fill a large pot, which was then used to make stock.

One might not think of making a thick/hearty soup in the summer, but if you love corn like I do, it makes perfect sense.  The sweet freshness of the kernels can't be replicated with the frozen variety.  I love using the cobs to make the base.  All I did was cover it with water, add some salt and pepper, and let it simmer all day.  Once I pulled out the cobs, I added some chicken stock from the fridge.

Don't be fooled into thinking you need any real skill or a recipe to create a soup like this.  Our meal was made using bits and pieces of what remained from the weekend -- a couple of pieces of Canadian bacon, pepperoni, potatoes.   The biscuits were also made for the weekend and a wonderful accompaniment.  I did buy some evaporated milk to make it creamy and added some ham bouillon to underscore the bacon and pepperoni flavor.

Soup is a great way to make use of "throw aways."  If a recipe was a requirement, then meals like this would never happen.  With no plan in mind when I dumped the corn into the pot, I had no  idea we would end up with a slightly spicy soup, which would include Canadian bacon and pepperoni.  But it worked great.

Be willing to create/cook as you go along.  Don't throw scraps away.  Pull things together with no plan in mind.  You might get some strange looks when you gather the ingredients, but the test is the satisfied looks you'll receive when you have a unique finished product which will fill your belly but not empty your wallet.