A hot soup for folks in cool, foggy areas and a cold Gazpacho for everyone sweating out the heatwave. Both recipes start with roasting the corn and peppers.
Remove the silk and any loose leaves from 3 ears of corn and soak them, in the husk, in a bowl of water for 10 minutes or longer. Brush 3 gypsy pepperswith olive oil.
Roast the corn and peppers on a baking sheet in the oven or grill, turning both 3-4 times to cook evenly. When the corn husks are browned and the peppers are soft and brown (not black), remove from the oven or grill and allow to cool.
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cob. Peel any loose skin off the peppers and remove the seeds and stems.
Chowder:
Saute 1 diced onion in 3 T. butter in a large, heavy bottomed pot. When it begins to brown, add 2-3 minced cloves of garlic and 1 minced jalapeno(optional). Add the diced roasted peppers and 2 C. diced potatoes along with 1 C. vegetable broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Add 1 C. heavy cream and let simmer for another 5 minutes, then add 2 C. of the corn kernels and 3 additional C. vegetable broth or water. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, then season with salt and pepper.
Gazpacho:
Dice ripe tomatoes to make 1 C. and place in a bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let sit for 10 minutes.
Place the tomatoes in a food processor or blender with 2 T. olive oil and puree until mostly smooth. Add 2 C. corn kernels and the peppers along with1 minced clove of garlic and 3 T. minced onion. Puree again. Season with1 T. or more of red wine vinegar plus salt and pepper to taste.
Serve topped with finely diced cucumbers.