Adrienne's Fall Corn Chowder

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium-sized onion, diced
Three and one-half cups milk
1 bay leaf
One-half teaspoon dried thyme
One-half teaspoon dried marjoram
8 peppercorns
1 small can Ortega chilies
1 (16-ounce) can tomatillos
3 small boxes frozen corn (30 ounces total)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
One-half teaspoon salt
4 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Heat the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Heat the milk in a saucepan. Add the bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, and the peppercorns. Just before the milk comes to a boil, add the onions, remove from the heat and cover.

In a food processor, puree the chilies, tomatillos and 2 boxes of the corn.

Add the pureed mixture and the remaining box of corn to the milk mixture. Simmer over very low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Pour the soup into individual bowls over cubes of cheddar. Garnish with the cilantro. Serve with warm crusty bread.

Make 4 to 6 servings