Winter has one very important redeeming quality; soup. It fills and warms you up, & makes you feel all happy inside! I love the big hearty type, like Chowder, Borsch, Minestrone. Pumpkin Soup is a constant, only using the best kind of pumpkin; Kent! I am also quite partial to the odd bowl of Straciatella.
Seafood Chowder is one I only seem to have on Tasmanian east coast restaurants.
Here is my easy peasy recipe for Corn Chowder - I'm no masterchef, so please note quantities are sketchy, but you can make it up as you go along!
Corn Chowder
In a pot, add 1 or 2 sticks of celery (chopped), and onion (chopped) to olive oil.
Add a couple of rashers of chopped bacon. Fry gently for a couple of minutes.
Add 3 potatoes (cubed)
Add 3 fresh cobs of corn - (fresh not cooked cobs - try and do this, I promise it doesn't take up much more time, & it's a superior taste and texture to canned stuff, but IF you must use a can it will still be yummy) um..don't forget to slice the corn off the cobs before you add.
Add stock to cover. (You could add a bay leaf, but I don't).
Cook for about 20 minutes or so.
Using a handheld blender, blend just enough to get some of it creamy looking, but not enough to destroy all those lovely kernels.
Now, for the fun bit - you can add milk, or cream, or sour cream, as much or as little as you like.
Heat through gently.
Add lashings of chopped flat leafed parsley.
Serve. With bread of course, although you probably won't need it. Yum.
What is your favourite soup, or winter warmer dish?
Natural Kids Team 
